Thursday 7 January 2010

Window Bird Feeder


As you're slipping and sliding around in all the snow and ice, spare a thought for the poor little birds in the garden who will have a much harder job trying to find things to eat. According to the Garden Bird website, "Your birds need your help NOW. With temperatures expected to remain below zero across the UK, the food you leave out for the birds is all they have to eat. Help your birds survive, feed them today !"

Well, that's all well and good, but what can you do if you haven't got a garden ? Well, this clever little bird feeder gets around that problem because you can attach it to your window with suction pads, so even if you live in a block of flats without so much as a balcony, you can still do your bit to help the birds and try to attract wildlife to your window.

I'm always very dubious when I hear the word suckers in a product description. Most of the time they don't stick for any longer than 30 seconds and the biggest sucker is yourself for spending money on something that doesn't work. Well, I tried out this window feeder and it did stick very easily and stayed firmly in place without budging at all, despite the wind, rain, snow and ice. So if it works in those kinds of conditions, it should be OK all year round ! It does have a string that you can attach to it to pull inside and close the window on it so that, should it fall, you won't lose it - it's good to see that the manufacturer has thought about this potential problem and offered a simple solution.

When it arrives, it looks quite unimpressive and a bit complicated and you will need the little instruction sheet to work out what goes where, especially for the aforementioned string "safety rope" and the green plastic fat ball holders, but if you follow the guide, it does all slot together very easily. Once it's in place, you can leave the suckers in place and remove just the base for cleaning and refilling. It's not overly sturdy - it is made of plastic after all - but it is very well designed and thought out.

One big advantage of the plastic is that it's totally transparent so you can clearly see any birds that are attracted to your window. I think this would make an absolutely fantastic gift for any elderly people who can't get out and about, especially in the current weather, and who can enjoy wildlife and nature from the comfort of their very own armchair. It's also a great introduction to birdwatching for small children, who would love to attach the feeder to their bedroom window. If you give them the responsibilty of keeping it clean and filled, it's like having a pet without all the hassle !

The feeder is compact but has space for water as well as food and two fat-ball holders. The website says it is "suitable for all foods except loose peanuts". I'm not sure why that is, but I'm assuming they mean peanuts in bags and the weight would pull the suckers off ??? It also has a roof to protect your little feathered friends from the rain while they peck away at your tasty offerings !

Feeding the birds is rewarding at any time of the year but in the current cold spell, it really could help them survive. Since the feeder has been attached to our window, the girls are constantly checking to see if anything has been eating the seeds or whether they'll catch a sneaky glimpse of a bird so if it gets them away from the TV and interested in wildlife, I'm all for it. And even I have been yelling "oooh come quick there's a robin" or "if you hurry up, you'll see a sparrow" so it's fun for all the family !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £12.99

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