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BIRD FEEDERS
 Now that summer is here you must be surrounded by birdsong and a
flurry of winged activity. Programmed by nature, birds will get busy
preparing for one more cycle of nesting, raising young, and feeding them.
If you are a Nature/ Bird lover here's a small activity for you to share
and enjoy with your friends and family.
FEEDING THE HUNGRY
With the ever increasing urban sprawl, feeding areas for birds are
getting scarce. Smaller birds with limited home range have a particularly
hard time finding food and water. You can hence do your little bit to make
available tit-bits to this wonderful winged species. You can make and
install inexpensive bird feeders, and stock these with everyday leftovers
of food. It's something you can achieve easily, with all your time
constraints, right at home, and at practically no cost. It is also a good
introduction to the concept of reuse of waste items and "wasted" food.
Whats more you can have the joy of designing your own bird-feeder.
DESIGNING
You can try one or more of these suggested
designs for bird-feeders, depending on the type of space and situation
available; or innovate further to suit your requirements.
While installing the
bird feeders, take care that the feeders are out of bounds for cats and
dogs. Scatter seeds, grain, and waste scraps of food in the tray.
1. Make a window tray
with old pieces of wood or by remodelling an existing tray or crate that's
out of use. It should be three to six inches deep, with an edge all
around. Install it on a window not exposed to strong winds. You might want
to provide a small container for water, preferably fixed to the tray so
the birds don't topple it every now and then. If you have a glasspaned or
curtained window, behind it, would make a lovely observation post for
watching birds, provided you remain quiet and do not alarm them.
2. A
hanging feeder can be made from any old shallow tin, punched with three or
four holes around the rim, and hung with wire or string, from a branch or
railing, or the ceiling of a balcony.
3.You can also make this with
half a shell of coconut, or an old coat hanger and a hollow tin can with
no lid and no base.
4. An old wire basket, hung in similar fashion,
makes a good feeder for holding large-sized food, e.g. meat scraps,
leftovers of corn cob and so on. These feeders will attract a variety of
bird species, and your friends and family will derive months of joy,
watching them.You can attempt to identify the various species that come to
your bird-feeder and maybe look up books on these birds. Simple gazing can
take off into serious birdwatching, or maybe even photography, sketching,
painting and other activities. So, have lots of fun.
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