There are really 2 basic approaches to keeping squirrels out of your bird feeder. The first is to simply try to block them from getting to the feeder. There are two common types of feeders that do that.

Baffled Bird Feeder - By simply restricting access to the the food in the feeder, you frustrate them and they move off. The advantage to using a baffle is that it more or less separates the squirrel proof barrier from the feeder itself, so that the bird have free access to the bird seed, and any size bird can still use the feeder. This is often the more aesthetic approach. This is often done by pole mounting the feeder, and putting the baffle on the pole. Other types use a hanging arrangement and the baffle forms a roof over the feeder.

The disadvantage of this approach is that squirrels can leap large distances, and are incredibly agile climbers, so that they will often find a way to land on the actual feeder and bypass the baffling. With the top mounted feeder you may also find a squirrel smart enough to climb down and cause the feeder to swing, and while they may not gain access to the feeder itself they can cause the bird food to spill to the ground, where they can get all the food they want.

Caged Bird Feeders - Another very common solution is to use a caged feeder. These are easy to spot, the construction includes some type of cage around the actual feeder area. It’s a fairly open mesh, and in fact a tube style caged feeder looks similar to an electronic bug zapper with the open mesh surrounding the tube.

Caged feeders are better at keeping the squirrels out of the feeder, but they can still get to it and scare off the birds that are trying to use the feeder. This is often the case when you are trying to attract smaller birds.

The second approach to getting rid of squirrels in your bird feeder is to move them out. The much more effective types of squirrel proof feeders are those that cause the squirrel to fall off or be thrown from the feeder. There are two types of those feeders as well, weight activated feeders and the battery powered or electronic motorized feeders. While this won’t harm the squirrels they are fun to watch in action…

You can learn more about these feeders and see videos of these squirrel proof bird feeders in action at http://www.birdfeederz.com This includes the motorized Droll Yankees squirrel proof birdfeeders as well.

One of my favorite pastimes on cold winter days is to sit by the window with a hot cup of coffee in my hands watching the wild birds at our feeders. They come by ones and twos and some travel in flocks, but as long as there is feed available, they keep coming. Even the seed that falls on the ground from the hyper feeding habits of the smaller birds, is food for the ground feeding birds. It is my own personal contention that one or two birds act as scouts and then fly out and tell all of their friends!

Watching the birds gives us so much pleasure it is in our best interest as well as that of the birds, to help them weather the cold winter months as much as we can. Birds feed on insects, fruit and seeds during the warm months, but in the winter their diet consists mostly of seeds. The experts tell us that keeping bird feeders filled in our own yards will certainly help the local birds get through the cold weather. Every little bit helps!

There are several types of feeders available; plastic, glass, metal and wood. The feeders should be washed at least twice a year to clean out any mold residue and to prevent any diseases being passed through your feeders. Of course, cleaning them more often is desirable if you can stand it; it’s not the most pleasant thing to do, but just try to think of the benefits to the birds.

Shapes are varied, designed for different sizes and types of birds. Sunflower seeds, millet and thistle are all good choices to fill your bird feeders and will bring different birds to your yard. Bird feeders can also be a decorative accent to your outdoor area in addition to the functional aspect.

So, buy your feeders, get them filled to the brim watch the show! Oh, and don’t forget the coffee!

K. Swanson is retired. lives in a small town/rural area and knows how to enjoy winter from inside the house!
Birdfeeders:
http://www.justperfectgifts.com/default.asp?dept_id=2025&nopopup=1

When I first thought about writing on this topic, I was going to say that creating a bird sanctuary is a piece of cake. But, as I was out feeding the birds this morning, I reflected on all that we have done to create our own bird sanctuary and decided that would be an over simplification of the process. While it’s not all that difficult to create an inviting environment for the many species of birds in your area, it does require a certain amount of commitment in both time and money.

In our bird sanctuary, we have 2 flat and open tray feeders with mixed seed, 1 hanging feeder for sunflower seeds and 2 hanging feeders for mixed seed. We also hang 3 suet cakes and have 2 bird baths as well as providing nesting habitat where possible. We have placed these feeders near or in trees from where they can perch as they take turns feeding and can escape to for protection when they see the shadow a hawk or other predatory bird above.

The end result is a fascinating variety of birds! We attract:

I’m sure we get other types of birds that I haven’t identified as well as quick stop overs from migrating birds, most notably red winged black birds and the occasional Western Tanager, always a special treat.

