For birds to visit your feeding
stations, the feeder must be attractive
to most species and is easy to make. Called a platform feeder, it
consists of a 2-foot square of half-inch of marine wood plywood. With a
hammer, tack moulding strips around the edges to prevent seeds from
falling off and attach the entire thing to the top of a cedar post at a
level you can reach easily--but at least 30 feet off the ground. Treat
the feeder with oil-based stain and rub the wood with a metal sponge to
remove excess; let the feeder age outside for a few days before
stocking it so no paint will absorb into the seed and make the birds
sick. With this feeder, birds see the seeds, you see the birds, and the
view provides excellent light for wildlife photography--especially if
the feeder is just outside your kitchen window. One improvement to the
platform feeder is a flat roof to keep off the rain. Also made of
half-inch plywood, the roof is slightly larger than the platform and is
held a foot above it by 1-inch doweling at the corners. A more
decorative platform feeder would use an inch log upright and a roof
covered by copper or
brass. The roof diminishes the amount of light that strikes the seed
platform, but it keeps the seeds dry during inclement weather. Don't
waste your money on grocery store seed mixes. They often are high in
milo and other seeds that most birds ignore and won't eat. It's better
to buy bags of cracked mill corn, whole wheat corn, white millet, and
black sunflower seeds at a feed store and mix them in portions you find
attractive to birds visiting your feeders. BLACK sunflower
seeds are the best and most nutritious for the little birds. Striped
sunflower is air-filled with heavy hulls, which is hard for many birds
to crack. Black sunflower has tight, easily-cracked shells and a very
high food value full of nutrients and goodness. Ground-feeding birds
such as Mourning Doves, Northern Bobwhite quail, and many sparrows come
to food that is scattered about on bare soil. A low platform feeder on
sturdy bricks concentrates the birds in one location and provides some
control over ground-feeding mice or rats.