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Need Advice Hanging a bird feeder off my deck

Discussion in 'Nature/Habitat/Garden Corner' started by Sesame, Jan 21, 2011.

  1. Sesame

    Sesame New Member

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    I have finally purchased a bird feeder but have no idea how to hang it off my deck. I went to home depot and asked if they had something I could use for this and they looked at me like I was insane. They only had something I could drive into the ground. Any ideas? Thanks!
     
  2. OSimpson

    OSimpson Certified Master Naturalist

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    We have put a flower basket hanger on the wall of the house off the deck and it hang it there. But if you don't use high quality feed, you will have a lot of shells and wasted feed on your deck to clean. We had that problem. Now I buy better feed and it lasts longer. No shells on the deck floor. We can also watch the birds from inside thru the window since it's on the wall, they get really close.

    Enjoy,
     
  3. JLC

    JLC Member

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    I screwed a hook into the underside of one of the beams on our "pergola". In the summer I hang a flower basket and in the winter I hang a bird feeder. During the summer I use bird feeders on poles in the back of my yard. This allows us to enjoy watching the birds while we sit on the patio (otherwise they'd fly away when we went outside) and it keeps the bird poop off our deck. I don't mind the poop out there in the winter since we don't use it then.
     
  4. wahoogeek

    wahoogeek New Member

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    I was going to point you to the Wild Bird store in Leesburg but I see now that its no longer there. They have stores in Oakton and Burke if you are up for the drive. We bought a deck pole from them -- its a ~4 ft long pole at a ~45 degree angle that mounts to the top rail of the deck. It has a swivel base so you can swing the feeder in/out to fill it up.
     
  5. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    "The Bird Feeder" in Reston, located in the plaza adjacent to the Home Depot, has everything you need to hang feeders including the brackets for decks. They had a second location in Leesburg but closed 4 years ago due to a rent increase.

    The Bird Feeder
    1675 J. Reston Parkway
    Reston, VA 22094
    703.437.3335
     
  6. afgm

    afgm Ashburn Farm Resident

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    First off it's a squirrel feeder not a bird feeder....
     
  7. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    Yes, squirrels enjoy the seed also, but there are many squirrel proof gadgets that will deter them from invading your feeder. There are baffels that can be used on the top or bottom of your tube feeder, and there are feeders that have a collapsing perch that cannot hold the weight of a squirrel, thereby pitching the squirrel to the ground. You can also buy seeds coated with cayenne pepper to discourage squirrels from eating the seed or you can serve safflower seed which is unattractive to squirrels and grackels. Unfortunately, many birds do not enjoy safflower seed so you would miss out having certain birds visit your feeder. Good luck.
     
  8. Sesame

    Sesame New Member

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    thank you all so very much! yes, we got a squirrel-proof (supposedly) feeder. :)
     
  9. stoner

    stoner Active Member

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    One result of the right food in a good feeder - you get a college of cardinals (Pic 1). Can the pope be far behind (Pic 2)?
     

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  10. afgm

    afgm Ashburn Farm Resident

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    Stoner, awesome pictures!
     
  11. StevieD

    StevieD New Member

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    Good luck, but I have yet to purchase a "squirrel proof" feeder that was able to stop the squirrels (slowed them down, but they eventually figured out how to defeat the protections). One year I tried the hot pepper (capsaicin) additive to the bird seed - that was a hoot. First squirrel was really rattled - scared him away for a day. Came back second day to try again - again, he moved on. However by the third day he was happily munching away, and on the fourth day he was back with friends (I guess it was southwestern night in the rodent world)!
     
  12. Sesame

    Sesame New Member

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    since we moved here from baltimore city -where i could not have a feeder because it would attract (more) rats i'm not too worried about a few squirrels - even though they are just cuter rats.... :)
     
  13. wahoogeek

    wahoogeek New Member

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    We've had success with a weight activated feeder. The squirrels try and try but have yet to break in. The downside of a weight actived feeder is that larger birds (blue jays, etc.) are also shut out. But we've tuned it so multiple cardinals, smaller birds can feed at once.
     
  14. rabbitat

    rabbitat New Member

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    Tractor Supply in Leesburg has several models of hangers for suspending birdfeeders from deck rails.
     
  15. Sesame

    Sesame New Member

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    thanks!
     
  16. Mike-and-Kim

    Mike-and-Kim Member

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    cool pics!
     
  17. stoner

    stoner Active Member

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    Thank you guys - the camera is always hanging by the window.
     
  18. mamatothree

    mamatothree New Member

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    Pic two looks like a juvenile red shouldered hawk...he would be looking to catch one of those cardinals if he can!
     

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