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.

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 ….

It was mid May last year when I wrote about the tui returning to our garden and how pleased we were to see them. This year they’re gracing our garden six weeks earlier than expected which is a real bonus and as always we’re delighted to see them.

It was early morning about ten days back whilst maneuvering my way down the stairs and rubbing the sleep from my eyes I heard a yell from the kitchen “there’s a tui on the feeder”. We have a deluxe tui feeder which is our latest model hanging in a large melia tree just a few metres away from the front deck and the family room door.

By the time I’d rushed through to catch a glance it was gone but it didn’t matter as I was content just knowing that our season for feeding these amazing birds was beginning again. This is year number three and watching the tui is a pastime we very much enjoy.

The additional food also helps the tui during the autumn and winter months when their source of naturally occurring food diminishes.

As we’ve sold hundreds of tui feeders I often need to remind clients that tui only frequent them from April until the end of November. Outside these months they can be left empty or alternatively used as watering stations or feeders for other birds.

If you have a tui feeder in your garden now is the time to dust it off and to fill it up as the tui are on the lookout for other food sources.

We love to get feedback on how well our feeders are performing so feel free to leave a comment below.

A few days back whilst toiling away in my workshop I spotted two kereru or wood pigeons land in a gleditsia tree about 35 metres down the back lawn. At the time I was busy making up tui feeder orders so decided to admire them from a distance and continue with my work.

This was never going to last because all I could think about was how great they would look on video. Usually I don’t need much of an excuse to take a break and this was one of those occasions. Just one of the many advantages of working from home.

Pigeons often visit this time of the year to eat berries from the various trees that we planted about 13 years back for this very reason.

As I was filming I thought back on the recent much publicised case of Norwegian tourists shooting Kereru whilst on a hunting trip to New Zealand. I just couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to kill such a magnificent bird. Such a pity that they were not apprehended and prosecuted as the penalties for killing birds like these can be as much as $100,000. Regardless of who you are there is absolutely no justifiable reason for hunting them.

It would be real tragedy if these beautiful birds were wiped out due to poaching as they already have many other predators to deal with. Often I can get within just a few metres of them therefore it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to hunt them.

If we all play our part we all can enjoy the beauty of the Kereru for many years to come. We are very lucky indeed to have these beautiful birds visiting our garden as they are truly magnificent.

At some stage when time permits I hope to erect a Keruru feeding station somewhere in the garden to attract more of them. I’ve not heard of anyone being successful in doing this but its worth a try. Any help or advice concerning this would be very welcome.

During these cold winter months there’s not a lot one can do in the veggie garden so I have a little more time to devote to new products and ideas.

This upside down suet feeder is the latest and it proved to be a big hit within ten minutes of me hanging in this tree adjacent to our lounge. Various birds have visited and fed from it successfully, including large numbers of sparrows unfortunately. Larger birds such as mynas and starlings have struggled to keep a footing long enough to get any sort of satisfaction.

The most adept at using this suet feeder are these silver-eyes that patiently wait every morning for me to arrive with slices of bread and tangelos.

Having the new HD video camera makes capturing wonderful scenes like this so much easier and enjoyable.

I certainly won’t win any accolades for this production but these cute little guys certainly know how to put on an Oscar winning performance.

If you wish to purchase one of these USD (up side down) suet feeders check back within the next few days as they will be available via our Garden Shop.

Special thanks are in order to my very talented and indispensable chief film editor Fraser, “terrific job son”.

I hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.

I’ve stop counting the number of times I’ve refilled the 3 feeders we have about the place but the thought has often occurred to me that there must be an easier way. Well there is and it means that you can throw the blu tack and tape away.

I’ve always been a strong believer in the old “KISS” principle (keep it simple stupid) and this was so so obvious. It was about a month back I decided to trial a tui feeder with the bottle inserted upside down to see how well it would perform. Not surprisingly it worked just fine and the hassles and mess associated with those weekly refills were gone.

