Friday, October 15, 2010

Bird Feeder Review

Not too long ago I blogged about a bird feeder review I was planning for the site CSN Stores. It's actually a pretty cool website because they sell all sorts of products- even beyond bird houses and bird feeders (which they do quite well I might add). It's easy to get distracted when looking for something bird-related. Last time I was on there I got completely distracted looking for a bar stool to go with this new work-station area I've set up for my laptop at home. But that's a story for another day...

So I ended up going with the "Our Pets Lighthouse Seed Feeder" which I set up in the backyard, hanging off our barn. I'm using black-oil sunflower seed in it, which always makes sense for tube bird feeders.
One concern I have is the issue of waste, but since the tray at the base is so wide, most of the seed that birds toss around gets captured, eliminating waste. Seed recycling bird feeders (like Tidy Diner) are all the rage right now, and this Lighthouse bird feeder has actually turned out to be a pretty good solution. Unlike most seed recycling bird feeders, the tray at the bottom isn't obtrusive and the feeder still looks nice aesthetically hanging in my back yard.

I can't assess how squirrel-proof it is since we don't have squirrels in our yard in Bridgewater (I know, I know- don't hate me!); however, one of the reviews on the CSN Stores website says that it's the one feeder their squirrel can't hang upside down from to eat the seed. Sounds squirrel-proof to me!

And of course, as a native Cape Codder I love all things relating to the ocean and this is a perfect accent to my backyard decor.

Our yard is pretty quiet right now so I don't have too many good pics, but I'll try to get a representative one that shows the different types of birds that like to visit this feeder.

3 comments:

Dawn Fine said...

That is an attractive feeder. You don't have squirrels..wow, that's nice. My parents have baffles and waffles and graffles and well u get the gist..lots of contraptions to keep the squirrels away.

Happy Birding!

Unknown said...

I learned an interesting thing about squirrel management years ago.

If you have time each year, gather a bushel basket of acorns in the area's oak forests and set them aside with your other seed supplies.

Then, in the depths of winter, toss them out, on the ground in their own zone, away from the feeder. Squirrels will go there because they prefer acorns.

Their buried caches get frozen solid and aren't accessible til thaw time. While you are at it, you could invest in some cracked corn for that ground zone to entice pheasants and grouse.

And finally, don't forget those string bags for Niger Thistle seeds. Finches love those things and squirrels don't seem to care for them.

Chris Petrak said...

No squirrels!? And squirrel proof??! I once had a very sweet, very elderly lady ask me how she could keep squirrels out of her feeder. I said, you can't, they are smarter than you are. But makers of feeders, and homeowners keep making the claim that they have the problem solved. You have the only real answer - live where there are no squirrels!