Giant Bird Feeder

This is the deluxe version of the window bird feeder, the deck feeder. I screwed the aluminum pie pan to the railing, where it is easy to see if it's empty. It needs refilling about six times a day. I'm offering a smorgasbord of black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn and milo.

I keep my Audubon bird book handy. Even the resident Mockingbird comes to the feeder, plus some cute Harris Sparrows.

It's hard not to have the Cardinals be my favorite. Even on these cloudy days, when everything seems brown or gray, they are standouts. Inspired by their cheery color, I'm knitting myself a bright red sweater. They may not even fly away when I go out to refill the feeder.

The Bluejays are greedy pigs, chowing down and swallowing the sunflower seeds whole. This feeder offers a choice of take-out or dine-in.

The other day, when it was snowy, I had to keep sweeping off the deck. Plenty of seed falls through the cracks, not in a bad way,  for the birds feeding under the deck.

One of the special functions of the deck feeder is it provides an Entertainment Center for naughty Iris.