Over fifty million people in the US enjoy birding in one form or another.  While there are many avid bird-watchers who keep detailed logs of their bird observations, the majority of us tend to take a much more hands off approach to our involvement.  But that still leaves some simple activities that most of the family can enjoy.  While you can try to attract bird to a bird house, or install a solar powered bird bath, simply putting up a simple bird feeder is a great way to get started.  Here are some ideas for a few feeders that you might want to try in your yard.

A great addition to the yard is a gazebo bird feeder.  Gazebos have been popular over the years as a natural place for respite in the yard, and decades ago larger versions of them were a feature in the local park and served as a gathering area or even the local bandstand.  The architecture of these is quite distinctive, with the open sides and the octagonal shape, there is nothing quite like it.  The association with the quiet and slower pace of bygone years probably explains their popularity.  Putting one of these in the yard is not quite as good as having the original structure, but it does make a statement that lets us know the backyard is to be considered an escape from the hectic pace of today’s lifestyles.  Mount one on a post, or smaller ones can be hung from a tree or a stand.

Another decorative feeder that has been quite popular over the last few years is the St Francis bird feeder.  As most people know, St Francis is consider the patron saint of wild animals, and there are a number of stories about his ability to communicate with and calm the local wildlife.  This includes one where he was reported to have preached to the local bird population, who followed him about and listened to his words.  Much of this community with the local wildlife was due to the fact that Francis and his followers took a vow of poverty and begged for food and lived in the wild.  So it was natural that they interacted with the wildlife and had a good relationship.  To commemorate this relationship it’s quite common to feature St Francis in a statue of a plaque that has him feeding the birds from a basket or his hands.

Of course one of the all time favorites are hummingbird feeders.  These are specialized feeders to handle the needs of the local hummingbird population.  these birds are famous for their ability to hover like a helicopter, and they use this ability to feed on the nectar in many flowering plants like trumpet creepers and honeysuckle, where the ability to hover combined with their long beaks allows them to draw the nectar from these plants.  So a hummingbird feeder has to look something like flowering plant, and it has to deliver a food that is similar in nature to the nectar of a plant.  And most commonly a hummingbird feeder will have at least some red to it, as the birds are known to be drawn to the color red,

One of the favorite ways to draw them is to use a window hummingbird feeder.  These feeders will hold the hummingbird food, and dispense it in a tube with a flute that looks like a flower.  The actual feeder mounts on the window. so that the activity of the birds can be viewed from your kitchen or bedroom, and with the natural reflectivity of the glass they won’t see you looking out at them.

Finally, if you are wanting to buy a feeder that has a minimal environmental impact, take a look at a feeder made from recycled materials.  One of the most popular of these are the Woodlink bird feeders.  They have a line of feeders and birdhouses known as the Going Green, which has actually won award for the step forward they represent in terms of marketing post consumer recycling in the production of these products.  Woodlink feeders have historically been innovative, for example in prior years they have introduced the Happy Hour hummingbird feeders which are shaped like cocktail glasses.

These are just a few of the many choices in bird feeders for your yard.  Take a look at these, and you are sure to find something you will like.

Tags: st francis bird feeder | st francis bird feeder | gazebo bird feeder | gazebo bird feeder | bird feeders | birdfeeders | birdfeeders | birding

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