Pinecone Bird Feeders

[sparks19]

We just made some today with some nice big pinecones we found at the park yesterday.

I have NOT made these since I was a kid lol. We hung them up this afternoon but it was a rainy dreary day so we didn't have any birdie visitors.

This is the first bird feeder we have had at this house so I hope the birdies find them We have A LOT of really beautiful cardinals around here so I'm hoping they stop by.

anyone made one of these? did the birds like it?

[Grace]

I've never done any pine come feeders, but have been feeding the birds as long as I've lived here - 21 years.

I have 2 black oil sunflower feeders and a suet feeder. Used to do thistle (niger seed) for the goldfinch and other little birds, but it got too expensive. When there is snow on the ground, I also scatter seed on the ground in a few places for the ground-feeding birds.

I also love the Cardinals. There are time when I can look out my kitchen window and see more than 20 out there eating.

Used to feed year round - now I take them down the beginning of May and put them back up in mid-October.

[Freedom]

I've not heard of a pine cone feeder, hoped you had posted a photo!

I've had feeders out n the winter for years, even when I lived in my apartment I'd have them hanging from the balcony. I put out Wagner's Songbird, so I get cardinals, mourning doves, dark eyed juncos, sparrows, etc.

New issue this year: my Tasha loves to eat the seed that she finds on the ground! :rolleyes:

[sparks19]

I will take a picture of them tomorrow when we have some light :)

basically it's just a pine cone smeared with peanut butter and rolled in seed :D

[Karen]

I scatter seed on the snow in the back yard, outside the kitchen window, and it's just the regular "bird seed mix" from the supermarket - I get juncos, sparrows, blue jays sometimes and a mama and papa cardinal. Some years we have a mourning dove pair, but they are very shy, and I haven't seen them this year. We are also feeding squirrel, a wild rabbit - we see the rabbit tracks when there is newfallen snow, and a wild turkey or two.

I haven't done a pine cone feeder here, as I know the squirrels will just cut the string and run off with it - there's a steep slope with lots of brush in the back yard - lilacs and yews, maple and a huge maple tree, so the squirrels can get to just about anything easily!

Sparks, it may take a couple days for the birds to "find" your offering, then they'll visit regularly I bet! Look out for nuthatches and chickadees - they particularly like things they can perch on to eat!

[sparks19]

Well I'm hoping the dogs will be a squirrel deterrent lol but the birds don't seem to mind the dogs... perhaps because they keep other predators out lol. We;ve ended up with a couple of nests on our porch rafters.

We will definitely be keeping a look out :)

[Freedom]

Do the birds eat OFF the pinecone, or do they eat the cone as well? :confused:

[Karen]

Do the birds eat OFF the pinecone, or do they eat the cone as well? :confused:

The birds can perch on the pinecone, and eat the seed and peanut butter off of it. If there are still pine nuts in the cone, they will eat those as well.

[AdoreMyDogs]

I wish I could feed the birds, but I know with bird feeders come squirrels and my dogs and squirrels do NOT mix. I'd never make my yard appealing to squirrels and even birds are in danger if they fly off the tree and land on the ground to eat the fallen seeds. The dogs have way too high of a pray drive. I'd feel terrible if I caused any animals to fall victim to my pray driven doggers. :(

[sparks19]

Yeah I hear ya adoremydogs... my dogs l uckily don't seem interested in birds but belle gets excited by hearing baby birds chirping lol. As for squirrels the dogs chase them but are too loud out of the gate that the squirrels get a BIG warning before hand in time to get away lol

that being said... they did catch a baby rabbit once :( not sure where it came from but we were outside at the time and it was just in the middle of the yard and the results were unfortunate but... dogs will be dogs :(

[Freedom]

Oh I got it now, thanks.