After much hinting around about how I longed for a bird feeder to live outside our dining room window, Norah made me this beautiful one in wood shop class. We installed it in the fall, used a millet seed mix and sat back and watched. Weeks went by but no birds to be found. I began to get impatient, as I sometimes do, and my family would roll their eyes as I would look out the window each day asking “Birdies where are you?” I did some research and decided to switch to black oil sunflower seed. Later that day as I was washing dishes I squealed out loud with delight as I spotted a Tufted Titmouse from the kitchen window. I even called Chris at work to tell him. After that our feeder has seen a flurry of daily activity.
I love the design which has proved to be quite a hit with an amazing array of birds and it’s squirrel proof too! Norah made a beautiful Yew knob that sits atop the roof which lifts up to pour in seed. It has a nice wide lip for bigger birds to perch on while the smaller birds feed inside under the protective roof. I have sometimes seen up to 5 different types of birds feeding at once. The base seems to be too wide for the squirrels to jump from the pole up to the feeder. I had quite a chuckle one day as I watched one do back flips over and over trying to get up. I have yet to see another one try. I think Earl must of told them not to waste their time. I told Norah she should patent her design.
I never dreamed of how much joy this little feeder would bring me. I love how much life it brings to the side of our house. The other day as I was coming home from my morning walk I watched from across the street at a variety of birds on the feeder, on the branches of nearby shrubs, in the flowering cherry tree above and even up in my window boxes. There was a Downy Woodpecker pecking at the ivy vine growing up our house and squirrels and mourning doves feeding on the ground below the feeder. I am having to fill the feeder at least once a day for all of our new little friends! It will be fun to see if we have some volunteer sunflowers come up in the garden from all of the seed.
I have begun to keep a written list of the birds that visit our little Second and Edgemont feeder. So far we have seen House Finch, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Black Eyed Junco, Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Mourning Dove, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow Finch, White Breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch and White Throated Sparrow.
We are keeping an eye out and our fingers crossed for Oriole, Evening Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager and Cedar Waxwing.
What birds come to visit your feeder? Any tips on bird seed?
That is a nice feeder, interesting that the squirrels can’t get to it.
We also have the same birds that you do. We had a Flicker show up once. The Blue Jay is new to my feeder this year, they never seemed to stay for a long time before. I also use Black oiled Sunflower seed, but have never had any flowers sprout from it. It is hilarious to watch the birds, squirrels and bunnies in the yard….especially during the warmer months when we have the bird bath close by!
I love feeding the birds too, and have feeders that I can see from my kitchen sink. I mostly use black oil sunflower seeds, and in cold weather make my own suet. I don’t often feed thistle/niger/nyjer seed, as it’s expensive, but found some at the discount grocery store recently, so am feeding that too right now. The finches especially like it. Our birds are almost all the same as yours. Bravo to Norah on your new feeder!
Dear Amy,
always enjoying your beautiful blog!
What a nice feeder Norah has built! Here in Germany we don’t have such colorful birds than you have, but we got Sparrows, Blackbirds, Great Tit and since some weeks a single Robin. We are feeding sunflower seeds, oat flakes and not roasted peanuts.
Norah, I want one of your bird feeders! Can I put in an order?
Your birthday is coming up;)
In addition to a bird feeder, it is also fun to have a bird bath with a small heater for the winter nearby. It is so much fun to watch the birds splash around in the water. It is also important to provide them with water in the wintertime when much of the water is frozen.
Thanks for the tip Elizabeth. I have a bird bath in my back yard but maybe I will move it closer to the feeder now!
I recently had a small addition added to my home with a bank of windows looking into my back yard and woods. One morning as I stood there washing dishes, I spotted a woodpecker high in one of the larger trees- that was a thrill for me, and I have decided to try and bring the birds closer to my windows by adding some plantings around the outside of the addition which I hope will encourage the birds to come visit feeders near the windows. I agree- its a sweet little joy in my day to feed and observe them!
Wow! Awesome photos, Amy. We have three bird feeders in our front yard and I love to see the birds come, though we don’t get much of an assortment. We added a little cage-type feeder with suet and now we do get smaller birds, especially bush tits, which are the cutest things in the world. The most exciting is when a flicker comes and hangs out. So pretty. I very much miss mourning doves, which we don’t have AT ALL. They were the sound of my childhood back in Chicago and I truly long for their gentle calls.