Bird Feeder 101/Bird Photos

 Welcome back.  In my last post I introduced Project FeederWatch which begins on November 14th.  If you haven't signed up yet, there is still time.  You may not receive your membership materials in time, but you can still count birds, then enter the data once your receive your membership kit which includes an ID number needed to log in.  For more information click the link above or see my featured post in the right hand margin from last week.

In this post I will begin a series of posts regarding feeders with information about platform bird feeders.  I have 3 feeding stations in my yard, each of which contain different types of feeders.  If you are new to bird watching, one feeder is fine if you want to keep things simple.  

For your convenience, I will include links for platform feeders to purchase if you choose, or to get an idea of what to purchase.  Just click on the green links labelled platform feeder.  Also, check out the eBay banners to the right for more platform feeder choices and also for suet feeders..

The feeder I use most often for capturing photos is the platform feeder right outside my family room window.  The feeder is about 10 feet in the air so it is at the same level as the window.  Platform feeders can be hung, pole mounted, or even attached to the outside of a window depending n your situation.  Mine is pole mounted.  I used a one-half inch galvanized pipe threaded into a pipe flange that is mounted to the under side of the feeder.  You can also use a wooden pole if desired.  As you can see, I have attached a suet feeder.

The following photo was taken on the platform feeder:

Male and Female Northern Cardinal, Dark-Eyed Junco, In the Snow

First of all, worth noting is the Dark-Eyed Junco, the first day (November 2nd) we have had these birds this Fall.  They are also known as snow birds, right on que, as the first snow we received was October 30th. 

You can see the pipe extending from the bottom of the feeder.  For those of you not familiar with a pipe flange, one is pictured below:

As I mentioned above, there are several types of platform feeders.  These feeders are good to attract multiple birds at the same time.  However, at times the larger birds will chase away the smaller ones not allowing them to feed.  That is why I have several types of feeders.  A tube feeder is designed for smaller birds and I will profile that in my next post.  Different locations in the yard will also attract different birds.  Some birds prefer more protected areas, for example, next to shrubbery as opposed to an open area.

Finally, a few more photos to enjoy.

Juvenile Male Northern Cardinal

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Until next time.