Wow, frantic and frenetic are just some of the words that best describe the last three weeks as we’ve been very busy getting our orders made up and away in time for Christmas. As tired as I feel just now I know my to do list is not fully cleared until I publish this brief and final post for 2011. We’ve had anther great year and it all because of the tremendous support that we have received from clients from Stewart Island in the south to Mangonui in the north.

Before I literally doze off in front of this screen I would just like to thank all those amazing people who have supported us with their custom and comments during the past year.

Like myself I hope you enjoy your break with family and friends and that 2012 will be a better year than the one that is soon to close.

I’m sure we all feel that way towards the folk in Christchurch.

Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Especially to our wonderful daughter Daniela who is working in Vancouver Canada.

Due to demand and our 10 working days delivery time any orders made after 12th December may not be delivered in time for Christmas. We can however supply personalised “Tui Feeder Gift Certificates”. In respect to certificates issued we anticipate delivery occurring late December early January 2012.

As always we will strive to get your feeder to you as soon as possible … thank you.

Often we get feedback from clients from all parts of New Zealand but its hard to beat the enthusiasm of Pat and Di who have a lovely home situated in a picturesque cul de sac in Bayview on Auckland’s Northshore.

On my first visit I was amazed at the large number of tui they had stopping by to use their feeder. More often than not there were two or three tui feeding simultaneously, I was green with envy. Obviously it’s hard to determine what numbers were visiting but I reckoned there could be as many as 50 or 60. Problem is that one tui looks very much like the the next one.

Due to it being a very bright sunny day sadly the photo below is rather washed out.

In a written recommendation this is what they had to say about the tui feeder they purchased.

“Having seen tui around our property we decided we would like to encourage them to stay. After reading the NZ Gardener we noticed tui feeders advertised. After a phone call or two to Rodney Dunn of Just Add Worms we decided to buy one of their pole mounted deluxe models”.

“It arrived in good time and was super easy to put together. We placed it on our fence maybe 2 metres from our house, put the sugar water in it and waited!! Just 3 days and we had our first tui feeding. When buying this feeder we thought it would be great for the grandchildren and it is! It’s also a constant source of pleasure for the grandparents  to use”.

“How many tui we are feeding we have no idea (but we go through a lot of sugar water). Every tui seems to have its own personality. Recommended as the most beautiful time waster ever … ONLY JOKING”.

Pat and Di’s enthusiasm has proved to be infectious as a number of their friends have also purchased feeders. I suggested to Pat that he would do well on our sales team. In the meantime thanks for spreading the good word and we hope you both continue to enjoy using the tui feeder.

The video below was taken in mid October when Daniela our daughter chauffeured me to the North Shore so that I could make some modifications to Pat and Di’s tui feeder.

“Rodney we’ve only had it on the fence for a few days and already the tui are treating it like a newly opened McDonald’s.” I knew from the excited tone of his voice that we had a convert and that ultimately the two of us would have to get together.

During our last telephone chat Pat mentioned that he was looking forward to this happening plus he had an idea to share.

I didn’t want to steal his thunder but was 95% sure that I already knew what he was thinking. As I had a few days up my sleeve I set about making up “our” idea. The day we agreed to meet was a Friday and I set off mid morning with “our” idea in a box on the back seat.

I’m not that familiar with the North Shore but with a little help from a recent hand me down GPS I reached Pat’s place within 45 minutes.

After he had introduced me to his lovely wife Diane I was directed to a nearby window from where I could see the tui visiting the feeder. Being attached to the top of fence just a few metres away meant I was able to enjoy a birds eye view of their comings and goings. Unlike at our property where the tui drop by every hour or so they were continually in the adjacent trees or on the feeder.

Its was truly amazing seeing so many tui touching down on the feeder for a quick snack and then taking off again. It was almost like a tui version of London’s Heathrow. After taking some photos and video I decided it was time to get the tui feeder from the car to see if Pat and I were thinking alike.

As I took it from the box he just smiled and commented …. “yep that’s pretty much what I had in mind”.

