Started on a feeder for my Yankee Birds today. Actually, I started a couple weeks ago by sitting here in my deck chair with cold beer and thinking about what I wanted.

My Yank birds mostly tend to be Millet eaters, and I entertain a lot of them every year. A Jap Maple has grown into my main seed feeder and lets the Chip Monk in. He can haul off about 50#s a day.

Here is the feeder when first built. Note the dowel rods for birds to land (very important) and the screen floor which I will explain in a later post (very important).
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As you can see, it was not ready for Winter -- snow covered the seed. The birds might just as well have stayed in Maine.
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So I made a roof:
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Then I added a deck beside the garden pond and a Jap Maple that grew into a ladder for my Chip Monk. I do like my Chip Monks, so I guess this is now their feeder.
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Photos of the new Chip Monkey proof feeder soon. Today I bought one too few Cedar boards and will not have it finished, painted and mounted until I get back to the store. I can't go tomorrow as it is College Foot Ball Day.