This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase items via our affiliate links, there is no additional cost to you, but Our Virginia Home receives a small percentage of the sale as a thank you for making the introduction. Disclosure
A bird feeder station can be used to attract a variety of birds in your area. Birds will love visiting your bird feeders if they have access to nutritious food, water, and feel safe.
Why Should We Feed Birds?
Maintaining bird feeders in your yard provides an extra boost of calories and nutrition. This will help them survive the harsh winter months and have energy for migrating. Especially if you live in an urban area, introducing more food sources will benefit birds.
Suet cakes are blocks made with suet and a variety of ingredients such as peanuts, fruits, and dried insects. Suet blocks are best as a protein-rich food source in winter months. If the blocks are exposed to heat, they will melt and transfer onto the birds.
Providing suet cakes will attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, and more. You can buy them on sale in warmer months and store them in your freezer.
A feeder that holds fruit or mealworms is a great way to provide a source of protein and vitamins for birds. You can purchase bags of dried mealworms or even raise your own.
Keep Birds Safe
Placing bird feeders in the open within a short flying distance from native trees and shrubs will help protect birds. You should also keep bird feeders away from your home to minimize the risk that birds will fly into your windows.
To minimize the risk of spreading disease, you should clean bird feeders with warm soapy water.
Provide a Water Source
Birdbaths are also another necessary item to add to a bird feeder station. Offering clean and shallow water will help attract birds.
For an extra sturdy bird feeder station, place a 4×4 post in the ground with concrete. Add forged wrought iron hooks such as these by Forge and Flower. Hooks that extend out at varying lengths work great for hanging bird feeders, birdbaths, and small flowerpots.
Birdfeeder Station Ideas
This post by Bob Koppenhaver shows an example of a homemade six-foot-long birdfeeder station made with PVC pipe. A colorful flowerbed with tulips, hyacinths, sunflowers, and other spring flowers is under the station.
I love this post by Lisa Fulmer that provides an example of a birdfeeder station made from 4x4s and monkeybars. To stop squirrels from getting into the feeders, metal flashing is placed on each 4×4.
This post by Leanne Wildermuth uses shepherd’s hooks, 4x4s, and 2x4s. This design has a tray feeder at the base to catch all of the seeds that fall.
Decorative post caps such as this black cat design by Madison Iron and Wood are a fun way to add character to a 4×4 post that holds bird feeders and hanging plants.
Garden stakes are not only a lovely way to decorate your bird feeder station but also serve as a resting place for birds.
You might also enjoy…
How to Decorate with Vintage Containers
Mother’s Day Gardening Gift Ideas
Leave a Reply