The idea of the two way feeder occurred to me about a year ago but it wasn’t until after I’d spoken to Pat that I became motivated to put a trial one together. This feeder allows tui and other birds to feed from either side whereas our other models only have access from the front. The other difference is that the bottle holder has sight holes on two sides.

It now hangs in a tree adjacent to our family room and was being frequented by the local tui within hours of it being set up. During the past week we’ve sold a Deluxe Two Way Tui Feeder and expect that it will be the first of many. Rather ironically the lady who placed the order is a friend of Pat and Diane.

As I’ve been so busy with orders of late I haven’t had time to list this new model in our “Garden Shop” on the web site but will do so shortly. If you would like to order one in the meantime please let me know via our contact page above.

Feeder now available as this page was re edited (14th October) … click here for more info.

It’s not a difficult task however it can be a little fiddly. Firstly you’ll need to cut the suet feeder rope at the half way point.

A thin piece of wire with the end bent over to form a small hook is what I use to pull the rope through the holes in the tui feeder base. A bent over paper clip or Gran’s crochet hook would work equally well.

The green tui feeder shown here is a pole mounted version hence the suet feeder is positioned towards the front.

A simple knot on the rope ends and the jobs done. Tying the knots in the same position ensures that suet feeder will hang level.

The holes for attaching the suet feeder on the hanging models (deluxe and standard)  are located mid way between the roof columns on either side.

If your considering buying a tui feeder, suet feeder combination and want them attached just let me know as I’ll be more than happy to do this for you.

The idea of making a bird feeder from an empty Just Juice bottle occurred to me on a wet Saturday afternoon as I was disposing of “our plastics” in the recycling bin. Plastic is one of my pet hates therefore I’m often thinking of other ways that it can be put to good use. I figured that if an opening was cut in the side or bottom of the bottle birds may venture into it to feed.

At the time I didn’t know what birds if any might be tempted.

After carefully fashioning the entrance with a sharp stanley knife (need to be very careful doing this) I cut three pieces of waste timber to make the stand. This would hopefully keep the bottle stable and prevent it from being blown away. The halves of mandarin shown in this video are kept in place by 3 x 30mm screws protruding from the lengthwise piece of timber within the bottle.

These feeders are positioned on our front deck and we love watching the antics of the silver eyes. To date they are the only birds brave enough to enter.

If you’re thinking of making a feeder like these its only a twenty minute job and costs next to nothing to make.

Now to explain where those bits and pieces go and what they’re for.

Feeder block …

Once fruit or other food has been attached to the feeder block it can be placed in a front corner of the feeder base tray. This still allows sufficient space for tui and other birds to access the sugared mixture from the plastic tray. When you first receive your deluxe feeder the feeder block will have two small blocks of waste wood covering the protruding screws. These have been attached to prevent injury during transit and subsequent set up. Once you have installed your feeder they can be discarded.

Sparrow stop …

Next we have a small piece of mesh called a sparrow stop which should be used if you find sparrows hogging all the mix. We have this problem in our garden and whilst this works well in keeping them at bay it will stop other birds from feeding.

Due to the tui having a long tongue this mesh won’t prevent it from accessing the mix however the same can’t be said for the likes of bellbirds and silver-eyes. We prefer not to feed the sparrows so we use this mesh on all our tui feeders.

Quick link …

This quick link simplifies installation plus when it’s time to take the unit down for cleaning and maintenance there’s none of those frustrating knots to contend with.

Once installed the feeder base can be correctly leveled by pulling the rope that is fixed to it’s front, as shown below through the quick link. When level the rope should by tied tightly to the quick link.

That’s it, all done …  now you can sit back and enjoy the bird life.

Hopefully this post will assist those that fall into the “not so handy” category.

Step one above is some what obvious …

Once you’ve found that right vantage point to hang your tui feeder you’ll need to fasten the pulley wheel as this makes it easy to raise and lower the unit. If you are in or are approaching your golden years it’s probably wise to employ a more youthful and agile member of your family to scale the ladder. No point becoming part of ACC statistics.

