Bird Feeders and Houses

Most wild birds enjoy eating seeds of various varieties.  Among the most popular of those are: millet, sunflower, safflower, thistle, rapeseed or canola seed. 

If you are lucky enough to have a tall wooden fence or an open spot on one of your outdoor walls to hang a bird feeder on, you might want to invest in one that hangs on the wall.

If you have a place to hang your bird feeder out in the open, choose a model that will secure to a tree limb or shephard's hook via a chain. 

There are a number of models to choose from, but be aware of your surroundings.  If you've got an abundance of squirrels, you may want to choose one that has a cage large enough to allow small birds to enter, but small enough to allow squirrels to get inside.

Bird feeders not only serve a very useful purpose by keeping our feathered friends fed, but they are a charming add-on to your backyard sanctuary. 

To protect our feathered friends from the elements, you might want to consider erecting a bird house.  Bird houses can be made from a lot of different materials but the aim is try and keep them dry when it rains and to provide them potential nesting areas when it comes time to enter mating season.

Remember that different styles and sizes atrract different kinds of birds.  Smaller houses attract birds such as wrens, whereas large houses could attract owls or event ducks (obviously depending on how rural your location happens to be).