Birdfeeders

It is perfectly fine to offer food directly on the ground for lots of birds are ground feeders including jays, doves, cardinals, many sparrows, towhees, juncos, quail, thrushers and many more. However, we have found that we need to spend too much time cleaning up the debris. It is necessary to regularly rake up the old hulls and uneaten seed. Not only is this mess ugly to have in the yard, it isn’t healthy for your visiting birds. Instead of throwing seed directly on the ground, I much prefer using a platform feeder on short legs. The ground feeders quickly learn to eat from it and the seed stays cleaner and drier if you use a platform feeder that has a screen bottom. One word of caution - be sure to place a platform feeder on the ground at least 10 feet from any shrubs or other protective plants that could hide an approaching cat.