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BRAINY GIFTS FOR BIRDS & their Watchers
---Anne K Moore---

Although I don�t mind feeding squirrels along with the birds, I do like having one feeder that is exclusively for birds. The best in my garden by far is the original Absolute Squirrel Proof feeder. It has a spring-activated perch, which is adjustable to three different weights. Whenever a too heavy bird or squirrel lands on the perch, the feeder closes automatically. It is ingenious in its design. I have watched my squirrels try to figure out just how they can reach around from the top or side. It just isn�t possible to reach the food without stepping on the perch and that closes it up. This feeder is available from Amazon here: Heritage Farms Bird's Choice Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

My favorite hummingbird feeder isn�t an attractive flower shape or pretty glass. I love the Perky Pet Oasis Hummingbird feeder for its ease of cleaning. The whole top comes off. It also does not hold more than a cup of food, so I am not tempted to leave the food out too long without changing it. It is available here: Perky Pet 221 Hummingbird Oasis Feeder, 16 oz capacity

Suet is a welcome food addition to the garden. Insect eaters will come to the suet but they do not stop there. They also visit the flowers and shrubs, looking for insects we view as pests and they view as dinner. We have occasional visits from raccoons and opossums in our garden so we learned to wire our suet feeder securely to the shepherd�s hook where it hangs. We wired a new one on the hook after we spotted the old basket so far up a pine tree, we couldn�t retrieve it. I like plastic coated wire with a whole side that opens up. This makes it easy to slip in the suet while the holder is still attached to the hook. Find it here: C. & S. Prod. 730 E-Z Fill Suet Cake Holder

My latest garden purchase is a Wild Bird Solar Sipper. It should keep water thawed and available for the birds throughout the wintry weather. I ordered this simple design, which is just a black top over a round water reservoir with a hole in the middle for drinking. Find it here: Happy Bird DLXSS Deluxe Wild Bird Solar Sipper It will work well in this climate where we only have a few days of freezing weather. Our lowest temperatures are 20 degrees most winters. The birds have already figured out how to drink from it.

If you have longer, deeper winters then you should look at electric de-icers for your birdbath. Water is most important for garden dwellers and hard to come by in the winter months. Find de-icers and heated birdbaths on Amazon.com. Don�t forget that you will need an outdoor extension cord to use any of these products.




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