More on Feeders

With the next big wave of spring migration right around the corner it’s a good time to mention a few of the speciality feeders including everyone’s favourite, the hummingbird feeder. Over the years I’ve tested dozens of models of the two basic styles of hummingbird feeders, they come in the maybe more familiar reservoir (upside down bottle of nectar flowing into the feeder ports) and the newer saucer style. The latter being my hands down favourite; they don’t leak and are much easier to clean as you don’t have to get inside the bottle or the often elaborate base. I haven’t found a bottle style feeder yet that doesn’t leak at least a little and often a lot, this is why bees and yellow-jackets are on feeders even when the bee guards are in place. There are models in both styles that come with a built in ant moat, this is a small container of water that surrounds the hanger of the feeder, when the ants come down they won’t cross the water to gain access to the sugar. (If your best feeder isn’t equipped with an ant moat you can always add one in the hanger line.) Of the various saucer feeders available I like the ones with the tops molded of all one piece, that is the “flowers” around the ports are part of the lid, not added in, this way you don’t have to remove them all for cleaning. The easiest feeders to use have only two parts. It’s not that the hummingbirds care, I haven’t found a feeder that they won’t use, (last year I found a purple and brass feeder that the birds loved), it’s just that if the feeders are easy to clean you are more likely to do it often, clean feeders with fresh nectar are more attractive to hummers.

When it was found that orioles would “steal” from hummingbird feeders, manufacturers started making them with larger perches and easier access. They are bright orange which may attract them quicker, as the are very attracted to orange halve placed out in the spring. However, if you have a larger hummingbird feeder they will use it easily, you may want to remove a bee guard to make the hole bigger but if you forget the orioles will be glad to flip one out. Years ago I couldn’t figure out why my yellow flower bee guards were always on the ground, these things are hard to remove when cleaning often breaking a thumb nail. When I saw the oriole for the first time, she landed on the perch, flipped the bee guard out and was sipping nectar in one fluid motion. I quickly bought an oriole feeder and when I got it home it was simply an orange version of the hummingbird feeder that I already had, with the bee guards removed. (She ignored it in favour of the hummingbird feeder by the way, but the hummingbirds did like the oriole feeder.)

I read that orioles liked grape jelly, so I nailed an orange Tupperware dish to a tree and filled it with the sweetest jelly I could find. Boy do they ever like it, we also had the odd warbler partake. When the orioles do come around, we go through several bottles. There are several jelly feeders out there, most cost more than Tupperware but your wife won’t be nearly as mad when she sees it nailed to a tree. Orioles also like peanuts and peanut butter suet, so you may see an incredibly bright orange bird on your suet feeder from time to time; another reason for keeping your suet feeders out at least until this wave of migration goes through.

If you are ever lucky enough to get Bluebirds nesting in your yard you may want to offer meal worms, these little bird delicacies are available in pet stores or are fairly easy to grow yourself. The problem is starlings like them too, and will devour hundreds a day, there are tray feeders with adjustable domes that can be lowered enough to keep starlings out. Some people have good luck with the window tray feeders, these usually work best if you are home most of the day to shoo the starlings away, if there isn’t any activity in the house they will get used to the window feeders as well. There is a design of Bluebird feeder that is easy to build and will keep larger birds out. It’s basically a box with 1 ½ inch holes in each end and a glass front, the Bluebirds are curious about the holes and will usually investigate, but I make mine with a removable plexiglass front and only put it in after the birds find it and the starlings become a pest. It’s easiest to offer the worms in a tray within the box, so make it big enough to accommodate a small tray (flat 250 ml sour cream containers work well). If you want to use this feeder after the Bluebirds leave you can offer peanuts and sunflower to chickadee and nuthatch, a great small selective bird feeder.

The biggest part of the feeder market may very well be the small bird only lines. If everyone liked pigeons, blackbirds and jays I would likely have to look for a “day job”, there are literally hundreds of different models of feeders that claim to be “small bird only” feeders. They range from caged and weighted feeders that originally were intended to keep squirrels out, but really work better on large birds, to small hopper feeders with no perches at all, the “clingers” have no problem while the larger guys can’t get access. Some of the sunflower/peanut mesh feeders mentioned last week are also great for small birds only. If you have a tube feeder that the big guys won’t leave alone you can usually convert it to a “clingers only” by removing any trays and perches, they may be removable but sometimes it means cutting them off. Small birds cling to the feeder opening, chickadee and nuthatch grab a seed and open it in a tree while Goldfinch and Pine Siskins, using their tails against the feeder for support, will hang on the feeder until they get their fill. With one of these feeders and a nyjer tube, even people with the worst pigeon problems can enjoy these bright and friendly birds.