I have a good sized tree stump in my back yard that I was going to have ground and just level it out and plant grass but I started thinking it would be nice to maybe utilize it as a base for a bird feeder setup. Stump is about 16-18 inches in diameter and about 2 feet high.

I found that Lowe's has this which I could attach to the base, then I could hang 4 feeders from each arm. I have ZERO experience in bird feeders and would like to solicit ideas and advice as to what I should put up.



I've seen lots of Robins and the occasional Bluebird in my yard, if that helps?

What kind of feeders do I need and what kind of food? Or can I put up different types to attract different bird types?

Duncraft is your friend. Find out what the birds in your area like to eat and go from there. Get high end squirrel proof feeders. Buy once, cry once. Provide a source of water. A good start is to begin feeding black oil sunflower seed. Stay away from mixed types of food as most birds wont eat it and it goes to waste. Clean your feeders from time to time. too. Most backyard birds fall into three types: Fruit eaters, insect eaters and seed eaters.

Definitely get the 'squirrel-proof' feeders.
Sparrows will feed the squirrels anyway by knocking out all the stuff they don't like to the ground for them, but without squirrel-proof feeders, they just camp out and eat, not letting the birds in.

As the others have hinted, this hobby is not as simple as it looks. See if a garden/feed store offers a class on birding.

This may be at your library, we just subscribed for $10/yr:

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/

Those feathered little f...ers will eat you out of house and home. Don't get carried away. Not all birds will feed from feeders; some eat off the ground. If you buy a mixed seed, some birds will just throw out what they don't want (e.g. wood peckers). Start with black oil sunflower and see how that goes. I would not hang that many feeders so close together unless you have air traffic control.

There are special feeders for finches.

I have been feeding birds for years and never once received a Thank You note or Christmas card; ungrateful little f...ers.

Don't bother with squirrel proof feeders. Just get squirrel proof food. Like:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/C-...et-CS12553/100327119

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wa...Food-57075/100539204

I mean, you can try it with squirrel proof feeders, but if you put out food they won't eat, it's easier.

I put out shelled corn for the squirrels and it attracts some birds, racoons, and deer.

After much trial and error, I have concluded that there is no such thing as a "squirrel proof" bird feeder and the sooner you realize that, the less stressful your bird feeding experience will be.

I have used many different types of feeders and I have finally settled on the Woodlink NAPLAT2 Audubon 3 In 1 Platform Feeder. You can find it at Amazon. It's a simple set up but the birds seem to like it, squirrels too, but it's easy to fill and maintain.

Regarding the squirrels, I found that setting up their own feeding area away from your bird feeding area will help some. Stock it with food squirrels like, like peanuts, sunflower seeds and corn and they won't be quite the "pita" that they might be.

we got one of these as a gift
https://www.amazon.com/Perky-P...Feeder/dp/B0002LBGN2

it worked so well against squirrels that we got a second one.
they both hang in trees.

prior to purchasing any one feeder , look at it to see how easy it is to clean out ,wash out scrub out.

there is maintenance that has to be done two or three times per summer

remember !
squirrel resistant is NOT opossum, racoon, or rat proof, by any means.

the combination of a support pole baffle and the feeder above should work.

we feed:
black oil sunflower seed
millet
safflower,
shelled peanuts, suet,
thistle
and of course humming bird feeders

there are feeders that feed specific birds and
feeders that feed most birds.


I have yet to find THE perfect feeder.

most of my eight feeder's have home made modifications to them ,
either to prevent rain from getting in or
control the consumption rate

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

Thanks for all the advice!

I like the idea of the safflower seeds and other stuff that squirrels don't like.

We do have a hickory tree nearby that drops a ton of nuts so that's like a squirrel smorgasbord and they may not bother the bird feeders as much.

Brome Squirrel Buster Classic. 69 bucks from Duncraft. Mine is 10 years old and has repelled whitetail deer, black bears and has caused all my squirrels to go into a deep depression. Easy to fill and clean, too.
My birds are:
Gold Finches. Chickadees (many, many of them).
Nuthatches. Mourning Doves. Blue Jays. And the occasional Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers, Hawks and Crows.

Got these from Amazon...they work very well.

Squirrel Solution200 Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder w/6 Feeding Ports, 3.4-pound Seed Capacity, Free Seed Funnel

Definitely get a Hummingbird feeder. They are cheap cheap cheap to buy and operate.

Oh, get a birdbath. I have 4.

We got one that was left my the previous owners....not very good at keeping it filled but one plus to it is the hawk that perches on our porch looking for breakfast.

Time of year, type of birds, maybe some critters.

I feed mostly in the winter, black oil sunflower, a suit cake, maybe some Nyger seeds, and peanuts in a holder.

In summer I mostly just do the bird bath. I have bird houses for chickadees, tree swallows, bluebirds, & wrens. Size of hole & where located usually dictate type of birds using.

Some types of feeding can attract pests, mice, possums, & other, less desirables. Just something to keep in mind, maybe control. We don’t have a whole lot of squirrels, so I leave the few alone.

You can make it as casual or involved as you’d like. At the least, a good bird identification book would be helpful too. On the hierarchy, English Sparrows are in the bottom of my list.

You can definitely keep squirrels away from your pole feeders. Go to Duncraft.com and look up squirrel baffle. We use the kind that looks like an elongated upside down coffee can. The feeder needs to be far enough away from anything that would let the squirrel leap to the feeder such as tree trunks/limps, house roofs et... But ideally you want within 15 feet or so of a tree to allow the birds a place to escape to when necessary. We've used ours for well over 20 years without any squirrels defeating it. They do crawl up the pole but then they can't figure out how to get through.

I don't think Bluebirds will eat seeds. I haven't seen Robins eat at bird feeders either. But bears! They love 'em! Kinda like trail mix for the taking. Our summering town discourages putting out bird feeders for that reason.

I can't add anything to what's been said by others, but just to give you some idea of what you might attract with different feed, I'll throw in my nickels worth.

We have a lot of Robins, and Bluebirds. They like the bird baths, but I've never seen one on a feeder.

I get finch mix from a local feed store. It comes in 10 pound bags. It has sunflower seed chips, niger seed, and a couple other seeds I don't recognize. It is nothing like the universal bird feed you see at Ace Hardware. It goes in a finch feeder and attracts Goldfinches, House Finches, Indigo Buntings, and an occasional woodpecker. Sometimes the Dove will land under it, and pick up what falls to the ground.

I have black oil sunflower seeds, in a feeder made for them. It attracts Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches, a few Red Wing Blackbirds, and an occasional woodpecker.

Last, but not least, a suet feeder for the woodpeckers. It brings in Hairy Woodpeckers, Downey Woodpeckers, Red Belly Woodpeckers, and in the winter, several Yellow Shafted Flickers always come around. In the spring, sometimes we'll have a few Red Headed Woodpeckers.

It's great fun, and relaxing, to sit on the deck in the evenings, and watch all the activity.

After a decent amount of research I decided to go the easy route and see what happens.

Perky Pet Small from Walmart ($13) and this seed



on a 4-foot shepherds hook at the edge of the yard and the woods with trees about 3 feet away.

About 6 different kinds of birds love it. The 2nd morning we woke up and it was empty

I got a 7-food shepherds hook from Lowes and put vaseline on the pole. No problems since.

quote:

I got a 7-food shepherds hook from Lowes and put vaseline on the pole. No problems since.

Watching a squirrel try to wipe vaseline off its feet should be a national sport.