Feeder from soda bottle

Ten-year-old Hannah Winfield and her family enjoy bird-watching every day right in the backyard of her St. Charles home. 

They insure there are always lots of birds by setting out bird-feeding stations. 

Hannah said, “We have so many birds. When we’re sitting down to dinner, we can see them in the back yard right through the sliding door.” 

Hannah and two brothers, nine-year-old Paul and seven-year-old Benjamin, last month attended a workshop on how to make bird-feeders from common things around the house. 

Volunteer Russ Anderson led the two-hour class on building bird-feeders. The session was sponsored by the Missouri Conservation Commission. It was held at the Busch Wildlife Area in rural St. Charles County. 

Anderson showed how to make feeders from plastic 2-liter soda bottles and gallon milk jugs. The only tools needed are scissors, wooden dowels and an ice-pick or screwdriver.

The ice-picks are used to make holes in the soda bottles to stick the dowels through the containers. These serve as perches for birds to stand on while feeding. You make bigger holes above the perches so birds can get at the food.

For a milk-jug feeder, you only have to cut bigger holes in the sides. Birds don’t need perches for this type feeder. (For complete instructions, see below.)

Anderson said you can make your feeders in such a way to attract certain types of birds. He said, if you want to attract finches, put the wooden perches above the feeding holes. 

“Finches will eat while upside down. Most birds eat standing up,” he said. 

Fall is a good time to put out birdfeeders. As winter moves into Missouri, birds find it harder to find enough food in the wild. They are always on the look out for other sources of food, Anderson said. 

He said, when kids help birds find food in the winter, they can get the birds to come right to their homes. Missouri is home to a wide variety of colorful birds. 

Among the birds common to Missouri are the evening grosbeck, American goldfinch, purple finch, dark-eyed junco, cardinal, white- and red-breasted nuthatch. There also are red-bellied, red-headed and downy woodpeckers along with blue jays, starlings, tufted titmouse and various sparrows. 

Twelve-year-old Francis Hunt said his bird-feeders attract birds such as finches and cardinals even though his family lives in the city of St. Louis. He said he’s been using a store-bought bird-feeder for about two years. 

But, he came to the workshop “so I can learn how to make my own bird-feeders.” 

Anderson told the kids to protect against unwanted competitors for the birds’ food. These include squirrels and raccoons--who want the birds’ food--and hawks and cats--who want the birds as food.

He said one way to keep squirrels and raccoons away is to build a simple, L-shaped frame that attaches to a tree. This frame has a nail on which to put a whole ear of corn. That provides an alternate source of food for squirrels and raccoons. 

To discourage the hawks, be sure to hang your bird-feeder close near thickly leafed trees and bushes that provide escape routes. “Don’t hang your feeder out in the middle of your backyard where the smaller birds can’t find escape shelter,” Anderson said. 

Bird-feeders are usually hung from a frame or a tree limb. They should be hung with a long wire that a squirrel can’t grip. Also, the bird-feeder should be high enough off the ground so an animal couldn’t jump up and grab it. 

Anderson also gave instructions on how to build a 10-foot-high frame out of PVC pipe. This has hooks along the top where a number of different feeders can be hung. Also, there’s a flat board on top where food can be sprinkled. (For a diagram, see below.)

The most popular types of bird seeds are sunflower seeds and millet, a type of wheat. 

Anderson recommended that they buy their bird feed from commercial feed stores. He said the feed is much cheaper in bulk than if you buy small packages at retail stores. 

Benjamin Winfield got a special hummingbird feeder for his birthday. He uses a sugar-water mixture for food. Hummingbird feeders don’t need perches on them. They eat while hovering near the feeder.
 
 

Milk jug bird feeder You will need: clean, dry plastic gallon milk jug sharp pointed scissors twine birdseed Preparation:  About two inches from bottom of milk jug, cut large holes of at least four inches in diameter. Cut one hole on each side of the jug. You want the holes big enough for birds to perch on or for them to hop inside the jug to get the bird seed. (See diagram A) Poke at least six small holes in bottom of jug for rain water to drain out.  For fun, you may want to decorate the outside of your feeder with paint or permanent markers.  Attach twine to the milk jug in one of three steps: a. around the handle of the milk jug b. around the camp as shown in diagram A c. through cap using eye bolt, washers and nuts as shown in diagram B Fill bottom of jug with birdseed. Hang feeder outside. (Hint: scatter a few seeds on the ground under the feeder to help attract birds for the first time.) Diagram A   Diagram B: Make a hole in the cap for the eyebolt and attach as illustrated. Fill it with sunflower seeds and hang.     PVC bird feeding station Follow the directions on the diagram.