Bird Feeders Must Be Kept Fresh And Full

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   Refilling Bird Feeders
   

How & When To Refill Bird Feeders?

A site visitor asked:

When to Refill a Feeder?

A feeder can be filled as soon as it is low in seed but not completely empty.

If it is left empty for too long, the birds who have been regular visitors may find a different place to dine.

It will also be important to clean out all the seed occasionally so there is nothing left in corners to decay.

This would cause a health issue for the wild birds if they ate rotten food.

What Time of Day Should Feeders be Filled?

Ideally it is best to have your feeders full when the birds arrive first thing in the morning.

They are eager to fill their bellies when the sun begins to rise after having spent the night without any food.

Cardinals are often the first ones at the feeder in the morning and the last ones to have dinner.

Maybe they feel the cover of a little darkness is safer or perhaps beating the rush is the goal.

A feeder can be filled any time during the day.

It does not have to be the same time each day either.

Although the birds will grow used to regularity and anticipate the re-filling of their feeders if you do use the same time each day.

The birds will not be deterred by your presence.

In fact Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers and Nuthatches will likely sit close by,  on a pole or nearby branches while you refill the feeders.  

Or even land on your arm, while they wait!

Can Birds Be Trained When Re-filling Feeders?

How to Refill a Feeder?

A funnel will be helpful to prevent a mess by spilling the seed. A funnel with a long neck 2 to 4 inches long and a wide mouth about 2 inches wide will make filling much easier. 

Put the funnel in the opening of the feeder and use a scoop (just a plastic container will do) to pour the seed into the funnel. 

I made a funnel from a spray bottle by simply cutting the top and bottom off. The mouth of this refitted bottle fits nicely inside my tube feeders and my chalet feeders. 

The body of the bottle is wide enough to allow the seed to be  poured in without making a mess and wasting the seed.

Seed Feeder Cleaners ~ My Top Picks

How Often Does Bird Food Need to Be Purchased?

This will depend on how quickly the birds eat your seed.

If you have a lot of visitors to your feeders you can go through a great deal of seed. 

When I fill my feeders if I do not have enough left in the bag to make another refill, then I put bird seed, etc on my shopping list.

For suet I always make sure I have a back-up on hand.

Discover Different Types of Bird Feeders

• Platform feeders are often referred to as tray feeders, table feeders or fly thru feeders. They are appropriately named “fly thru” because they are open allowing the birds to fly in, grab what they like and go.

• Ground Bird Feeder – A ground birdfeeder can be simply a patch of ground scattered with seed. But using a well-designed ground feeder will save your seed from waste.

• Suet Feeders are a fantastic energy source for wild birds keeping them warm in winter and giving them the fuel they need for activities like territorial defence, mating, raising young.

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