Birdfeeders

February is National Bird Feeding Month. It’s a good time to be sure we are all feeding our backyard birds the foods that will keep them warm and healthy. The best foods have a high fat content - black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer, peanuts and suet. The first three can all be easily offered in hanging tube feeders. Many people find squirrels to be a particular problem since they love all of these foods. Luckily, there are many styles of squirrel proof feeders available in a wide range of prices. There are those that are weight sensitive so whenever a squirrel gets aboard, the ports will close, it will twirl faster and faster until the squirrel flies off or the platform tips them off, etc. Many are surrounded by a cage to keep the squirrels out. Some people think that by offering squirrels their own feeders, they will stay away from the bird feeders. This can work to a point, but squirrel proof feeders are a much more reliable deterrent. The pictured squirrel proof feeder from Brome is actually guaranteed to keep out Red and Gray squirrels as well as large birds such as Grackles and starlings.