Yes, so simple … why didn’t I do this from day one?

Any how that doesn’t matter now, the main thing is that it works and the time has arrived for “you” to “turn the bottle up side down”.

Don’t worry … it’s only a five minute job and this is what you or your handy person needs to do:

• Firstly and obviously you need to find another 1.5 litre bottle eg Coke, Sprite, L&P or similar.
• With sharp scissors or a stanley knife “carefully” cut off the cap locking ring as shown in the photo above.
• Drill 4 x 3.0 mm holes at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock directly beneath the first upper ridge as shown above.
• That’s it, all done  … now refill the bottle in the usual way and insert “up side down” into the holder.
• Ensure that the bottle is pressed down firmly within it’s holder as this determines the level of the mix and keeps the feeder tray in place.
• The mixture within the tray can be brought up to the correct level more quickly by inserting your little finger into one of the sight holes and pumping the bottle.
• The sugared water that remains in the bottle will slowly flow into the feeder tray on it’s own accord.
• If you wish to achieve a more rapid flow just increase the size of the holes with a larger drill bit.
• After much experimentation I have found that 3mm holes work well.
• For reasons of hygiene the bottle should be replaced periodically.

Making this change will make the task of refilling your tui feeder a whole lot quicker and easier and is certainly worth doing. If your have any concerns, questions or you just need help feel free to contact me as I’m always happy to assist.

In the meantime …  happy tui watching.

Often when people buy bird houses they ask as to when they should put them up. To this my standard reply is, as soon as you can. No point in storing it your garage even if unlike myself you do have the space.

Seriously though the best time to put up nesting boxes has to be in autumn or winter as this gives our feathered friends more time to discover them. If you leave it till spring you may strike it lucky and have a pair or birds moving straight in but it’s probably a few months or perhaps even a year before this happens.

Birds are also more likely to occupy the bird house if it no longer has that “new just out of the box look” and has weathered a little. As time passes it will blend into the natural surroundings and take on a “yes, I’m meant to be here appearance”.

Some other factors you may wish to take into consideration when positioning your bird houses are:

• Mount them high up and well away from potential predators. Screwing it on to that handy fence post may be a simple option but why make it easy for those cats, rats, mice, ferrits, stoats and weasels to name a few.
• Face the entrance hole away from the prevailing winter winds and the heat of the summer sun.
• Place in a quiet location away from noise and other activity including that of your family, pets, and other bird life.
• Compared to tree trunks and limbs bird houses mounted on metal poles are less venerable to predators.
• Birds always appreciate having a supply of food and water. Bird baths always work a treat. Positions nesting boxes well away from these areas as things can become a little too competitive.
• Mount bird houses so that they can be easily viewed and enjoyed from indoor vantage points, that’s the fun part of this whole exercise.
• If after a year or so the birds are not moving in to the digs you’ve provided try moving it to a different location. One of the things I’ve learnt from many years of observing birds in the wild is that they cant be rushed, patience is required.

If you’re wanting to purchase some top quality bird houses for your back yard the full range can be viewed at our Garden Shop.

In the meantime happy bird watching.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that winter is not my favourite season as it hampers me in what I enjoy doing most, growing prize vegetables and working on my many outdoor projects. In my younger days it was a magical time of year as I would load up my skis and head off to the slopes.

Sadly like my knees those days are long gone.

Enjoyed it while it lasted, never mind, it’s not all bad.

One aspect of winter that I now look forward to is what I term “the return of the tui”. Not that they ever went away it’s just that they stopped visiting the feeders we have about the place. This is quite normal during spring and summer as there is plenty of naturally occurring food which the tui prefer to what appears on my bland menu.

However as winter approaches the tui will have less to pick and choose from therefore the feeders will once again receive regular visits. This is already happening.

