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+-- Thread: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder (/showthread.php?tid=7330711)
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Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - Duane N - 06-04-2017
One of my hobbies is wildlife photography but I've always enjoyed building things. There's a songbird I've been wanting to attract to my yard called an Eastern Bluebird (pictured below).
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They always visited during the winter eating berries but never stayed or nested in my yard. In order to attract them I started putting out mealworms...this was 4 years ago. Since then I've had a pair of Bluebirds nest in my yard the last 4 years.
The dilemma I encountered is the larger birds (mainly European Starlings) would eat all of the mealworms before the Bluebirds had a chance to eat them. So I started searching for a feeder specific for Bluebirds and although there are some out there I didn't like the design or the materials used in the construction. This dilemma is what got me back into woodworking...designing and building my own Bluebird feeder. Over the years the design and materials used has changed but I think I finally figured out a design that I'm happy with.
1/4" soft copper rolled around a 1 1/2" piece of conduit make the rings and I solder them together. The 1 1/2" rings is key to keeping Starlings out of the feeder yet it allows Bluebirds and smaller birds access to the mealworms. The wood used is Cedar (white cedar I'm assuming) and I get it from Lowes and it comes in rough sawn 2X4X8' lengths. I used to paint the earlier designed feeder that was made out of pine but I like the cedar better because it's easy to work with, relatively inexpensive and it holds up better to the elements without being treated or sealed.
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The copper rings are removable from the front of the feeder to clean it and the black material keeps the rain from filling up the mealworm dish. Like I said...nothing fancy with basic woodworking and joinery. I've sold 12 of the earlier designed feeders but I hated making them because I was paying too much for pine and I despise painting wood (
). Although I don't take orders for these feeders I have a list of people who want to buy one for their yard after seeing this feeder on my Facebook page. This is the kind of stuff I see myself doing as I get older and closer to retirement.
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - goaliedad - 06-04-2017
Very neat idea. I have a couple of bluebird houses, one with an active nest this year. I may need to borrow your idea
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - BloomingtonMike - 06-04-2017
I love it. I need to make one or several too. Thanks for sharing it!!
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - Cecil - 06-04-2017
I just added that to my to-do list. Don't know if I will get to it, but it is on my list.
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - mr_skittle - 06-04-2017
What a great idea! Looks like it can keep out squirrels too. Wildlife and woodworking are a couple of hobbies that seem to be found together often.
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - Jack01 - 06-04-2017
Great Idea
Looks nice
Do you problem with squirrels?
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - Duane N - 06-05-2017
(06-04-2017, 05:51 PM)goaliedad Wrote: Very neat idea. I have a couple of bluebird houses, one with an active nest this year. I may need to borrow your ideaThe base is 12" X 16" and the sides are 10". The 10" sides are important because larger birds can still stick their heads through the copper rings and if the sides are less than 10" they can still get into the dish. There is also some training involved because Bluebirds are sight feeders so you have to get them familiar with going into the feeder but once they figure it out they associate the "box" with food. My first feeder had 1 1/2" square wire mesh but that didn't work. The next one I used plexi-glass with sides access holes but I had to rescue a couple of birds that thought they could get out through the plexi-glass (this is what many pre-built feeders use and there are a lot of stories about homeowners coming home to find a dead bird inside the feeder because the bird couldn't figure out how to get out). Good luck if you decide to build one...I'd like to see it if you decide to build one yourself.
(06-04-2017, 05:53 PM)BloomingtonMike Wrote: I love it. I need to make one or several too. Thanks for sharing it!!You're welcome. I have three in the works now....making the copper rings is the tedious part.
(06-04-2017, 06:26 PM)Cecil Wrote: I just added that to my to-do list. Don't know if I will get to it, but it is on my list.I have a long list of things to build just not enough time or motivation at the moment. Good luck if you decide to build one yourself.
(06-04-2017, 06:37 PM)mr_skittle Wrote: What a great idea! Looks like it can keep out squirrels too. Wildlife and woodworking are a couple of hobbies that seem to be found together often.I have baffles on the poles the feeder is mounted on to keep Raccoons and Squirrels away from the feeder. One was destroyed by a Raccoon one night and a Squirrel chewed a feeder one day trying to get in. No more issues after the baffle was installed.
(06-04-2017, 11:00 PM)Jack01 Wrote: Great IdeaNo issues with Squirrels now that I installed a baffle around the pole. Here is a partial picture of the baffle. It's 8" metal duct 3' long with an end cap mounted on one end and the center of the end cap is cut to go around what the feeder is mounted on. I put 4 screws in the feeder pole and slide the ductwork over the pole so it kind of floats on the screws. If anything tries to climb the pole the baffle moves because it's floating on the screws.
Looks nice
Do you problem with squirrels?
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RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - oakey - 06-05-2017
Well done I have blue birds here but they do not stay around great idea
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - Harold O. - 06-05-2017
Gotta love it when a guy has a problem then goes about fixing it.
Nice design, elegant solution.
RE: Nothing fancy, just a Bluebird feeder - BloomingtonMike - 06-05-2017
How do you make your rings now? Id use my lathe.