House finch at my bird feeder in Kelowna


Costco had an amazing deal on bird feeders.  A stand that holds 4 feeders and a suet cage with a squirrel baffle was a very good price. It included 2 bird feeders in the package.  Since I had two other feeders I hadn't put up yet, it seemed like a good way to start attracting birds.

I have had problems with cats and squirrels in the past.  The steel pole meant cats and squirrels could not climb it and the baffle reduced the chances even more.  I hung all four feeders, filled with black sunflower seeds, and one suet pack.

I have had song sparrows, house finches, juncos, and house sparrows attend it so far, that I have seen.  I got a good shot today of a house finch (above); very colourful in its reddish-purple suit.  These are year-round residents and are welcome additions to my feeders.  

I have a millet mix that I will use for one of the feeders.  I find that birds will toss seeds that are not desirable in order to get to the sunflower seeds, so hopefully, the millet combination will attract a different species of bird without risking waste.

I bought some basic supplies from Buckerfields and put a rain cap on each feeder.  I used plastic pot trays and rigged a hanging system to keep the feeders dry.  If the seed gets wet it can rot with moulds and mildews and no longer attract birds.  With some luck, the caps should work.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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