A Gift for Your Feathered Friends

A great use for those empty 1 and 2 litre bottles is to make them into bird feeders. This can be done by simply cutting a smooth, round hole in the side, toward the bottom of the bottle, and filling it with seed. Turned away from the prevailing wind, it will usually stay dry and snow free. Hang with a piece of wire or heavy string.

But this weekend I spied a nifty little gadget that I'm sure isn't new...just new to me. I bought one to try and the birds seem to love it. We had a steady stream of friendly chickadees, golden finches, and sparrows yesterday.

The feeder simply threads onto the bottle and disperses seed as needed. I use black sunflower or "oil" seeds. The birds prefer them to regular sunflower seeds and they are easier to break open. Finches relish niger seed, but at $1/pound, they'll have to be content with the sunflower seed. :)

My parents are journal-keeping birdwatchers -- my older daughter is a wildlife Biologist whose specialty is ornithology. Me, I just enjoy their antics.