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Catching "Crumbs That Fall to the Floor" Followup #3 (To 8-22's Post)
by
TheLastLeafGardener
(IC: blogger)
In part # 2 of my follow-up to my HT post "Pole Systems and Bird Feeders (The SAGA Continues)" which I "published" on September 16th, 2013), a portion of that entry's conclusion included the following:
"In part three of this series, I plan to tell you how I modified my shine feeder . . . and in part four I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry)."
However, before I delve into this topic, as has been my standard, please let me give you a quick update on my cardinal couple, Cam and Mac, as well as their son Vincenzo, since they are my main motivator in perfecting my feeding systems.
The first six images accompanying today's entry feature some of the highlights of Cam and Vincenzo's interactions from my last posting (9-8-13) through 9-15-13 and as you can see their antics are quite amazing, worthy of any feeding system, although seeing them feed each other is the best of all.
But once again (as I often do when it comes to "talking" about my visiting birds), I have digressed, for the purpose of this post is to discuss the modifications I have made to my shine feeder in an effort to deter seed spillage, and so, without further ado, please let me tell you about the spillage deterrent I have added to my WBU-SS feeder (shine feeder).
As you may recall, in my very first entry on HT (6-27-13), I discussed the shine feeder (also known as WBU-SS feeder) and if you'd like to refer to that post, it may be found @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/garden/rain-or-shine-bird-feeders-to-perch-or-not-may-be-the-question-1721634
The CB feeder, as you may know, was procured by yours truly to accommodate Cam, her beau Mac and the smaller songbirds which visit my urban garden. However, as you may also know, Cam and Mac never perched on the feeder, and they only availed themselves of seeds from it when it was placed on a ledge which surrounds my garden as evidenced in image six of this entry featuring Cam at the feeder.
And, as you may also know from my prior posts, mourning doves began rocking the CB feeder (as seen in image seven) in an attempt to spill seeds. Their endeavors were successful and seeds landed on my kiwi vines'* foliage which they then ate causing destruction to my vines' hard earned leaves.
[* I have a number of posts about this amazing vine on Blogger as well on tumblr and you may refer to them by clicking on the following links respectively:
Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Actinida%20kolomikta%20and%20Actimida%20%28Kiwi%20Vines%29
tumblr @http://thelastleafgardener.tumblr.com/search/kiwi+vines ]
Moreover, as I've stated on HT in the past, the seeds that got "knocked" to the ground attracted mice and pigeons, a fact which was discussed @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/08/a-few-antics-of-long-island-seagulls.html
The "solution" of modifying my WBU-SS feeder (I'll provide pictures and info on this product within this entry) came from Susan Grimstead* who evaluated my situation and came up with the suggestion. She is also the one who came up with the idea of my adding a Seed Saucer to my CB Feeder as I discussed in most recent entry here on HT @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/catching-crumbs-that-fall-to-the-floor-followup-2-to-8-22-s-post-2213646
But, before I feature her solution, I wanted to include the seventh image accompanying this entry to refresh your memory, dear reader, as to what my WBU-SS (shine) feeder looks like. It can be found within the second circle from the left.
And images eight through twelve feature an array of birds enjoying the shine feeder, BUT as I have mentioned in prior posts here on HT, ultimately, mourning doves, and then pigeons came along and learned to tip the feeder resulting in visits by a number of pigeons and mice @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/07/a-mourning-doves-feeder-escapade.html
Some of the aforementioned rhetoric may be familiar to those of you who follow my posts, and while I don't want to be redundant, I also don't want to assume folks remember every detail of my posts, and therefore included it to give you a context for my need to modify my shine feeder.
Getting back to the modification of the shine feeder, here is what Ms. Grimstead had to say:
"For the bronze tube feeder (she is referring to the one I call a shine or WBU-SS feeder), we carry a pigeon guard cage with 2" mesh that has a solid tray in the bottom to catch spillage . . . A guard is the best option for this feeder because the U-shaped perches are designed to allow larger birds (cardinals) land on it."
I followed her suggestion and the shine feeder can be seen within its "protective shell" in the form of a cage-like structure in image thirteen-sixteen. In image seventeen, you can see a mourning dove atop a suet (paddle-shaped) feeder as he/she studies the shine feeder in its encasing.
However, the leering eyes of the mourning dove did not deter my house finches from enjoying "their" feeder as evidenced in images eighteen and nineteen. In turn, the mourning doves did not allow the house finches aloofness squelch their curiosity, and from the vantage point of perching atop the Seed Saucer (hanging below the CB/rain feeder, they leered into the shine feeder, for as you can see (in images thirteen through sixteen), the feeders are in close proximity. The drama continues!
For more specifics on the modification of my shine feeder, please refer to my post on Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
And so, dear reader, there you have it, as promised (on 8-22-13), the details re how I modified my shine feeder and thus the conclusion of follow-up of part three of my "Catching crumbs that fall to the floor" entry.
In part four of this series, I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry). STAY TUNED . . .
