The Ultimate Feeder for Birdwatching
We’re writing this post during Lockdown 2021, when our desire for mental wellbeing is drawing many of us to want to connect with the beauty of the natural world. But being able to watch our garden wildlife is one of the most mentally restorative things we can do anytime. And the easiest way to achieve this is with garden birdwatching.
Window bird feeders
Regularly providing food in your garden is the simplest way to encourage birds into your neighbourhood and a window bird feeder can give you the opportunity to view these birds close up from the warmth of your home. Whether you’re washing up in the kitchen, working from your home office desk or reading from the comfort of your armchair, being able to see who visits your garden out of the corner of your eye is incredibly satisfying. It’s also a great way to expand your, or your children’s, knowledge of garden bird identification.
Last, but definitely not least, providing a food source also benefits those visiting your neighbourhood. As Simon says, “During the winter months, many of the birds who visit our gardens are struggling to find food and providing them with a little extra resource can make the difference between life and death for many species.”
How to get a good view of your garden birds
Suction cup window feeders like our Dewdrop Window Feeders offer the most intimate view of your avian neighbours because they are transparent feeders. They attach to your window with two suckers. “Suckers you may say – is that strong enough. Is that going to hold?” says Simon. “Well, it absolutely does, because I have had one on the window for months and it has been rock solid and worked perfectly.”
This clear window feeder is the best choice for those wanting to learn more about who is visiting their garden and to practice bird identification. You get an unobstructed view of every garden bird visiting. And once they have got used to the feeder, they are often happy to stay feeding on it for enough time to give you a good glimpse. Consider one of the Field Guides to Garden Birds to help with this, or there are now many apps you can download to your phone to check species identification.
Having a feeder attached to your window often feels like you are bringing your garden closer to your home. You may see the same birds visiting time and time again, giving you the satisfying sense that they are enjoying your garden, the food you are providing, and they are rewarding you with a stunning sight!
Cleaning and maintaining your window bird feeder
The Dewdrop Window Feeder is easy to remove and clean when you need to, which we would recommend you do on a weekly basis. All you need is some hot water with an eco-friendly washing up liquid. Give it a good scrub and make sure it is completely dry before you refill it with seed to ensure there is no mould build up afterwards.
What’s fantastic about this feeder is just how easy it is to put up. There are no screws or instruction booklet to follow. You simply use the suckers to stick it to your windowpane. Everyone has a window in their home, and in fact you could regularly move it to different windows to give you a different view. Perhaps other species of bird may visit different areas of your garden?
What if my window feeder won’t stick to my window?
If you are struggling to get your window feeder to stick to your window, then we recommend giving your window a really good clean and then drying it really well before trying again. Small specks of dirt can stop the suction cups properly sticking to the window. In fact, we would advise you do this inside and out before attaching your window bird feeder anyway, because you will want the best view of your garden birds once they start to visit.
What should you feed your garden birds?
Always fill your feeders with a high quality seed mix like our Premium Wild Bird Food. Using a mix like this will attract the most diverse number of birds to your garden. The kibbled peanuts are rich in essential oils and proteins and are loved by tits, finches, sparrows and nuthatches. The black sunflower seeds are very popular with blue and great tits who can penetrate and discard the shells, which keep them fresher for longer. Hemp is a wild bird super food which contains the highest levels of fatty acids and red millet which is a particular favourite of tree sparrows if you are lucky enough to have them in your neighbourhood.
“It may take your garden birds a little bit of time to get used to the new feeder. But once they do, they will be visiting to and fro and you will get some of the most cracking views!” says Simon who has had one of these Dewdrop Window Feeders on his kitchen window for the last few months.
“I have had a fantastic list of species already. Some of the common garden species like the blue tit and the great tit as well as robins. All coming on a regular basis. But I also have a blackcap male that’s been visiting a great deal. These are a warbler but many overwinter here and they struggle especially when the days get cold to find food. And some beautiful views of nuthatches. And I am just waiting for the next species to visit to add to the list.
“The Dewdrop Window Feeder is a great way to provide for your garden wildlife and it’s a great way for you to enjoy the view!”
