Springtime Backyard Birding: Our Top 10 Feeders

Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Spring has arrived, and with it has come spring migrants! So far throughout the region, we have seen a number of species such as Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Purple Finches, and even Yellow-rumped Warblers, all returning to our feeders for much-needed nourishment after their long migration journeys. Each day you may be noticing different species arriving, and as we get further into the season, we will see many more like the much-loved Baltimore Oriole, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. With many of us being home-bound for the unforeseeable future, we are spending a little more time watching the birds and relying on them for comfort (and our sanity) through these trying times. Now is a better time than ever to try to boost your feeder activity and number of species you see in your yard. We're breaking down some of our favourite feeders and their benefits to help you get the most out of springtime backyard birding.

Baltimore Oriole on our Recycled Oriole Feeder
1. Recycled Oriole Feeder
Description: The Recycled Oriole Feeder is crafted from recycled orange plastic and capped with a clear polycarbonate roof, perfect for giving the birds and their food some shelter on rainy days. It features two removeable glass cups for BirdBerry Jelly, mealworms, Bark Butter Bits, or any other treat you'd like to offer, and also has two metal pegs to hold every oriole's favourite treat.. orange halves! Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: This is the ultimate oriole feeder, accommodating all of their favourite treats! Being able to offer a wide variety of foods in one feeder will not only help to attract orioles, but you may also see other species stopping by for a taste, such as Gray Catbirds and Scarlet Tanagers. The material of the Recycled Oriole Feeder makes for easy cleaning, which is a bonus when offering all the sticky, sweet foods that orioles love.
High Perch Hummingbird Feeder
2. WBU High Perch Hummingbird Feeder
Description: Our High Perch Hummingbird Feeders offer everything you need in a hummingbird feeder. Easy to clean and fill, a high-view perch that wraps around the entire feeder that allows for easy viewing from all angles, and a built-in ant moat to deter insects from crawling inside the feeder. The clear bottom of the feeder allows for views of a hummingbird's incredibly long tongue, lapping up the nectar, and a bonus is the recipe for hummingbird nectar is written on the inside of the feeder so you'll never forget! Available in a variety of sizes. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: Hummingbird feeders make a great addition to any feeding station and are the perfect way to get closer views of these tiny flying gems. By providing fresh nectar consistently, you may notice that you even have hummingbirds nest in your gardens or nearby, and they will bring their fledglings to your feeders to teach them to feed on their own.
3. Flutterby Butterfly Feeder
Description: The Flutterby Butterfly Feeder is a great addition to any wildlife-friendly habitat, and is perfect for attracting pollinator species to your yard. Its unique design offers two ways to feed butterflies: one is with nectar in the 1.5 cup nectar tray, and the other is with pieces of over-ripened fruit in the shallow dishes along the top of the feeder. It also features a built-in ant moat to keep insects like ants out of the nectar dish, and is top-rack dishwasher safe. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: This feeder is great for early spring butterflies when there is a limited supply of blooms available, and is a great complement to any garden from spring to fall. The Flutterby Butterfly Feeder may be particularly beneficial in areas where there is little green space or plant life available for butterflies and other pollinators in need of nourishment.
Hairy Woodpecker and Northern Flicker on our Log Suet Cylinder Feeder
4. Log Suet Cylinder Feeder
Description: Arguably our most beautiful suet feeder, the Log Suet Cylinder Feeder is made from a hardy resin and designed to mimic the look of real wood, giving it a more appealing look for us and the birds. With a completely removable lid, this feeder is easy to clean and fill with one of our long-lasting Suet Cylinders. Simply drop the cylinder in the top, fasten the lid back on, and hang for the birds to enjoy. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: We have so many amazing woodpecker species nesting in the region, and this feeder is the perfect way to attract them to your yard. Offering suet during nesting season is extremely beneficial to over-worked parent birds in need of extra calories, and to their young as it serves as a nutrient-rich "first food". The Log Suet Cylinder Feeder is large enough to accommodate the monstrous Pileated Woodpecker, and everyone else from Northern Flickers & Red-headed Woodpeckers, all the way down to our petite Downy Woodpeckers. This beautiful feeder also gives fledglings the chance to learn to eat suet from a more natural-looking feeder, and allows you to get more eye-catching photos like the one above.
WBU Window Feeder
5. WBU Window Bird Feeder
Description: Our WBU Window Bird Feeder is made from a light yet durable plastic, that mounts onto any glass surface with two strong suction cups. It can hold up to 3 cups of any of our seed blends, peanuts, or safflower seed. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee. 
Why it's perfect for spring: The WBU Window Feeder is the perfect way to get close-up views of birds & their new families. It is large enough to accommodate favourite species such as Black-capped Chickadees, House Finches, and Northern Cardinals, but doesn't offer much room for some "nuisance" birds like Common Grackles or European Starlings.
Oriole Flower Feeder
6. Oriole Flower Feeder
Description: Made from durable metal, the Oriole Flower Feeder is sure to last you and the birds for years to come. The hanger features two metal spikes for offering orange halves, and an orange plastic dish which can hold a variety of foods such as BirdBerry Jelly, live mealworms, or even fresh water.  The sturdy metal flower petals act as perches surrounding the orange plastic dish, allowing for optimal feeding for the birds and viewing for you. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: The Oriole Flower Feeder is a great option for any size yard but especially for those with smaller areas, or for hanging on decks and balconies. During these trying times we know that things can be tight or uncertain financially, and this oriole feeder is an excellent economical option ($23.99) that can allow you to enjoy the beauty of orioles all season long.

