Providing food and shelter for birds is quite an industry. Duncraft seems to have a product for every species.
Last year I bought their suet, which smelled so good that Sassy, our cattle dog, wanted to eat it. The last two lumps lasted only a few hours, thanks to varmints who stole it from the birds. Left alone, it was an inexpensive way to attract a lot of birds who love bugs. Bluebirds ate from it, and the rarely seen pileated woodpecker came to our yard. I read afterward that hanging suet was a good way to attract the model for Woody Woodpecker.
My inexpensive sock feeders for finches did well for a year, but the greedy squirrels decided to bite a hole in one and let the seed run out to the ground. Niger is over-priced, especially for a weed, but finches are worth it.
My best purchase has been a Duncraft feeder designed to frustrate squirrels. When a heavier creature gets in position to eat, its weight shuts off the food. I saw squirrels defeat two inexpensive feeders by destroying them, get on the new one, and give up.
The feeder is positioned just outside the window where I work. Lately we have seen a steady parade of chickadees and cardinals feeding.
At first the birds scattered when they saw any movement inside. Now they feel so safe that I can put my face near the window and watch them feeding, inches away. Some bushes near the feed provide a perfect reception area for birds getting in line to take their turn at the feeder.
Duncraft's products make me laugh because they have expensive ways to replace the old methods of providing for birds. For example, birds like lint to build their nests. People often hang dryer lint for the birds to use during nesting season. Duncraft sells a kit for doing the same. Our Shelties are so generous in shedding fur that we just let them run on the deck.
Duncraft has many ways to provide water for birds. I bought a ceramic dish to catch the rain. The dogs decided it was their spare water dish anyway, so they normally drained it.
There are many ways to feed the covetous squirrel population. Duncraft argues that their feeders will keep squirrels away from the bird feeders. But we all know that feeding the squirrels will just promote bigger, healthier, hungrier families.
Our grandson Alexander talked me into feeding the squirrels again. The previous resident left a feeder tacked to the tree outside the dining room. Xander enjoyed seeing the squirrel taking his meal from the corn cob (overpriced at the hardware store, as always). He pointed to the empty feeder in September and urged me to re-supply the tree-rodents.
Since we live in the woods, surrounded by oaks, the squirrel population has all the acorns they need. But we will doubtless see Mr. Squirrel on his feeder while we are eating lunch this Saturday.
Earlier we all saw a bluejay family grow up in the bush outside the bedroom office window. They left on Mother's Day.
Our son said, watching the maturing nestlings try their wings in unison, "Imagine that. They flap their wings and think - maybe we can fly with these. And they take off."
When I was little, I used to ask the teachers, "How can they do that?" The answer was always, "Instinct."
Today a teacher might say, "Software." The hardware itself is brilliantly designed. The software answer is good too, as long as no one asks, "Who wrote the software?"
Bird feeding is a great way to enjoy God's Creation. Having them nest, bathe, and feed outside the most-used windows is a rewarding and inexpensive past-time.
PS - Going Galt means to live as inexpensively as possible, to avoid being a slave for the tax authorities.
