Considering all the birds that are visiting the garden, any interest in a bird feeder?
The herbs are already attracting monarch caterpillars which will be great year. Giving the birds an easier food choice may help a few more butterflies survive.
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Sure! I’ve got a good amount of eastern red cedar that would work (and look) great for birdhouses. I was thinking about coming out again tonight so that could be my project for the night. There’s a pretty simple but really cool design I saw on Reddit the other day that I could try out.
We definitely need to plan ahead for racoons though.
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If you need some I have three living in my barn…would love to re-home!
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Be aware that bird feeders serve as a fomite for disease spread amongst wild birds. There are good studies demonstrating the prevalence difference between birds that frequent feeders and those who don’t even in the same species.
Design, placement, cleaning and maintenance can help reduce the risk but it’s the sheer concentration that causes the most problems. This link has some recommendations. I would venture to say more frequent than every two weeks would be better for cleaning. Weekly anyway. And there may be times we need to remove them completely if ill birds are observed. Bird Diseases at Feeders - How to Prevent Them
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You’d better bring that feeder to the Garden Committee (meetings currently each Sunday at 11) for approval!
I have no doubt we would approve it, but we’re sticklers for things like that.
Also, I nominate @Noahjwc to buy all the bird food!!!
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This is the design I was going to recreate but now I’m concerned about the health and safety of the birds after reading more from the link @Sherry provided. If we can come up with a committee approved design, I’d be more than happy to make a feeder or two.
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Your design looks super cool, @hippyman ! I’d be inclined to say if we can make the feeding platform out of a different material that is easily disinfected, and also easily removable, this design could work well.
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Thanks although I can’t claim the design. Somebody else made this and shared it on Reddit a few days ago and I just really liked the way it looks. A silicone tray would probably be the best thing for quick removal and cleaning.
I also just found out that cedar might be a bad idea altogether. Turns out the oils and scents can actually harm the birds apparently. So I’ll read up on some better materials to use for the bulk of the build.
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I can speak to the cedar issue, since it’s my professional area of study. It’s not an issue in this application. Since y’all probably don’t want my full version, the TL;DR is: cedar is unhealthy for animals to breathe in fumes of closely in a confined space for extended periods (such as cedar chip bedding). This application has relatively low surface area and is in a wide open space with excellent airflow. Many toxic risks to birds are overrated online and this is one (the nonstick coating warning isn’t overrated though, have seen too many of those deaths).
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Okay perfect I was pretty disappointed when I read that cedar could be toxic. I actually wanted to use cedar so I wouldn’t have to put a finish on it. I figured it would be better to not have any polyurethane. I haven’t read about non-stick coating yet. Can you share what you’re talking about so I don’t make the same mistake?
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The nonstick coatings PTFE and PFOA, when heated, release very toxic gases which birds are exquisitely sensitive to. You’ll sometimes read they have to be heated to higher temperatures than used in normal cooking for this to occur but we still see bird deaths at lower temps. Classically it’s a Teflon coated pan, but the linings of a variety of cooking or heating devices and even heat lamp bulbs have been implicated. A zoo lost their entire jungle collection once to a new heating system where the coils were coated, unbeknownst to them. Oven bags (for cooking a turkey for example) are also problematic. The air movement through a home is very unpredictable so distance isn’t necessarily effective at protecting birds. The deaths tend to be sudden and there is no medication to treat the acute respiratory distress, only oxygen cage therapy if the bird lives long enough to make it to a hospital.
Edit to add: there’s nothing particularly problematic about polyurethane for birds once it’s cured (fumes during application/drying/curing are bad). I do like the idea of using unfinished cedar.
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Is acrylic an issue? Maybe it depends on the type used?
I designed this acrylic bird feeder that hangs in the window so my cats could sit and watch them. I added a removable tray for easy cleaning, put drainage holes so the food doesn’t mold, and a water tray on top so they can wash their beaks before dinner.
I’d certainly like to know if it’s causing harm.
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Assuming this isn’t a death trap, it may be my new favorite thing! 
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Acrylic is safe and easy to disinfect. I like the design!
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That’s super cool! I’m really jealous. I miss watching the birds out my that would visit our feeders before the racoons discovered them.
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They’re decoys (nothing draws a crowd like a crowd) plus the birds can use them as toys… I think the crows keep “adopting” them. Luckily I bought 100… I mean, why by 1 when a hundred will do? (see also: 3d printers)
Some of the regular birds and squirrels actually interact with the cats.
Thanks! That was my first design in Fusion 360. There are some things I’d do differently for easier assembly.
Ease of cleanability was my first consideration. That’s why I made both trays removable… to avoid moldy food and stagnant water.
I made it for the cats. I didn’t think I was into bird watching… but then, after a while, I caught myself just sitting there watching and felt really at peace. I don’t feel at peace that often, so I was surprised to find myself in the zone, added bonus!
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Could we do the bird feeder design with cedar as the main structure then using our abundance of acrylic as the feeding area? Quick release mechanism to drop the acrylic tray for washing?
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