I recall that last year the tuis began to use the feeders towards the end of May as it coincided with my birthday but this year it has been much earlier. It was early in April that I first noticed them landing on the feeders looking for food so I filled one to monitor the number of visits.

The summer and autumn drought that Auckland and the rest of the country has experienced has resulted in a shortage of food for many birds including the tui.

At the moment only one of the three feeders we have is in use but based on the numbers of tuis about the time has arrived for me to fill the others. Cleaning and refilling three feeders every week takes about 30 minutes and a fair amount of sugar but its time well spent as we enjoy the comings and goings of our special feathered friends.

If you have purchased a tui feeder from us during the last year I would love to hear how it’s working out for you or perhaps you have a story to share about tui at your place.

Recently I have created a separate page which is solely devoted to the tui, go to menu above or click here to check it out.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/05/14/celebrating-the-return-of-the-tui/feed/ 1 http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/01/13/return-of-the-bees/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/01/13/return-of-the-bees/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:11:58 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=6464

Do you ever wonder where all the bees have gone? It’ s no easy task to find bees whereas not many years back they were everywhere plying their all important trade.

I can remember many an occasion when one of our children would come storming into the house hollering that they had trodden on a bee on the lawn. Sadly it seems those times are gone as nowadays I often wander around our lifestyle block bare footed never fearing that I may get stung.

Like all avid gardeners I notice when the bees are about but this year more than ever they seem almost non existent. Occasionally a diligent bumble bee can be seen going about it’s business but the same can’t be said for the common “garden variety” honey bee. Spotted the bumble bee below just today whilst checking the pumpkins.

Much to my delight several months ago whilst working in the vegetable garden I found myself in the midst of a massive swarm of bees, however my joy was short lived as it was only a fleeting visit. From the time it took me to sprint from the back garden to the kitchen and back again yelling to my wife as I went, “quick come look at the bees, look at the bees” they were gone.

When Rose finally made it to the laundry door she casually commented “where are they” to which I simply replied, “you were too slow, they’re gone”.

The sky was black with this massive wave of bees and they cast a eerie shadow over a large part of the back lawn, it was an incredible sight. This was the second time I have seen this phenomenon in the 11 or so years they we have lived here.

As I sat on the back deck feeling empty and rather melancholy I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be to have them stay.

How does one catch a swarm of bees as large as that, don’t know that “yet”.

I’ve been thinking about getting some hives for some time now and seeing all those magical bees certainly set me a yearning. After many weeks of repeatedly telling my family “I’m getting bees” I finally decided to take action.

Two weeks before Christmas I called the president of the Auckland Beekeeper’s Club and was advised to attend their next meeting which was set for the 9th of January.

The outing proved to be very worthwhile and enjoyable and now I’m a paid up member of the Auckland Beekeeper’s Club.

Below are some of the photos I took and no I didn’t get stung, more good luck than good management.

Inspecting the hives.

Harvesting honey.

Cup of tea and a sandwich plus opinions from the experts.

Components of Langstroth beehive … as a “beeginner” let’s see if I can get this right.

From the top:

• Metal hive cover … protects the hive.
• Inner cover … creates airspace for insulation from heat or cold.
• Honey box/super… comb building and honey production.
• Bee escape boards.
• Queen bee excluder …keeps the queen bee in the brood chambers.
  
• Brood box … queens lays eggs here and honey stored for brood food.
• Botton/ landing board … forms the floor of the hive.
• Hive stand … for stability.
  

I think that’s correct but if not please let me know. I’m sure it will all “beecome” second nature “beefore” too long.

I’ve always “beelieved” that the best way to learn is to get doing so the next step is to purchase an active bee hive. Really looking forward to doing that, should “bee” a real “buzz” sorry, I’m all excited about getting my own bees.

Hopefully by doing this the presence of the friendly honey bee will again become the norm and I will no longer be able to wander down to the garden in my bare feet. A small price to pay if it means “the return of the bees”.

Some interesting bee facts

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