The design and construction of a cage-style feeder is simple, it consists of a feeding tube surrounded by a wire or steel cage. The opening in the cage must be large enough for birds to reach the food but small enough to stop the squirrels from getting inside.

Cage-style squirrel proof feeders come in many styles and sizes and are made from several different materials. For best results, you should select a bird feeder that is built from heavy, and durable materials, like metal or steel. This will keep squirrels from chewing and damaging the cage providing you with many years of enjoyment.

You can find cage-style squirrel proof feeders that will hold a variety of foods, including some with multiple inner tubes able to hold several different types of seeds at the same time. If you choose a feeder that holds a lot of food, make sure you hang it from a spot that is strong enough to support the weight. Otherwise, the hanging support may break, and your squirrels could very well get the food anyway!

If you have a problem with squirrels then you should try one of the many cage-style squirrel proof feeders on the market, you will not be disappointed.

Baffle-style feeders can hung from a tree, porch, pole or other structure. Their versatility makes them a great addition to any bird friendly yard. Always position your wild bird feeders where you can see them from your porch or favorite window inside the home, this will allow you to watch the birds eating and frolicking on your bird feeder.

Baffle-style squirrel proof feeders can make your yard a haven for your feathered friends, without feeding the squirrels. Your bird food will last longer when the squirrels are not stealing it and the birds won’t be scared away. If you are looking to add a bird feeder to bird feeding station, you should consider one of the many baffle-style squirrel proof feeders.

I need a squirrel proof feeder!

Squirrels are without a doubt the biggest frustration for backyard bird watchers. We have all asked the question: How can I keep squirrels away from my wild bird feeders? I have personally tried every homemade contraption possible and none of them have worked. I sat down one day and added up all the money I had spent trying to squirrel proof my bird feeders when I discovered that it would have been cheaper if I had purchased a squirrel proof feeder.

What would you say if I told you that you could get a squirrel proof bird feeder for free? That’s right, FREE! A few weeks ago I performed a test in order to find out how much birdseed I was loosing to squirrels. I filled my Droll Yankees B-7 feeder with 3.75 pounds of black-oil sunflower seed then watched as three gray squirrels took turns feeding and throwing seed down to each other. It was hard to watch but they emptied the feeder in just six hours! With the cost of black-oil sunflower seed at about $1.60 per pound those squirrels devoured about $6.00 of seed in six hours.

One of the best squirrel proof feeders on the market is the Droll Yankees Yankee Dipper.  This feeder retails in my store for about $66.00. I can tell you from experience that this feeder stops squirrels. If I fill my Droll Yankees B-7 feeder for eleven straight days the squirrels are going to steal about $66.00 worth of black-oil sunflower seed. But if I fill my Droll Yankees Yankee Dipper then the birds get all the seed, saving me $66.00 and making it FREE! So if your goal is to feed wild birds and not squirrels, then buy one of the many squirrel proof feeders on the market, it will pay for itself in no time.

With all the squirrel proof bird feeders on the market, how do you know which one is best for you? Over the next few days I will show you examples of several types of feeders that will stop squirrels from stealing your seed.

Do you have a favorite squirrel proof feeder? How about a funny squirrel story? I would love to hear your story, just post your reply below.

If you want to reduce the cost of feeding birds this winter, consider supplementing store bought birdseed with homemade bird food. You may be surprised to know that there are several common foods in your kitchen that can be used as bird food.

You can use bread, cornbread, donuts, bagels, oatmeal, cornmeal, peanut butter, peanuts, mixed nuts, cheese, fruit, dried fruit, shortening plus many other items. Try different items, mix some together and see what works best for you. You may be surprised at all the wild birds that are attracted to your creations.

If you need some help getting started try one of these homemade bird food recipes.

When making your own bird food JUST HAVE FUN! It can be very satisfying when you discover a blend that attracts wild birds that you have never had at your feeders. If you have a successful bird food recipe, please share it with us here. To show my appreciation for your entry I will give you a free copy of my ebook, “Easy to Make Homemade Bird Foods and Bird Feeding Tips“.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

One answer I often hear is:

“You should stop feeding hummingbirds in the fall so that they can begin their southern migration.”

This is actually a myth. The urge to migrate is activated by several factors, but the most significant one is the number of hours of sunlight. No matter how much food is around, when the days get shorter, the hummingbirds will move on.

I recommend leaving your feeders out for a few weeks after your see your last hummingbird. Occasionally an individual hummingbird doesn’t migrate on schedule, due to illness or injury. These late migrants will appreciate having a reliable source of food when only a few natural flowers remain in bloom. The added food source will provide the extra energy needed to complete their migration.

When will you see your last hummingbird? Well that depends on where you live. Here in New Hampshire it is around the end of September, but in southern areas of the United States it may not be until mid to late November. If you plan on feeding hummingbirds year after year, you may find it helpful to mark your calendar when you take your hummingbird feeders down. This will serve as a reminder for years to come.

For more information about hummingbirds check these links:

Hummingbird Migration
Hummingbird Migration Map
Hummingbird Feeder Recipe
Facts About Hummingbirds
Best Hummingbird Feeders

Being curious I had to ask them what they were doing. They explained that they were members of Hawk Count, an
organization that tracks raptor migrations and evaluates their population changes from year to year.

Being new to bird watching I asked them if they could give me a few tips
for watching hawks during their migration. Here’s what they had to say.

