Date: 11/5/24 5:55 am From: Maeve Kim <maevekim7...> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Feeders
There really isn’t an inexpensive place to buy bird seed - although some places are considerably more pricey than others. Some years Pet Food Warehouse (on Williston Road and Shelburne Road) is less expensive than some others, but some years Guy’s is less. I’ve heard that there’s a feed store in Milton that can be worth the drive. In general, though, the price everywhere has skyrocketed over the past few years!
Feeders that exclude larger, heavier birds might stretch the seed a bit, while platform feeders can lead to a lot of seed being tossed onto the ground and wasted. We’ve been pleased with two Brome Squirrel Busters, one big and one small, that allow finches, chickadees, titmice, etc. to feast but make it tricky for blue jays to take several seeds at once. A friend loves his Droll Yankee Whipper (or maybe it’s a Flipper, Tipper or Dipper - they all throw off larger birds).
In general, wild birds don’t really need the food we provide; they hang out in places where there is enough natural food. Feeding birds is really for us humans (except in uniquely awful winters or late springs) - and it’s SO pleasing! It’s also educational and allows us to participate in citizen science projects such as Feederwatch.
We can’t put out our feeders quite yet because bears have decided that Jericho Center is theirvillage, but already titmice and chickadees have come to where the feeders will be and checked it out.
Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 8:41 AM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
> (usually birding in) Westford
