Is There Really a Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder?

Living where we do in Western Canada, we have just two seasons, July & Snow. Just kidding, but we do have a very short summer and a long, long winter. Of course we have a short spring and an even shorter fall sometimes, but we do get a lot of winter.

One of the great pastimes I have enjoyed over the years is attracting wild birds to our backyard, and since the granchildren have arrived, the hobby as taken on a whole new meaning. Rarely does 2 minutes pass since a grandaughter is unbuckled from her car seat and she'll be pestering Grand Dad to "let's feed the birdies Grandad".

It's a pretty special way to spend time with your grand children, and a great way to introduce them to enjoying wildlife. I've never invested a lot in bird feeders over the years, and just have a variety of different styles and shapes up, but one of the favorite ones is an old Cedar model that's seen better days. When I think about it, I got this as a present from my sons, (the girl's Dads) when they were little guys, so it's no wonder it's a bit dilapidated.

Though battered, broken & worn, the roof panels busted, the tray rotted, the plastic feed cannister broken and taped up, this old friend is actually the ideal feeder to attract the girls favorite "birdies", the very pretty, (but extremely noisy) Bluejays.

Now Bluejays love a variety of food, but their favourites are seeds still in their shells, such as sunflower seeds, and especially peanuts.  Now the peanuts are very important for feeding Bluejays over our winter, as they have a high oil content, and thus are a very high energy source, a critical attribute when trying to keep birds around over our long and very cold winter months. It get's so darn cold here humans have trouble with it, imagine what it's got to be like for our little feathered friends.

You see, this feeder is the best we've had for dispensing peanuts in their shell, as it has a tray on the base, and you simply load the cannistor with a couple of handfuls of raw peanuts, and the Jays have a great time swooping in and grabbing a nut and flying into a nearby tree to crack the shell and devour the nut. The way they empty a feeder and "squirrel" the peanuts away for later use is remarkably like the namesake to that old saying.

Speaking of Squirrels

Now I don't know where they appeared from but we've been blessed with a couple of squirrels frequenting our yard, and as much as our grand daughters love seeing them around, they love seeing our rustic old bird feeder with a fresh load of peanuts. These little beggars can empty that old feeder in 10 minutes flat and often will have it emptied before the Bluejays ever even get a nut.

You see peanuts are one of the more expensive bird feeds out there, and though I really want to continue feeding them for both the Jay's and my Grand Daughter's sake, I really can't afford to keep this up. I have heard of "Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders" and am contemplating acquiring one, but am a bit confused by the variety of models available.

One that has caught my eye is  a model that flips the squirrels off whenever they land on the feeder tray. It looks effective (and funny, I bet the girls would get a kick out of watching it work), but am a little worried that they're a bit complicated and may be difficult to keep working.

If anyone has any experience with this type of squirrel proof feeder? I'd love to get your feedback in the comments section.