Bird Feeder Experiment

8th October 2017

There is much debate about the pros and cons of feeding wild birds bird seed in a bird feeder, and as wildlife carers and bird observers, we have always been very conscious about doing the right thing. Until now we have only put bird seed in a secluded bird feeder in the garden on rare occasions and the feeder has mainly been used for fruit & vegies to supplement my soft-release possums coming back for something a bit extra. Recently we spent a few days camping at Cullendore High Country just over the NSW border and observed the bird feeding, noting that the Rufous Bettongs came at night to 'clean up' the left over bird seed. We decided on return that we might experiment with a new bird feeder in a different location at Jarowair, as a supplement for local birds doing it tough in the drought when there isn't much grass seed, flowers or much of anything around for them to eat... we also thought that the local bettong's might come at night to clean up any left-overs as such. Friends who live not too far "as the crow flies", have had Rufous Bettongs coming to eat the bird seed under their bird feeder for years.

Brendon got busy making a new bird feeder from an old satellite dish that he had kept from the roof of our Toowoomba house for many years.... if you keep it long enough it will find a use!! We decided that the feeder had to be in the open on the lawn, (so that any seed that fell would land on the lawn and not start sprouting in the garden) but close enough to the garden so that birds could duck off into the shrubs if they felt threatened. It also had to be in view from our veranda so we could see who visited it and document it by photographing them with the long lens. Brendon got to work building it and the bird feeder was installed exactly a week ago, and we have put a small amount of seed in it and replaced it whenever it has been all eaten. It didn't take long for the Rainbow Lorikeets to find it.. and then the other birds followed. We have had the camera out, ready to photograph any visitors to the feeder, and we are pretty happy with the ones we have seen so far, although haven't managed to photograph them all. The photos are rather grainy and a tad blurry as they are taken from quite far away... but at this distance we aren't intrusive and don't risk scaring the birds off.

We hope that some of the smaller birds will become inquisitive and check it out in time. Another bird bath is also in the plans to be added in the garden nearby.

Bird feeder visitors in one week: