Window Feeders

[AnnieW]

I just spotted these at our local pet store - they are nut & seed feeders with suction pads that allow you to attach them to a window. I pondered on one for the front of our house as all the bird activity is around the back at the moment - I thought it might be nice to have the odd visitor at the front whilst watching TV.

However, I worry that they might encourage birds to fly into the glass - although as they are in the RSPB range, I assume them to be safe!! I also wondered if they would actually attract anything that close to the house with people moving around not far from the window.

Any views - has anyone tried one of these ???

[mkdon]

I am a teacher and I have a small feeder sticking on one of our classroom windows. Once they get used to it. they do use it. It has been up for two years and no birds have hit the window (at least while we were in the room). They will feed until a student gets too close, then they fly away. They always return, especially now that we have snow on the ground. My experience is that they take a while, but they will attract birds.

[AnnieW]

Thanks for that - it wasn't too expensive, so I might give it a go !!!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

We installed this feeder last year, for the provision of mealworms to the robins and bluetits. When the weather is cold, or when they are feeding young they are on the feeder before we have had time to close the adjacent window! They come onto the feeder when we are sitting nearby having our breakfast. There has never been a problem with a bird hitting the window when coming to the feeder.

We bought it from: http://www.gardenbird.com/index.htm (Catalogue number GA04, price £8.95 + P&P), though I have seen it in several other catalogues.

[Tammie]

Hi Annie,
I have sunflower seed feeders on three windows, with suction cups and they are very popular in my yard. Chickadees, nuthatches, pine grosbeaks and redpolls are using them almost constantly. No collisions either because they have to slow down to land on the feeder. So far, anyway!
Good luck if you try them. Let us know how it works.

[Euan Buchan]

I have 1 aswell I got free by subscpition to the country bird collection it was good 4 awhile had it my lounge window watching the birds go 2 it but then the stopper at the botton will open n the peanuts eud fall out n this kept happin so i stopped putin it up

[AnnieW]

Well based on the comments above, I purchased a window feeder today. It's installed on the living room window on the side nearest a large holly bush that is a popular spot for a couple of robins and the greenfinches. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it proves as popular as the feeders at the back -- although given the torrential rain and gale force winds we've been having today, the garden has been pretty much deserted (apart from a few hardy magpies and the inevitable pheasants)

[Tammie]

Well based on the comments above, I purchased a window feeder today. It's installed on the living room window on the side nearest a large holly bush that is a popular spot for a couple of robins and the greenfinches. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it proves as popular as the feeders at the back -- although given the torrential rain and gale force winds we've been having today, the garden has been pretty much deserted (apart from a few hardy magpies and the inevitable pheasants)

Well, like any other new feeder, it's liable to take a bit of time for the birds to find and trust this one. Have patience but I'm certain they will enjoy it. You will too! :)

[KCFoggin]

It took about a week for the birds to get comfortable with my window feeder but it is used regularly now.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

It took around 3 hours before the bluetits started to use our window feeder (shown in an earlier message). However we had a few advantages:

1. We were using mealworms
2. The feeder was above the shelf where the birds had been coming for mealworms for many months.
3. They were feeding young at the time.

Although the robins were feeding young too, it took them longer to get the hang of this new-fangled thing. The first robin stood on the clear "roof" and looked down at the mealworms, then he perched underneath and pecked up at the (clear) base. Meanwhile the bluetits were hopping in and out, and performing a shuttle service between the feeder and the nestboxes.

[Catherine]

Years ago, when my boys were young, I had a suction cup feeder on their second floor bathroom window. It was a great success until we had a small red squirrel regularly climb the side of the house to get to the feeder. He was as startled to see us and we were to see him. :-)

[christine]

Hi all,
Have had a couple of window feeders but found the suction cups dont seem to adhere for very long.
Gave up in the end!!

Christine

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Ours has been there since 24th April, and in spite of constant use shows no sign of failing so far. The brand name is Meripac and it is in the catalogues of Haiths, Ernest Charles and Garden Bird Supplies.

[AnnieW]

Well I got home from work today to the news from my partner that several birds had used the new feeder this afternoon for about 20 minutes.

When I asked what they were the response was "Well ...... they weren't blackbirds or robins" !!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Well I got home from work today to the news from my partner that several birds had used the new feeder this afternoon for about 20 minutes.

When I asked what they were the response was "Well ...... they weren't blackbirds or robins" !!

Sounds as if you need to provide a chart with pictures of the likely ones!! Did you manage to work out what they were?

[Tammie]

Hi all,
Have had a couple of window feeders but found the suction cups dont seem to adhere for very long.
Gave up in the end!!

Christine
The only time I had this problem was during the coldest of temperatures when the suction cup of one feeder would get a little hard and let go. Good thing no one was in the feeder at the time it suddenly went badly lopsided! ;)

[Elizabeth Bigg]

The only time I had this problem was during the coldest of temperatures when the suction cup of one feeder would get a little hard and let go. Good thing no one was in the feeder at the time it suddenly went badly lopsided! ;)

And when you say coldest you mean .....................cold!!!

