On Dec 22, 9:38*am, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:02:46 -0800 (PST), raymuser
wrote:
On Dec 22, 5:30 am, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:42:49 -0500, Phisherman
wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:20:39 -0500, Frank
wrote:
Bill's post on winter when it snows prompted me to upload this taken
yesterday:
http://home.comcast.net/~frank.logullo/feeder.jpg
Home made bird feeder temporarily rests on deck rails as I take it down
in the spring when I start container gardening. Had to rebuild and
secure with a bungee cord as raccoons have knocked it down.
http://home.comcast.net/~frank.logullo/thief.pdf
I no longer feed the birds. It draws too many undesirable varmits
onto my deck and makes a seed/poop mess. I still get lots of birds
because of the large trees, berry bushes, pond, etc.
I feed the birds etc out by the compost pile. Everything is welcome,
including the poop. 
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My bird feeders are hanging from a tree, including a water tray.
Problem for me in So Cal is the squirrels. *I also have raccoons in
the area, but they haven't tried getting into my bird feeders yet,
although they have been seen climbing this tree in the past.
I have come up with some solutions that seem to be working now. *One
of my earliest attempts that failed was a cage to surround the
feeder. *As shown in this YouTube video, this squirrel had to problem
jumping on the cage and reaching his target. *Other videos show a
progression of designs and obstacles that have been attempted and have
worked at least to some extent. *This feeder hangs over a brick
terrace that can easily be cleaned whenever needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIMlYg5Nuyk
Ray
It's so nice of you to provide entertainment for the squirrels, Ray.
I just toss the seed, bread and nuts on the ground. I toss a little in
the front yard so I can actually see the birds and squirrels, but the
main feeding is under bushes etc so they aren't lunch for the hawks.
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We also have hawks (red tail) in this area, who occasionally land
within 50 ft of our bird spa, but so far they haven't taken an
interest in the feeders, birds, squirrels, cats, etc., in this spot. I
used to leave cat food outside in my back porch for the raccoons, but
no more ... they're too messy and eat more than I can afford to
give.
Trying to create an environment where all these critters, birds,
squirrels, cats, etc., can peacefully co-exist and thrive. The scenes
on my videos were shot from my bedroom window. Every change I make to
the feeders is also guided by the objective of photogenic value.
Ray