Bloom in the Park 2011 Dublin

We were delighted to have our Seedpod Bird Feeders chosen to feature in the Irish Asthma Society's "Treat not Trigger"Garden at Bloom in the Park. The Garden was designed by Fiann Ó Nualláin to show that asthma sufferers do not need to avoid flowers in their gardens. Our bird feeders were there to attract birds to eat insects which can trigger asthma.

Here are Fiann's tips on how to create an Asthma friendly garden:
1. Choose plants that are pollinated by bees, the pollen is heavier and sticky and therefore stays on the bees rather than floating around the garden.
2. Avoid wind pollinated plants which disperse copious amounts of pollen into the air.
3. Avoid plants which are intensely fragrant as they can be a trigger for allergies and asthma.
4. Choose female plants, as they produce no pollen. Sterile male plants are also a good choice.
5. Grass is a major pollen producer so mow your lawn regularly, before it flowers.
6. Wear a mask when mowing lawn or trimming hedge.
7. If possible replace your lawn with gravel
8. Replace organic mulches with inorganic mulches
9. Avoid ornamental grasses in your planting schemes.
10. Remove hedges which harbour dust, pollen grains and mould spores which can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms.
11. Planting female and thus fruiting trees will attract birds to feed on insects
12. If space is limited place bird feeders will attract birds to keep insect dander out of your breathable atmosphere.

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An Easy Way to Deter Squirrels!

Though not a problem here in west Cork, we have had a report of a rogue squirrel taking a fancy to a Seedpod Bird Feeder! There is a simple solution to this problem that we have picked up from the RSPB.

Lloyd Scott, RSPB Wildlife Adviser says: 'Using chilli powder to deter squirrels, is a cheap, easy and effective solution.

'Feeding garden birds is a popular – and vital – pastime and the RSPB gets thousands of calls each year from frustrated gardeners asking how to stop squirrels eating all their bird seed.

'Squirrels can consume large amounts of peanuts and seeds and quite frequently destroy bird feeders in the process.

'Chilli powder will stop them helping themselves but doesn’t seem to have any effect on birds at all. This is much simpler than erecting barriers and trying to prevent access to feeders for squirrels – they are nimble, clever animals and will usually find a way in anyway!'

Other deterrents include curry powder, tobasco sauce, Cayenne pepper and peri peri sauce.

Once the squirrel tries this spicy mix, he does not return in a hurry!

Introducing the Seedhead Bird Feeder!

Our latest bird feeder! Like the Seedpod, the Seedhead is also turned from native Irish oak and looks great in pots, flowerbeds and borders. It can be used to hold either loose seed, seedcake or even those fat balls you buy ready made. (Make sure you remove the plastic netting from these first as this can be a danger to birds)

Re-filling Your Seedpod

Re- filling your Seedpod is easy!
It's a little messy but the birds will love you for it!

First you will need to decide which seed mix to use. You will find seed for sale at garden centers, pet shops and hardware stores among other places.

There are all sorts of mixtures available and the packets will explain which birds they are aimed at. You will notice that there is quite a range of prices. The cheaper ones will usually contain "fillers" such as wheat, split peas and kibble which are not much use and can even be harmful especially to chicks. The more expensive ones generally have a lot more goodies in them. We use high quality seeds which we sourced through the R.S.P.B and BirdWatch Ireland. Their web sites http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/and http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/are well worth a visit and have plenty of advice on feeding and making your own mixes.

Once you have chosen your seed you will need some hard fat to mix with it. You can use suet or lard which are great for the birds but do have a tendency to go rancid so will require good cleaning between re-fills (on which more later). To avoid this we use vegetable fat. The important thing is that it should be high in saturated fat and have no added salt. Cookeen works well.
To make your seedcake mixture you will need a large mixing bowl and a spoon for stirring. The ratio of seed to fat is not critical and you can vary it as you like but if you start with about one part fat to six parts seed ( by weight) that should work fine. You can use more fat in winter when the birds need more. All you need to do now is put your seeds in the mixing bowl, gently warm the fat until it is completely melted, pour it over the seeds and give it all a good stir.

You can put the mixture straight into your Seedpod at this stage but you will find the job easier (less messy!)if you allow the mixture to cool and harden a bit first. Squeeze the mix well in to compress it. If it doesn't stick together, try adding more fat. Once filled you can remove any excess fat with a piece of kitchen towel.

We would recommend that you make plenty remembering that if you use suet
or lard you will need to keep it refrigerated.

Try varying your seed mixes and see who you can attract!

SEEDPOD care

To help keep your birds healthy it is important that all bird feeders and birdbaths are cleaned regularly.

To clean your Seedpod just give it a wash with some warm soapy water taking care to clean the inside, you don't want to remove all the protective oil but rather just to remove any old food and disinfect it generally. Give it a good rinse and when it's dry give it a light rub with some vegetable oil to keep it happy. Please never put it in the dish washer!

To keep your Seedpod looking as good as new you should oil it occasionally and especially if you notice it looking dry or faded. Ordinary vegetable oil is fine, (olive oil gets rather mucky). Frequency will vary with the weather and you will know when it needs some.

The string we use is ordinary jute garden twine which we chose partly because we like the look of it but more importantly because it is biodegradable. This does mean that it will need to be changed from time to time. This is quite easy and if you look inside your Seedpod when it is empty you should be able to make out the knot on the end of the string.

Below is some good advice from the R.S.P.B.

* Monitor your food supply carefully. If the food takes days to clear either from containers or the ground, reduce the amount of food offered
* Use a bird table or hanging feeders. A ground feeding tray is preferable to putting food directly on the ground, since it is easier to keep clean. Food on the ground should all be eaten before nightfall. Rats are attracted to leftover food and often carry diseases, which can affect birds or humans
* Keep bird tables and surrounding areas clean and free from droppings or mouldy food

We really want you to enjoy your Seedpod and any feedback is always welcome.

Chaffinch Aerobatics!

Chaffinches are normally table or ground feeders, but they seem to love the Seedpod!