Purple Finches on our WBU Dinner Bell Feeder
7. WBU Dinner Bell Feeder
Description: Our Dinner Bell Feeder is by far our most versatile feeder, with the ability to offer a wide variety of foods, all protected under the fully adjustable clear dome. The adjustable dome allows you to feed smaller birds while deterring larger birds and squirrels, and also gives some protection from the elements. The tray of the Dinner Bell Feeder holds approximately 4 cups of seed, and the metal pole in the center of the feeder holds any one of our long-lasting Seed Cylinders. This feeder comes apart from top to bottom for easy cleaning, and the tray top-rack dishwasher safe. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: Adding a Dinner Bell Feeder to your feeding station is a perfect option for all seasons, but is particularly beneficial during nesting season because of its versatility. With this feeder you are able to offer a variety of foods such as our Nesting SuperBlend Seed Cylinder or seed mix, or any combination of mealworms, Bark Butter Bits, orange halves, and more. There is ample space around the tray for families to gather together to feed, and the dome helps to protect them from rain, wind, and predators from above.

Left: WBU Recycled Screen Combo Feeder; Right: WBU Quick-Clean Finch Feeder
8. WBU Recycled Screen Combo Feeder
Description: Made from our EcoTough recycled material, the Recycled Screen Combo Feeder is not only environmentally friendly, but tough as well and built to last through all weather conditions. Unlike wood, this material made from recycled milk jugs won't crack, rot, fade, or warp. This unique hopper-style feeder has openings at the bottom on each side for birds to pull out seeds, and also has metal screen which allows the birds to easily hang on to, and extract seeds right through the screen. It also includes three holes on either side of the feeder for offering our highly-desirable Bark Butter. Comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Why it's perfect for spring: Speaking from experience, I recently purchased my own Recycled Screen Combo Feeder and the birds have been flocking to it since an hour after hanging it. It is very appealing to woodpeckers, goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, and other "clinger" birds, and can be filled with a variety of our seed mixes including our No-Mess Blends. The Bark Butter ports on each side of the feeder are a bonus, and allow you to add an additional protein source for hungry parent birds and their families.

9. WBU Quick-Clean Finch Feeder
Description: Our Quick-Clean Finch Feeders are designed with you and the birds in mind. This feeder features a durable polycarbonate tube, heavy die-cast metal cap, base and ports, and 8 perches and perch covers. The most desirable feature of this feeder is the Quick-Clean base which pops off with the click of two buttons located on the sides of the base, for easy access to cleaning and filling the feeder. Available in a variety of sizes. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: There is a variety of finches in this region in the spring, including House Finches, American Goldfinches, and Purple Finches, and all are highly attracted to our Finch Blend which is a mix of Nyjer seed and protein-packed sunflower chips. Finches are quite particular about their seed, so having access to the bottom of the feeder through the Quick-Clean base is especially important in a finch feeder. This is because when you fill a feeder from the top, the seed in the bottom tends to get stale or moldy, causing the birds to abandon the feeder. Filling from the bottom results in less seed waste and more happy birds! Having a feeder such as this that is easy to clean is also an important factor with birds like finches who flock in large numbers year-round, and can easily pass disease and bacteria to one another through dirty bird feeders.

Northern Cardinal on our Spiral Treat Tray (orange)
10. Spiral Treat Tray
Description: Our Spiral Treat Tray is made from heavy-duty metal, and features three easy-to-fill cups that provide unobstructed views of visiting birds. Offering different treats allows you to discover the diverse food preferences of your backyard birds. The Spiral Treat Tray is durable, easy to hang and clean. Available in a variety of colours. Comes with a limited lifetime guarantee.
Why it's perfect for spring: The Spiral Treat Tray is a great way to offer a variety of foods for the nesting season, and can be used year-round. The three cups allow you to offer a number of desirable foods such as orange halves, BirdBerry Jelly, seed mixes, Bark Butter Bits, live mealworms, and more, increasing your chances of attracting new species to your feeders.

You can find a variety of these feeders available for purchase through our websites: www.mywbu.com/barrie or www.mywbu.com/newmarket. For those that are not available through our online stores, please send an email to wbubarrie@gmail.com or wbunewmarket@gmail.com and we can help you get the feeder you need, delivered right to your doorstep. If none of the feeders in our blog suit your needs, browse or website or message us on Facebook (Barrie or Newmarket), we are always happy to help you further your passion of backyard birding.

Happy trails!
- Shayna

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