Birdfeeder

by Ruud van Koningsbrugge in Outside > Birding

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Birdfeeder

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Humoristic bird feeder made from recycled plastic detergent bottles. The head can be filled with a large quantity birdseed that stays dry and automatically appears when needed.

Last photo shows a variation with a black bottle

What's Needed

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Two white detergent bottles with handle, one with matching cap

A small plastic bottle in a different color

one deodorant roller ball. ( or a table tennis ball)

one tie-wrap

some cord

Tools:

scissors

heavy duty scissors

small hacksaw

revolverrod, awl or/and small drill

The Head

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Put one bottle upside down and remove most of the handel with a hacksaw. Be sure the lower cut is 1 cm above the inner curve of the handle. The upper cut is approx. 1 cm below the inner curve. Clean, rinse and dry the inside of the bottle thouroughly.

The Nose

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Punch two holes in the deodorant roller ball. Press the opening in the bottle flat and tight. Punch two hole with the revolverrod in the flattened part of the bottle, matching the holes in the ball. Put your thumbs on the "forehead"and push it inward a little. Take a tie-wrap and thread it through both holes of the ball and the holes in the bottle. Pull tight. There should be n opening left for birdseed to fit through.

Glasses

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Cut the shape of a pair of glasses out of a small colored bottle. I used a plant feed bottle. Punch holes in the end of the earpiece and attach a small piece of string so the glasses fit round the head and stay more ore less in place. Punch further holes in the middle of the glasses. These are used later with the hanging string.

Perch

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Cut of the bottom of the second bottle with ( heavy duty) scissors. Mark out a circle fitting round the neck of the first bottle and cut it out. Make sure it fits round the neck. Cut out a moon shape in the remaining part of the bottle bottom.

Put the perch ( upside down) on the neck of the head bottle

I had to take of a small rim from the bottle cap to fit it back again, with the perch in between

Hanging String

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Tread a piece of cord through the middle holes in the glasses and pull the loop under the nose. When holding the rope ends, the bottle should stay in a vertical position.

Helmet

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With the bottom of the second bottle cut off, its easy to cut the shape of the helmet with a pair of scissors. Follow the line in the photograph. Punch two holes in the middle of the top side and thread through the hanging line. The knot can be hidden under the helmet.

I searched for a black bottle to create an Elvis wig. Who is going to try? I think it would be awesome!

Few days later: I found a black bottle!

Filling

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Put the head upside down. Pour in the birdseed making sure it pours down the back of the head and not out through the mouth. ( tilt the bottle a bit) Fill as much as you can. Crew the perch and cap back on an turn the head over. Now find a place in the garden, a branch or pergola to hang the head. Enjoy the birds eating from its mouth