wooden hopper style bird feeder

[rockyroller]

we've got an old one that has had so many repairs, it's past due for replacement. I should make a new roof altogether

gave it one more repair last night. there's a lot of wood glue, saw dust, wood splinters & paint in there now

but it might be time to replace the roof or build a fresh one. found one I'd like to copy

anyone else with a wooden hopper style bird feeder?

 

[annedonnelly]

What birds do you get in your part of the world? Probably a bit different to those we see in the UK.

There's been some research recently that indicates it's not good to use feeders with horizontal surfaces as it makes it easier for disease to spread from one bird to another. At least here in the UK there has been a disease - trichomoniasis - which badly affected greenfinches and more recently chaffinches. Regular cleaning of feeders and feeding smaller amounts more often is encouraged.

 

[rockyroller]

What birds do you get in your part of the world? Probably a bit different to those we see in the UK.

There's been some research recently that indicates it's not good to use feeders with horizontal surfaces as it makes it easier for disease to spread from one bird to another. At least here in the UK there has been a disease - trichomoniasis - which badly affected greenfinches and more recently chaffinches. Regular cleaning of feeders and feeding smaller amounts more often is encouraged.

oh that's interesting. I'll keep an eye on it. I do scrape the tray periodically, wash the plexiglass sides once or twice a year, just did it last night & it has 4 drain holes & the birds go thru the seed efficiently so it's not like there's a lot going bad or getting moldy. it only holds 2.5 lbs

so there is no misunderstanding, these are not my photos ...

just at the feeder: we get the Massachusetts state bird, the black cap chickadee. it's around all the time & there are lots of them

these smarties, the tufted titmouse. it's around all the time & there are lots of them

male & female cardinals. regular but special visitors. very jumpy & don't linger

yellow finch. our feeder doesn't get a lot of these, so it's exciting to see them

blue jay. they are big & noisy. a real bully. only at the feeder rarely but you know it when it's there. they are larger so they like to sit on top of the feeder roof

morning dove, these like to nest in our roof gutters. they walk like pigeons. they are larger so they like to sit on top of the feeder roof

my favorite, only visits seasonally, the red breasted grosbeak

it's interesting to see the diff. birds interact & I like having this style feeder because of all the perches it provides

also in our area but not at the feeder, we also have humming birds, barred owls, big black pileated woodpeckers, smaller wood peckers, small birds of prey, turkeys, lots of turkeys, Canadian geese, swans, robins, great blue herons, bald eagles (rare)

down on cape cod & Martha's Vineyard we have shorebirds, an interesting variety piping plovers, least terns, osprey, curlew, American oyster catcher, those are fun to see, especially the chics & piping plovers

 

[rockyroller]

There's been some research recently that indicates it's not good to use feeders with horizontal surfaces as it makes it easier for disease to spread from one bird to another. At least here in the UK there has been a disease - trichomoniasis - which badly affected greenfinches and more recently chaffinches. Regular cleaning of feeders and feeding smaller amounts more often is encouraged.

the feeders I was looking at in stores the past couple days, have perforated bottoms, or like a screen, rather than a flat board of wood. I wonder if that is related to prevention?

 

[annedonnelly]

the feeders I was looking at in stores the past couple days, have perforated bottoms, or like a screen, rather than a flat board of wood. I wonder if that is related to prevention?

It'd certainly help water drain away so the food doesn't go mouldy. Here's some stuff about feeding from the BTO - a science-focused bird charity.

Your chickadees & titmouses (titmice?) look similar to the tits we have. And our collared dove is like your mourning dove. There's turtle dove too but they're extremely rare now & I've never seen one. Your blue jay is probably related to our jay - part of the crow family and as you say large & noisy.

 

[Windle]

oh that's interesting. I'll keep an eye on it. I do scrape the tray periodically, wash the plexiglass sides once or twice a year, just did it last night & it has 4 drain holes & the birds go thru the seed efficiently so it's not like there's a lot going bad or getting moldy. it only holds 2.5 lbs

just at the feeder: we get the Massachusetts state bird, the black cap chickadee. it's around all the time & there are lots of them
View attachment 791414
these smarties, the tufted titmouse. it's around all the time & there are lots of them
View attachment 791416
male & female cardinals. regular but special visitors. very jumpy & don't linger
View attachment 791417
yellow finch. our feeder doesn't get a lot of these, so it's exciting to see them
View attachment 791418
blue jay. they are big & noisy. a real bully. only at the feeder rarely but you know it when it's there. they are larger so they like to sit on top of the feeder roof
View attachment 791419
morning dove, these like to nest in our roof gutters. they walk like pigeons. they are larger so they like to sit on top of the feeder roof
View attachment 791420
my favorite, only visits seasonally, the red breasted grosbeak
View attachment 791421
it's interesting to see the diff. birds interact & I like having this style feeder because of all the perches it provides

also in our area but not at the feeder, we also have humming birds, barred owls, big black pileated woodpeckers, smaller wood peckers, small birds of prey, turkeys, lots of turkeys, Canadian geese, swans, robins, great blue herons, bald eagles (rare)

down on cape cod & Martha's Vineyard we have shorebirds, an interesting variety piping plovers, least terns, osprey, curlew, American oyster catcher, those are fun to see, especially the chics & piping plovers

The Black Cap Chickadee looks very like our Coal Tit.

 

[Dogtrousers]

How about an Edward Hopper style bird feeder?

 

[annedonnelly]

Our second hard frost of the autumn this morning so I've put fat balls out in the feeders for the first time. It took the birds about 10 minutes to spot them. We'll see how long they last.

 

[rockyroller]

Our second hard frost of the autumn this morning so I've put fat balls out in the feeders for the first time. It took the birds about 10 minutes to spot them. We'll see how long they last.

had to look that one up! you make your own? what kind of fat? save it from cooking sausage or bacon? yum! what kind of feeder do you use those in?

 

[annedonnelly]

No, I don't make my own. I have tried that in the past but the consistency didn't seem right.

This is the type of feeder I use. Sold as spiral fat ball feeders.

That's a tree sparrow in the image - I don't get those. I do get house sparrows which are similar.

 

[slowmotion]

The squirels round here (London) would attack anything made from wood or plastic if it stood between them and nuts. Our feeders are largely metal.

 

[rockyroller]

The squirels round here (London) would attack anything made from wood or plastic if it stood between them and nuts. Our feeders are largely metal.

oh yeah, mine is on a pole with an old metal lamp shade, I found in someone's trash. can't get past it no matter how hard they try. any tree branches that provided a launching pad have been trimmed. no squirrels on my feeder. but they do scamper around on the ground & get whatever falls