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My Way: Bird Feeder Tree

Don't let a lack of trees curtail your bird feeding.

Take a stroll through the outdoor section of any home improvement center and you will find a wide variety of bird feeders and houses. Before you choose that ideal feeder or birdhouse for your yard, you'd better consider whether you have the most important requirement for such equipment--a tree.

We had a wonderful bird-feeding station at our old house. There were several feeders placed in a large tree just outside our bedroom window, and every morning we were awakened by the beautiful sounds of the birds who visited them. As the new home we were building neared completion, my wife and I were looking forward to purchasing all new bird-feeding equipment to make our backyard the most attractive in the area for our new feathered neighbors.

However, something was missing from our new home. There were no trees, or at least none large enough for a feeder. Looking around the new neighborhood, we observed that we were not alone in our quest to attract birds to the yard. Within sight of our deck were all sorts of contraptions designed to do the job. Most were neglected and unattractive at best, and not a single bird was in sight. I decided to find a better way.

One Sunday afternoon in spring, I went wild at the local home improvement store. The result was four new bird feeders that needed a place to be hung. My idea was to construct a fairly treelike structure that would hold multiple feeders. The structure I designed was both functional and attractive, and yet it took only a few hours to build. It has proven quite durable, having survived two winters without showing any wear.

My tree is constructed of 4x4-inch treated deck lumber. You will need 8 feet for the vertical post and two 2-foot sections for the crosspieces. The vertical post is sunk in the ground 1 foot, making the above ground height 7 feet. You will need to remove some material from the center of each crosspiece and the vertical post so that the pieces mesh together cleanly, like Lincoln Logs. This is easily done with a saw and a chisel. Add the four eye hooks to hold the feeders and then complete the job with a decorative top. Attaching a predator baffle on the post will help keep the birds safe. We added the birdbaths and a small house for decoration.

Now we have the busiest bird feeder in the neighborhood. The birds line up on the crosspieces to wait their turn, and the feeders must be filled daily. So, if you have a new home with no trees, you can still run a successful backyard bird feeder. The birds will love you for it.