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For my birthday this year I bought myself several bird feeders. When they all started arriving, my wife asked “how many bird feeders did you buy?” “Enough for

For my birthday this year I bought myself several bird feeders. When they all started arriving, my wife asked “how many bird feeders did you buy?” “Enough for all the birds” was my only response. The rise in interest in birds as you hit middle age is definitely real.

082349872349872 3y ago
If you're located well, now you can watch not just birds but also squirrels.
- KineticLensman 3y ago
  Squirrels! My main feeder is totally squirrel-proof. It's a tall pole and has a conical baffle (point up) about three feet above the ground. The squirrels cannot hold onto the pole and reach far enough out to get a grip on the upper side. Ha! I spent some time when I first got it finding out just high the squirrels could jump and then positioned the baffle a couple of inches higher than that. Every so often one tries it and fails but they have learned not to bother now. I think that if two or more squirrels worked together they could manage to get round it but luckily they haven't figured this out yet.
  - dylan604 3y ago
    > My main feeder is totally squirrel-proof. I have yet to meet this unicorn. Every single "squirrel-proof" thing in my yard has been merely left by the squirrels until the other items are unavailable. Eventually, when they want the challenge, it is no longer squirrel-proof. I have one squirrel in particular that seems to be "that guy" in the group. The other squirrels are doing normal squirrel things, but this one guy is the daredevil shimmying down the rope to get to a feeder the others don't bother with.
    - KineticLensman 3y ago
      Yes, I was sceptical but it does in fact work. Or at least it's higher than my resident squirrels can jump from a standing start. If a super-squirrel managed the jump I'd just raise the cone/baffle a bit higher. It helps that there are no overhanging branches for an airborne leap. The other squirrel-proof feeder I had was one that stuck to a window-pane. It wasn't particularly attractive so I didn't keep it, but while I was using it, the squirrels never mastered spidey-grips to glass or the surrounding bricks.
    - unnamed76ri 3y ago
      I just attached a $3 slinky to the pole. The squirrels try to climb and the slinky drops them to the ground. Highly entertaining.
adabyron 3y ago
Careful, you may attract many unwanted animals as well that will damage your home or other items. Speaking from experience.
morkalork 3y ago
The problem is that different types of feeders attract different types of birds based on how they like to stand or grapple with their feet so you end up with multiple.

082349872349872 3y ago

If you're located well, now you can watch not just birds but also squirrels.

KineticLensman 3y ago
Squirrels! My main feeder is totally squirrel-proof. It's a tall pole and has a conical baffle (point up) about three feet above the ground. The squirrels cannot hold onto the pole and reach far enough out to get a grip on the upper side. Ha! I spent some time when I first got it finding out just high the squirrels could jump and then positioned the baffle a couple of inches higher than that. Every so often one tries it and fails but they have learned not to bother now. I think that if two or more squirrels worked together they could manage to get round it but luckily they haven't figured this out yet.
- dylan604 3y ago
  > My main feeder is totally squirrel-proof. I have yet to meet this unicorn. Every single "squirrel-proof" thing in my yard has been merely left by the squirrels until the other items are unavailable. Eventually, when they want the challenge, it is no longer squirrel-proof. I have one squirrel in particular that seems to be "that guy" in the group. The other squirrels are doing normal squirrel things, but this one guy is the daredevil shimmying down the rope to get to a feeder the others don't bother with.
  - KineticLensman 3y ago
    Yes, I was sceptical but it does in fact work. Or at least it's higher than my resident squirrels can jump from a standing start. If a super-squirrel managed the jump I'd just raise the cone/baffle a bit higher. It helps that there are no overhanging branches for an airborne leap. The other squirrel-proof feeder I had was one that stuck to a window-pane. It wasn't particularly attractive so I didn't keep it, but while I was using it, the squirrels never mastered spidey-grips to glass or the surrounding bricks.
  - unnamed76ri 3y ago
    I just attached a $3 slinky to the pole. The squirrels try to climb and the slinky drops them to the ground. Highly entertaining.

adabyron 3y ago

Careful, you may attract many unwanted animals as well that will damage your home or other items. Speaking from experience.

morkalork 3y ago

The problem is that different types of feeders attract different types of birds based on how they like to stand or grapple with their feet so you end up with multiple.