[AnnieW]

Sounds as if you need to provide a chart with pictures of the likely ones!! Did you manage to work out what they were?
Well from the description they were either one of the tits - great, coal or blue - or greenfinches.

He is starting to learn - spot on with the green woodpecker the other day. :t:

To be fair, it doesn't help that he's colour blind, which often leads to strange descriptions - particularly if he's working on the computer at the time and therefore wearing the wrong glasses, which tend to distort perspective. On one occassion, based on the description I was convinced we'd had some species of bird of paradise in the garden .... it turned out to be a long tailed tit 3:-)

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Well from the description they were either one of the tits - great, coal or blue - or greenfinches.

He is starting to learn - spot on with the green woodpecker the other day. :t:

To be fair, it doesn't help that he's colour blind, which often leads to strange descriptions - particularly if he's working on the computer at the time and therefore wearing the wrong glasses, which tend to distort perspective. On one occassion, based on the description I was convinced we'd had some species of bird of paradise in the garden .... it turned out to be a long tailed tit 3:-)

Well though a bird of paradise would be very exciting, a(n) LTT is very pretty. Looks like he needs a drawn-to-size chart of shapes - these can be very distinctive, as can behaviour.

[Fuchsia]

Annie,
I've been very happy with mine - they still stick nicely after 6 months and luckily with smaller panes in the windows we haven't had any casualties. I do find that the birds only come over to it when the other feeders are empty tho.
Elizabeth - I must get one of those - our Robins are very timid.

Jen :hi:

[AnnieW]

Annie,
I've been very happy with mine - they still stick nicely after 6 months and luckily with smaller panes in the windows we haven't had any casualties. I do find that the birds only come over to it when the other feeders are empty tho.
Elizabeth - I must get one of those - our Robins are very timid.

Jen :hi:What a cutie !!! Given time I hopefully may be able to get some similar close-ups.

Interesting your comment about smaller panes. This sounds similar to ours - one large window split into 32 small squares. We were wondering if that is why the birds started appearing so quickly - I thought perhaps the smaller panes maybe broke up the image behind the window (if you get my meaning). Unfortunately I was out of the house today before it got light and didn't get back from work on until it was dark - so I don't know whether there was any activity.

[Fuchsia]

What a cutie !!! Given time I hopefully may be able to get some similar close-ups.

Interesting your comment about smaller panes. This sounds similar to ours - one large window split into 32 smalled squares. We were wondering if that is why the birds started appearing so quickly - I thought perhaps the smaller panes maybe broke up the image behind the window (if you get my meaning). Unfortunately I was out of the house today before it got light and didn't get back from work on until it was dark - so I don't know whether there was any activity today.


I think you're right Annie,
The birds are very happy on the window sill even when I'm up to the pane with the camera - I'm sure they can't see me properly.
Good luck with them - with all this weather I'm sure they'll be very happy with their new feeder.

Jen :-)

[AnnieW]

Well a big :clap: to all you folks who encouraged me to go out and buy one of these feeders. I tried a new mix in there at the weekend; it's marketed as Robin Feed, and is a mixed seed, nut & insect feed.

I'm working from home today and the feeder is in line of sight of the computer. Well there has been a constant stream of visitors to the window !! Visitors have included blue & great tits, greenfinch, robin AND a house sparrow .... first I've seen around here in a long time. It's certianly making the day pass quickly, although how much work I'm actually getting done is debatable !!!

[Tammie]

Well a big :clap: to all you folks who encouraged me to go out and buy one of these feeders. I tried a new mix in there at the weekend; it's marketed as Robin Feed, and is a mixed seed, nut & insect feed.

I'm working from home today and the feeder is in line of sight of the computer. Well there has been a constant stream of visitors to the window !! Visitors have included blue & great tits, greenfinch, robin AND a house sparrow .... first I've seen around here in a long time. It's certianly making the day pass quickly, although how much work I'm actually getting done is debatable !!!

I'm glad your feeder is sucessfull, Annie. I have one on each window in the main part of my house and can see them whether I'm at the computer or dinner table..... there's ALWAYS something in them!

[AnnieW]

This little chap frightened the life out of me yesterday.

I was quitely sitting reading the paper, vaguely aware of coming and going at the feeder - when suddenly this blue-tit started tapping at the pane. I can only assume there was a speck of seed or something there - but he continued for a couple of minutes, apparantly oblivious to me and the camera, before finally disappearing off !!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

When the mealworm feeder (that I showed in an earlier post) is empty, the robin comes and sits on the edge, tapping on the bottom of the feeder as if he is trying to attract my attention. If I am watching him he taps several times, looks at me - and unless he sees me getting up to fetch more mealworms, continues tapping.

[pduxon]

This little chap frightened the life out of me yesterday.

I was quitely sitting reading the paper, vaguely aware of coming and going at the feeder - when suddenly this blue-tit started tapping at the pane. I can only assume there was a speck of seed or something there - but he continued for a couple of minutes, apparantly oblivious to me and the camera, before finally disappearing off !!

At least the little chap was using the feeder. Very polite of him really to give you a nudge to take the photo!