Step two …

Once the rope is through the pulley wheel attach a quick link to the end as this makes removing the feeder for cleaning and maintenance so much easier. No more hassles tying and untying knots.

Step three …

When the correct height for the feeder has been established it can be kept in place with a washer or such like tied to the other end of the rope and hooked over a nail as shown in the photo directly above.

Step four …

Lastly thread a second piece of rope through the eyes hooks on the roof ridge line and tie it to the one that is furthermost from the tree or object you are using to suspend the feeder. This stabilising rope will keep the tui feeder in the correct position for viewing and will also prevent it from rotating in the wind. This rope can be kept in place in the same fashion as shown in step three.

The items described in this post can be found by visiting our Garden Shop.

Being mid winter July is a great time to erect a tui feeder in your garden as the tui are hungry and looking for alternative sources of food.

It was a simple plan, dig the ground, plant some seeds and publish anything of merit on the web. Anyone who has visited my blog over the last couple of years will know that its become a little more than a garden blog. I’ve dug over a lot of dirt and squashed squillions of bugs since that morning however Ive enjoyed every moment.

Well almost every moment ….

Like any gardener I’m certainly not immune from the occasional trials and tribulations that nature dishes out.

Firstly there was the case of the mauled and missing potatoes.

It was a lovely sunny October afternoon and surprisingly I had persuaded Fraser to help me plant the potatoes. We had enough seed to plant about seven rows so whilst I dug the holes and applied the blood and bone he placed the potatoes.

After raking the soil back over the spuds and commenting to Fraser that we made a great team I was content with a job well done. Sadly that contentment was to be short lived.

Sunday morning was tranquil and still as I took my ritual wander around the back yard but that quickly changed when I spotted  potatoes scattered to the four corners of the garden. What made matters worse was that many had huge chunks taken out of them. I replanted them the best I could however the resulting rows had a few gaps in them. You can view the complete post by clicking here.

Another amusing incident was when we received an unexpected visit by a runaway weaner pig.

Can laugh about it now but at the time I was more than a “little stressed”. When I was much younger one of my tasks was to feed the pigs and I can vividly remember the resulting chaos when one of us boys forgot to shut the garden gate. Fortunately this little guy didn’t discover my garden but he did cause me a few sleepless nights.

Click here to view “Vegetables under threat from runaway weaner”.

This blog has become much more than a record of my garden as many of my “one of projects” have become a part of the Just Add Worms business.

Firstly there was that tui feeder that every one admired and which has subsequently become one of our most popular products.

The first prototype still attracts tui to our back yard (bottom centre of photo) although it has been refined and improved over the years.

Our latest deluxe version which is already proving to be popular was launched just a few months back (right of photo)

We then got worms (doctor said not to worry) and lots of wonderful juice for the garden.

Next came the bees which have been challenging and fun. Everyone loves our honey and it sold out within a matter of a few weeks. Hopefully we will have more next summer assuming our bees make it through the winter.

Lastly 8 chickens, now hens and they’re all called Jessie. Its so nice being able to collect the eggs every morning plus it reminds me of my boy hood days on the farm.

By the time I’ve written the 200th post if that comes to pass who knows what new ventures I will have taken on. My philosophy is that as long as I’m enjoying it I’ll keep trying or dreaming up new ideas.

If you feel inclined to comment please do so as we love to get feedback.

Each working week my days are mostly taken up with the making of tui feeders whilst tuning in to Leighton Smith mornings on Newstalk ZB. Much of what I do is repetitious so radio talk back breaks the monotony and helps to keep me informed with whats happening in the world.

If I’m going to be totally honest I do “occasionally” sneak away from the workshop to check on the veggie patch, chooks and bees. If my dear wife reads this I’m in trouble as she has the impression that I conscientiously toil away from 9 till 5.

That aside between talk back, machining, assembling and finishing I have plenty of time to think about how our bird feeders can be enhanced or improved.

The time frame for a new idea to get the “olde grey matter”churning to when it becomes a reality is usually about 3 to 4 weeks depending on how busy I am with orders.

