|
Procedure:
Choose a clean, unscratched plastic pop bottle. I used the medium size. The large 2 litre bottle
would need filling less often, but wouldn't spin with the birds' weight, thereby losing some
of its entertainment value.
Remove any paper or plastic label. With a sharp knife, cut a slit about 2 inches up from the
base of the bottle, and about 1/4 of the way around. Repeat, making a matching slit
on the opposite side of the bottle. With your thumbs, squeeze gently just above
the slits, to bend a U-shaped section inward. This makes a kind of "mouth" where the
chickadees can feed.
Thread a length of twine through the slits, in one side and out the other. Tie one end
firmly around the top of the bottle, just below the lid. Pull on the other end
until the twine holds the two U-shaped sections in place. Tie around
the neck of the bottle. Trim off any excess.
Heat the nail on the stove. With the pliers, grasp it firmly and make two holes
in the bottle, about 1/2 inch under the center of each "mouth". Make a third
hole in the center of the screw-top lid.
Force the twig through the bottle, in one hole and out the other. It should fit
snugly. You may need to enlarge the holes to fit.
Thread another length of twine through the lid. Tie the inside end around the
washer or nut. Tie a knot on the outside, close to the lid.
Fill your bottle with black oil sunflower seeds (from the pet food section at your
grocery). Screw on the cap. Hang from a tree where you can watch from your window.
Mine is tied to the venetian blind cord, which is thrown over a high branch
and hooked onto a nail driven into the trunk of the tree. To refill, I can lower
the bottle, replace it, and haul it back up. Two knots on my cord anchor it in the
two positions, filling and feeding.
(Optional)
If you live as I do where it rains all the time, you may wish to make a
kind of roof. I punched a hole in the centre of the pie pan, painted it black
and fixed it on my cord with knots around two washers, I also made a series of
tiny holes on the bottom of the bottle for drainage, just in case.
Enjoy!
|