In order to consistently attract this many birds, we must be consistent in our efforts to keep the feeders and water dishes full. This requires a bit more perseverance on our part during the winter months as we live where we get quite a bit of snow so we have to regularly go out and scoop the snow from the tray feeders and keep the water dishes thawed with water heaters. We could cover the tray feeders to keep the snow off the trays but we find that many of the larger birds would stay away if it weren’t for the easy access. Besides, it means that we have to go out on a beautiful snowy day to clean the tray and that is a good excuse to get us out to enjoy the day!

Feed isn’t cheap but we find that it is well worth the four or five hundred dollars a year that we spend on our birds. It’s a hobby that gives us many returns on our investment as we are thrilled to witness all the different sizes, shapes and colors that frequent our feeders. It is a small price to pay for bringing these wondrous creations in for close up inspection and enjoyment. We have a flock of band tailed pigeons that spend much of the year here. There must be at least 50-60 birds in this flock. Look them up. They are huge and they eat a lot! Because we love having them we always make sure that they have plenty of feed. The amazing thing is, our neighbors never see these birds except when they do a fly by over their house or they see them coming in for a landing, en mass, at ours. We feel privileged…

Another thing that we have done is to put up bird boxes for nesting, being careful to make the entrance the proper size for the birds that we are trying to attract and to put the house at the right height from the ground. You can find this information by doing a Google search on the type of bird and searching keywords such as bird box, nests, etc. When we were building the fireplace for our house, we built houses into the side of the chimney with extended covers over the openings for extra protection from the elements. We have had several varieties of birds over the years nest in these. Currently and for the past 4 years or so we have had families of nut hatches occupying these nests. We have had the joy of watching the young take their first flight and have watched mom and dad teach these young’uns how to take a bath in our bird baths.

Overall, feeding birds is a great way to stay in touch with the natural world that surrounds us and to make a positive contribution to that world. Check with your local feed store to see if they have a special formula for the birds in your area. Our local feed store does and yours most likely will, too.

Enjoy your slice of paradise!

Casey Ryan is the publisher of http://www.homeandgardensplus.com, a website for quality products to enhance both your home and garden. Having grown up in the building business, Casey has built his own custom home using natural materials and strives to make his home environment a place that reflects his love of the natural world.

The Sun Conure is one of the most popular birds being sold today. They are fairly reasonably priced, making them a great starter bird. They are hardy, and easy to care for. They are playful and easy to handle, and the only real drawback is they are a loud screeching bird. They are not known to be good talkers.

In my opinion, the great attraction is their beauty. Their bright yellow and orange plumage makes them one of the prettiest birds out there!

HOUSING

Sun Conures will need to be given a fairly large cage, as they do need to exercise. When you begin adding toys and perches, it’s importing to have room left for them to extend their wings.

The cage should be at lease 24 inches. There are a number of manufactures that make this size cage, and they will have a play area on top that can be accessed by opening the roof. Sun Conures love these cases, as they can play outside of the cage whenever they wish. They do tend to stay with their case and don’t roam around the house. Keep in mind that they have a fairly long tail. They will damage their tail feathers if the cage is too small or the perches and toys are spread around the cage. They need room to exercise!

They also love to chew! Keep a supply of soft wood sticks and twigs available for them to tear up. If you use branches, be certain that the wood was not treated with sprays that could be toxic. Sun Conures love to rip the bark off these branches and shred the wood. By giving them branches, you will lesson the damage to their cage perches.

FEEDING

Sun Conures are most happy with a fruit, berry and seed diet. But this does not give a captive bird enough nutrition. It is recommended that you feed your conure a good quality pellet diet, and be sure to supply lots of fruits and veggies. They love apples and citrus fruits. If you want their feathers to really shine (that’s why you bought this bird, remember?) be sure to supplement their diet with Vitamin A and orange/dark green veggies.

BEHAVIOR

The Sun Conure has a great personality. They are an inquisitive bird, so keeping them occupied is a simple matter of giving them lots of new toys. They love attention and will play with their owners every chance they get. They will bond with the owners and are very devoted to them. They can also be somewhat protective. If they are happily resting on your shoulder, nobody had better come too close or he will immediately take on a defensive attitude.

Training Sun Conures is very easy, as they look forward to this attention. You should be able to have them finger trained within a few days, and within a short time they will allow you to pet and scratch them. They will actually look forward to this attention.

For more information on sun conure parrot, please visit http://www.TheTameParrot.com/blog/

Danny L. publishes an online parrot taming and training newsletter at TheTameParrot.com where you can find killer tips and techniques that will help you turn your naughty bird into a well-mannered and well-behaved pet.