Some time back it occurred to me that feeding the birds would be much simpler if the various suet feeders scattered around our garden were attached to the tui feeders. It was so obvious and within 15 minutes I had created our latest product which we have decided to call the “tui feeder combo”. That same day a customer dropped by to collect a deluxe tui feeder for his Mum for mother’s day and upon seeing the combo thought it would work well in her garden.

This recipe to attract more birds to fewer places and to have them competing for the same food made sense and seemed like such a good idea. Combining the feeders around our back yard has resulted in many more birds dropping by and has made watching them more entertaining.

If tui could talk yes I know some can, mimic at least, I’d  imagine responses something along these lines.

“You idiot look what you’ve done …  now every bird in the district will be making a nuisance of themselves around our feeders”.

“This is such a dumb idea … you should know that these common garden variety type birds will be hell bent on stealing our food”.

“Standing watch ….  really we have better things to be doing”.

Tui being very territorial and unwilling to share will chase and harass birds that come too close to its domain. Watching their antics can be very amusing and any bird seeking a snack has to be very quick. The tui in the photo at the top of the page can often be seen standing watch over the feeder.

If you have previously purchased our standard tui feeder like the one above attaching a suet feeder is as  simple as drilling two 5 millimetre holes in the base. To ensure a good balance these should be positioned approximately 125 mm in from the rear edge of the base, 25 mm in from the side and equal distance from the side roof supports.

Hole positions for adding a suet feeder are shown below.

We use a thin wire bent over at one end to form a small hook to drag the string through the tui feeder base, suet feeder roof and body.  A simple knot tied at either end of the string is all that’s required to keep everything in place.

Our range of suet feeders can be viewed by clicking here or visiting the “Garden Shop”.

We have recently added the deluxe tui feeder combo (includes suet feeder) to our range of hanging and pole mounted models. They include a water or food dish plus a  feeder block which keeps pieces of apples and citrus in place.

During winter a half cut mandarin or tangelo attached to the feeder block will result in birds like the silver eyes arriving en mass.

Position a deluxe tui feeder combo in that favourite spot or tree in your garden and the birds will love you for it.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/26/would-you-like-a-suet-feeder-with-that/feed/ 0 http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2011/05/11/sixteen-interesting-tui-facts/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 12:14:23 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=10253

• Tui ( prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are endemic “native and unique” to New Zealand. They are found on the three main islands and belong to the honey eater family.
• Tui are a fully protected in New Zealand.
• The name Tui is derived from the Maori language with the plural being simply tui.
• Europeans who first colonised New Zealand called it the Parson Bird due to the tufts of white feathers on its neck that resembled a parson’s clerical collar.
• Tui contribute a valuable role in the pollination of many native plants and trees.
• Courtship takes place between September and October and the breeding season runs from November to January with the laying of three to four eggs.
• The female constructs the nest from twigs, grasses and moss.
• A tui’s diet is mostly made up of nectar fruit and insects.
• Some favoured food are native kowhai, puriri, kahikatea, new zealand flax, kaka beak, rewa rewa, rata, pohutukawa and other introduced trees such as strawberry tree, banksia, flowering cherries and bottle-brushes.
• Male tui can be very aggressive and will chase other birds including the much larger native wood pigeon or kereru , bellbirds, stitchbirds, other tui and silver-eyes.
• Tui are often seen on their own, in pairs or small groups. Large numbers will congregate around a plentiful food source.
• Tui have a reputation for being raucous and noisy as well as having a very unusual and distinctive call. Some notes are so high that they are not audible to the human ear whilst others are made up of whistles, groans, crackles, creaks, chuckles, chortles and wheezing to name but a few.
• Possessing two voice boxes means the tui can perform a wide array of vocalizations and have been known to mimic human speech.
• From the time of European settlement tui numbers decreased mainly due to the destruction of their habitat however in more recent times their numbers have increased and they are now considered secure.
• Today the main threats to the eggs and young of tui are other birds such as mynas and hawks, possums, feral cats, rats and stoats.
• Because the tui is much adored and admired many New Zealanders place food and sugared mix in their gardens to provide a back stop during the winter months.

You can check out the call of the tui here ….