* INFO on Susan Grimstead @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
"In part three of this series, I plan to tell you how I modified my shine feeder . . . and in part four I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry)."
However, before I delve into this topic, as has been my standard, please let me give you a quick update on my cardinal couple, Cam and Mac, as well as their son Vincenzo, since they are my main motivator in perfecting my feeding systems.
The first six images accompanying today's entry feature some of the highlights of Cam and Vincenzo's interactions from my last posting (9-8-13) through 9-15-13 and as you can see their antics are quite amazing, worthy of any feeding system, although seeing them feed each other is the best of all.
But once again (as I often do when it comes to "talking" about my visiting birds), I have digressed, for the purpose of this post is to discuss the modifications I have made to my shine feeder in an effort to deter seed spillage, and so, without further ado, please let me tell you about the spillage deterrent I have added to my WBU-SS feeder (shine feeder).
As you may recall, in my very first entry on HT (6-27-13), I discussed the shine feeder (also known as WBU-SS feeder) and if you'd like to refer to that post, it may be found @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/garden/rain-or-shine-bird-feeders-to-perch-or-not-may-be-the-question-1721634
The CB feeder, as you may know, was procured by yours truly to accommodate Cam, her beau Mac and the smaller songbirds which visit my urban garden. However, as you may also know, Cam and Mac never perched on the feeder, and they only availed themselves of seeds from it when it was placed on a ledge which surrounds my garden as evidenced in image six of this entry featuring Cam at the feeder.
And, as you may also know from my prior posts, mourning doves began rocking the CB feeder (as seen in image seven) in an attempt to spill seeds. Their endeavors were successful and seeds landed on my kiwi vines'* foliage which they then ate causing destruction to my vines' hard earned leaves.
[* I have a number of posts about this amazing vine on Blogger as well on tumblr and you may refer to them by clicking on the following links respectively:
Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Actinida%20kolomikta%20and%20Actimida%20%28Kiwi%20Vines%29
tumblr @http://thelastleafgardener.tumblr.com/search/kiwi+vines ]
Moreover, as I've stated on HT in the past, the seeds that got "knocked" to the ground attracted mice and pigeons, a fact which was discussed @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/08/a-few-antics-of-long-island-seagulls.html
The "solution" of modifying my WBU-SS feeder (I'll provide pictures and info on this product within this entry) came from Susan Grimstead* who evaluated my situation and came up with the suggestion. She is also the one who came up with the idea of my adding a Seed Saucer to my CB Feeder as I discussed in most recent entry here on HT @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/catching-crumbs-that-fall-to-the-floor-followup-2-to-8-22-s-post-2213646
But, before I feature her solution, I wanted to include the seventh image accompanying this entry to refresh your memory, dear reader, as to what my WBU-SS (shine) feeder looks like. It can be found within the second circle from the left.
And images eight through twelve feature an array of birds enjoying the shine feeder, BUT as I have mentioned in prior posts here on HT, ultimately, mourning doves, and then pigeons came along and learned to tip the feeder resulting in visits by a number of pigeons and mice @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/07/a-mourning-doves-feeder-escapade.html
Some of the aforementioned rhetoric may be familiar to those of you who follow my posts, and while I don't want to be redundant, I also don't want to assume folks remember every detail of my posts, and therefore included it to give you a context for my need to modify my shine feeder.
Getting back to the modification of the shine feeder, here is what Ms. Grimstead had to say:
"For the bronze tube feeder (she is referring to the one I call a shine or WBU-SS feeder), we carry a pigeon guard cage with 2" mesh that has a solid tray in the bottom to catch spillage . . . A guard is the best option for this feeder because the U-shaped perches are designed to allow larger birds (cardinals) land on it."
I followed her suggestion and the shine feeder can be seen within its "protective shell" in the form of a cage-like structure in image thirteen-sixteen. In image seventeen, you can see a mourning dove atop a suet (paddle-shaped) feeder as he/she studies the shine feeder in its encasing.
However, the leering eyes of the mourning dove did not deter my house finches from enjoying "their" feeder as evidenced in images eighteen and nineteen. In turn, the mourning doves did not allow the house finches aloofness squelch their curiosity, and from the vantage point of perching atop the Seed Saucer (hanging below the CB/rain feeder, they leered into the shine feeder, for as you can see (in images thirteen through sixteen), the feeders are in close proximity. The drama continues!
For more specifics on the modification of my shine feeder, please refer to my post on Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
And so, dear reader, there you have it, as promised (on 8-22-13), the details re how I modified my shine feeder and thus the conclusion of follow-up of part three of my "Catching crumbs that fall to the floor" entry.
In part four of this series, I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry). STAY TUNED . . .
* INFO on Susan Grimstead @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
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Published September 20th, 2013 12:00 PM
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17 comments
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April on Nov 12, 2013That's absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing your pictures of the feeders and God's amazing little feathered creations! :)
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MulberryStreet on Nov 23, 2013More great shots of your birds!
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TheLastLeafGardener on Nov 27, 2013@MulberryStreet Thank you, Amy.
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