• Hawk migration starts in early September and runs through the end of October.
• Hawks are most active on clear, sunny days with mild northwest, north or northeast winds.
• Find a tall structure, hill or mountain top that has a good view to the north as that is the direction that the hawks will be coming from.
• Using binoculars that are at least 8 power, scan slowly back and forth across the sky at various heights to locate the hawks.
• Keep a good field guide handy to help identify the migrating hawks you see. Most of the hawks you see will be pretty small so knowing hawk shapes to help you identify them.

I spent a few hours last night on my deck staring into the sky and I saw the following:

3 - Red-tailed hawks

2 - Nighthawks

5 - Broad-wing hawks

If you want to see an amazing story about what you might see while hawk watching check out this story,

1541 Hawks.

If you want to have some fun and add a few raptors to you 2008 bird list, look up!

Wild birds need shelter to escape predators, for protection from bad weather, a place to nest and a place to sleep. You may think that hanging a bird house is the only way to provide birds with shelter, but there are many natural ways you can accomplish this.

Birds seek shelter in many places like trees, bushes, vines, brush piles, tree cavities, under leaves, in tall grass, in rocks, under the eaves of your house and bird houses. Here are some trees you can plant to attract birds.

Many birds will take seed from your bird feeders and eat it in a place where they feel safe. You can keep the birds in view by creating shelter near your feeders. Try planting a few low growing shrubs under your feeders or just create a brush pile when cleaning your yard this fall.

When you take down your Christmas tree in January place it near your feeders. The birds will appreciate the safe haven. You can create even more interest by hanging homemade birdseed ornaments on your recycled Christmas tree.

Bird houses and roosting boxes are other ways to provide shelter for birds. I’ll cover those options in a few days.

I am familiar with all the wild birds that visit my yard but I have a lot to learn when it comes to identifying wild birds that I don’t recognize. I will do my best to identify the birds in the pictures below. If you see an error PLEASE let me know.

Below are a some pictures of a few of the birds I saw. I also saw:

Cat Bird

Cardinal

Great Blue Heron

Black Capped Chickadee

I still have a lot to learn when it comes to wild bird identification. If you have any tips for me and my other readers, please use the comment area below.

Eastern Kingbird

Young Killdeer

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Northern Mockingbird

I had bird feeders in my yard for six years before adding a bird bath.  I’m not sure why I guess I just never thought that birds would be attracted to water.

To my surprise my bird bath attracted birds that normally did not visit my feeders, wrens, orioles and warblers. Something else I didn’t expect was that it was fun watching birds enjoy the water in my bird bath.

Over time I have added a few more water sources to my yard including a ground level bird bath (great for robins) and mister. I hoped to attract hummingbirds to the mister but I haven’t had any luck yet.

Depending on your level of interest you can add a simple bird bath or you can create an oasis for birds with a pond or water fall.

When placing your bird bath be sure it is in an area that receives afternoon shade. It is also a good idea to place it in an area where birds can find cover and protection from predators.

If you live in a cold climate, like I do, then you may be surprised to know that fresh water is harder for birds to find in the winter than in the summer. Birds that are searching for open water in the winter are likely to find your heated bird bath. Once they do, they will probably visit it all winter long.

If you haven’t tried a using a bird bath now is the perfect time. You can probably great deal this time of year at your local garden or home center.

Over the next few posts I will discus each of these components and how to put them together.

If you want to be successful in attracting birds with food, you need to consider not only the kinds of food that birds eat but also their feeding methods.

Just hanging a bird feeder full of a generic seed mix may attract a few birds. But if you want to attract a larger variety of bird species, you’ll need to do a bit more.

Wild Bird Foods

There is considerable diversity in the different types of foods that wild birds eat. Some of the most common foods are fruits, nuts, seeds, pinecones, tree sap, flower nectar, insects and caterpillars. Some birds are very selective, eating only one type of food, while others eat a variety of foods.

If you want to attract more birds, you need to offer a variety of bird foods.

Most seed eating birds favor black-oil sunflower seed. It is the best food for getting traffic started at a new feeder.

Birds that eat insects, like woodpeckers, can be attracted with suet. The texture and taste closely resembles that of smashed-up insects.

Sugar water will attract nectar-eating birds like hummingbirds and orioles.

Fresh fruit can also be used to attract birds that feed on fruit like orioles.

Other bird foods include mealworms, grains, baked goods and many homemade treats.

Wild Bird Feeders

They way wild birds eat is almost as diverse as the foods they eat. Some sit on leaves, picking off insects, while others dig worms out of the ground and then there are some that catch insects in flight.

Before putting out a bird feeder, consider the types of birds you want to attract and their feeding methods.

Tube feeders will attract birds that perch while eating. These are usually small seed eating birds.

Hanging platform feeders will attract medium to large birds that prefer a larger surface to stand on while feeding. These species include Cardinals, Doves and Blue Jays. You can place your platform feeder near the ground to attract birds like robins.

Suet feeders are designed to hold commercially produced suet cakes. The birds usually have to cling to the sides to feed, which comes natural to tree clinging birds like Nuthatches.

Hummingbird feeders are specialized feeders designed to dispense artificial nectar (sugar water).

Oriole feeders have a unique design. Many have hooks for fruit and dishes to hold grape jelly.

Bluebird feeders are designed to hold mealworms. They are also built to accommodate the shy nature of the bluebird. They have a closed compartment that birds must enter through small holes to reach the food.

Other styles of wild bird feeders include wire mesh bird feeders, peanut feeders, squirrel proof feeders and hopper feeders.

If you find yourself getting bored with seeing the same species of birds at your feeders day after day, add some variety. Try new feeders with new foods at different levels. You will be surprised at the new birds you see.

Next I will discus how to attract wild birds using water.