Help with starting/setting up a feeder.

Hey guys, a friend and I decided to try to set up a bird feeder to bird-watch and for photographing birds. Are there any tips that you guys can share with me? Or even a site or a book that I could read relating to setting up bird-feeders for bird-watchers and photographers? Thanks guys!

dont be lazy/cheap and only put food in when you decide to shoot. i lost alot of my regulars because after the first 2 weeks i started letting the feeders go longer and longer between filling (1-4 days) and now i get alot less of the nice finches and cardinals and more ugly black birds and use the same amount of food. between my 2 feeders i go through a dog food sized bag of black sunflower seed and 5 suit cakes a week weather i take photos or not

The Outlaw wrote in post #12720521
dont be lazy/cheap and only put food in when you decide to shoot. i lost alot of my regulars because after the first 2 weeks i started letting the feeders go longer and longer between filling (1-4 days) and now i get alot less of the nice finches and cardinals and more ugly black birds and use the same amount of food. between my 2 feeders i go through a dog food sized bag of black sunflower seed and 5 suit cakes a week weather i take photos or not

How big is your feeder and how much do they eat out of one feeder per week? That should also vary per area right? Some places have more/less birds than others?

one feeder is holds about a gallon of sunflower seeds and 1 suit cake split in half with half at each end. this feeder needs filled every 2 days.

other feeder holds about 32oz of sunflower seeds and if i fill in the morning it is empty when i wake up the next morning probably even before dark, this one does not hold any suit cakes.

suit cake cage, holds one 12oz 4"x4" cake and lasts 1.5-3 days.

I have three types of feeders. A tube feeder (it has small slots in it) for Goldfinches that dispenses Nyjer seed. I have a "regular" feeder that I use to dispense black oil sunflower seed and of course a Hummingbird feeder during the spring/summer/fall months.

I go through one of those large butter containers of black oil sunflower seeds on a daily basis. The tube feeder will last about 5 days or so.

The only thing I can suggest to keep the birds in your yard you need to keep them clean and stocked. I have two of each feeder and will rotate them out weekly for cleaning. A nice little birdbath helps out also because food and water are what birds want/need.

My feeders are out in the open but I provide cover for them as well close by (plant material)....my yard is set up mainly for bird photography and I have no shortage of customers.

Duane N wrote in post #12720808
I have three types of feeders. A tube feeder (it has small slots in it) for Goldfinches that dispenses Nyjer seed. I have a "regular" feeder that I use to dispense black oil sunflower seed and of course a Hummingbird feeder during the spring/summer/fall months.

I go through one of those large butter containers of black oil sunflower seeds on a daily basis. The tube feeder will last about 5 days or so.

The only thing I can suggest to keep the birds in your yard you need to keep them clean and stocked. I have two of each feeder and will rotate them out weekly for cleaning. A nice little birdbath helps out also because food and water are what birds want/need.

My feeders are out in the open but I provide cover for them as well close by (plant material)....my yard is set up mainly for bird photography and I have no shortage of customers.

Wow, birds really know how to eat huh? How big should a bird bath be and where should it be placed? And what's a "regular" feeder? I was planning on using something like a platform feeder for the sunflower seeds and maybe mix in some mixed bird food. And cover as in shade?

The "regular" feeder I refer to is one like this....

http://www.rachelsrobi​n.com …hp?page=shop-flypage-8091

The cage helps keep the Squirrels away from the seed and it works very well. My birdbath is about 2' in diameter and about 2" deep but tapers from nothing to 2" so the smaller birds don't submerge themselves drinking or bathing. Mine is out in the open (full sun) but right next to a shrub they can fly into and dry off after bathing or drinking.

A platform feeder will work just fine but I have a real problem with Squirrels so I stick to the caged type feeders.

The cover I provide are shrubs and smaller trees that I planted near the feeding area of my garden. Birds like to have a place to fly to when a predator comes looking for a meal...they feel more safer/comfortable that way and most will go to the shrubs or trees before hitting the feeders to make sure the coast is clear.

i've got the small feeder in the open, large feeder hanging in pear tree, cake cage hanging in the open, planted raspberry and blackberry bushes in a secluded corner of the property by the pear tree and am trying to clone the pear tree to plant more. there are natural water sources on 2 sides so no bird bath for me.

For photography make sure you have some natural perches near the feeders. Nothing spoils a good pic more than having the bird perching on a lump of metal.

There's quite a few big/small trees and shrubs in the area we were planning to put it. There's also quite a bit of squirrels in the area too, so we might decide on using one of those squirrel proof cages. We're probably gonna go out this weekend to buy some suet cakes and sunflower seeds. Also, I read some advice from a Tony on FM and he was talking about using perches as feeders. Like drilling holes in a log or putting the seeds on a branch or a patch of moss or something like that. What do you guys think about that?

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I have no experience with that, but it sounds like you will be very busy. Birds are hungry critters

Don't think anyone mentioned the mix-millet makes up the bulk of "economy" mixes and disappears quickly! This year I've had pretty good luck w/ oil sunflower and a "cardinal" mix which is safflower and sunflower. Currently, trying straight safflower and sunflower hearts mixed. Kind of pricey so I better see something really GOOD! Get my suet cakes-10 for $8.99 at Tractor Supply and go thru 1 of those about every 3 days-Downeys, Red-breasted WP and Nuthatches. I use tube feeders w/ integrated canopies hung from long "S" hooks-keeps the squirrels at bay. Two hummingbird feeders, a bird bath and a large branch wired to the tree for perching complete my arrangement. Downside? Too much shade!! FYI.

ardeekay wrote in post #12736141
Don't think anyone mentioned the mix-millet makes up the bulk of "economy" mixes and disappears quickly!

We used to feed that stuff, but our birds are so picky, they'd just toss the millet aside and sift for the good stuff. So no more 'economy mixes' here, we now just buy the good stuff from our local feed supply and deal with the associated costs... No more messy millet covering the yard under the feeders.

As for the feeders, we're running:

• an oversized squirrel proof tube feeder with a no-mess blend
  
• a caged peanut feeder
  
• a vertical sliding trap door tube with peanuts, black oil sunflower seeds, and striped sunflower seeds
  
• a niger seed tube
  
• a safflower seed tube
  
• a vertical door squirrel proof box feeder
  
• a hummingbird feeder
  
• a suet feeder

ouch man thats some commitment there lol

So, I took some of your advice and got one set up. I left it out there and refilled it every morning for a few days just so the birds would know and start coming without me bothering them. I ended up going with a platform feeder and some sunflower seeds. I'm not sure if they're black oil though. What's the difference anyway? I'll probably buy some suet cakes and a suet holder later, but not yet. Here are some pictures.

So, I get a ton of these annoying guys stealing my seeds and scaring away the birds.