It’s deep winter here at Poison Ivy Acres and we’ve had two deep snowfalls recently. Since most of the plants and ground are covered, the birds have a harder time foraging for seeds, insects and berries. As a result the bird feeders are as crowded as a supermarket on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. In such times we not only fill our feeders more frequently, we also look for locations where a pop-up feeder would be appropriate.
Pop-up stores are retail operations that arise at particular seasons or for special occasions. A swimsuit store that’s only open in the summer, or a costume shop that appears only at Halloween, for example. A stand might appear to sell trees and wreaths for four weeks before Christmas, or a shed can open to sell hanging baskets just before Mother’s Day, both vanishing once their season has finished.
The birds can use pop-up suppliers of seed, I figure, and why not place these were the humans are pleased as much as these feathered creatures? All you need is a board and a clamp, or a pole, chair, or other structure that will hold this temporary feeder in place. I have a balcony rail that’s right out my bedroom window. I clamped a broken tray to this rail and can not only fill it by opening a bedroom window, but I also see the birds only four or five feet from where I commonly sit.
If you live in a place where the snowfall is covering normal feeding areas, think about how you might put a pop-up feeder in place.
Two bluejays claim this pop-up feeder just moments after a bluebird and a cardinal left. I don’t normally want to have birdseed falling so close to the house (rodents are attracted, I’m thinking) but for a month or two it’s a good way to feed more birds and to watch their antics close at hand. Having shelled sunflower seed on an open tray attracts the most birds, I’ve found, with a minimum of mess.
This pop-up feeder is a favorite with the Bluebirds and Gold Finches as well. All the birds seem to love shelled sunflower seed.
