Your Friends Need Help!
I know what your non-birding friends are going through. They know you love to feed, watch and learn about birds. But, that’s about as far as their knowledge of birding goes. End result? They end up throwing up their hands and getting you a gift certificate. That’s fine and it beats the heck out of taking a stab at something you already have or something else you don’t need. But for close friends who want to find a birding gift that shows they put some effort into it, this list should be emailed to them. I’m attaching a PDF below that you can download and email to those friends.
The List
In an effort to make this list as useful as possible, I’ve included links to products on Amazon. These are affiliate links and I will receive some commission if you use the link to purchase the item. I just wanted you to know about them in the interest of being transparent.
Backyard Birding Boots-I have a pair very similar to this and they have been the best money I’ve ever spent! My back yard is backed up to woods and tends to hold water for a while. I just remove my shoes, slip these on and my worries of wet or cold feet just melt away.
Rubber Mallet-Any birder who has a resin birdbath and lives anywhere it gets below freezing in winter knows how challenging it can be to keep water available. Especially, if your bird bath is too far away to safely connect a heater. I’ve used one of these for almost 10 years on my resin birdbath and have not cracked it yet.
Under Feeder Rake Set-This is another one of those things I’ve used forever and I love it! I actually got it initially to pick up massive poop for dogs we were fostering. The first time I tried it for cleaning up under my feeders, I was hooked. And yes, it’s still the best way I know to collect poop too!
Brome Squirrel Buster Peanut Plus Feeder-This feeder was sent to me to demo by Brome and I can’t recommend it nearly enough. I have squirrels in my backyard and they haven’t figured a way to bust it yet. It’s easy to take apart to refill and clean and it allows you to set a specific tension to exclude exactly the birds you want to. If you put one of these up, you won’t believe the variety of birds who will use it. Nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, wrens, woodpeckers will get on it and a lot of other birds will feed from the little pieces that drop from it.
Metal Squirrel Feeder-Don’t waste your time with wood squirrel feeders! I went through 3 of them in as many years until I got a metal one. I’ve had it ever since. While I don’t believe this is all you have to do to stop squirrels from raiding your feeders, it is an integral part of a system along with baffling all your feeders and NEVER underestimating their intelligence.
Upside Down Suet Feeder-I’ve also had one of these for many years and they do really discourage many of the larger birds from raiding your feeders. Sure, some young bluejays and occasional starling will figure it out. For the most part, these will feed your chickadees, titmice, wrens, woodpeckers and even nuthatches!
20 lb Bag of Black Oil Sunflower Seed-Still the most widely accepted and most economical feed to give your backyard friends. Wrapping it might be difficult but what birder doesn’t love to have more seed on hand?
Gift Cards
For your friends that just can’t make up their minds what to get you, gift certificates are always welcome. Here are two I recommend.
Walmart Gift Card-You’ll be able to find the cheapest price on your birding supplies here almost every time. Make sure to shop around but Walmart is a good bet most of the time.
Wild Birds Unlimited Gift Card-Look at this as a down payment on that special feeder, feed or doodad you’ve been eyeing all year. These are not available online but you can use the link to locate one close to you and make arrangements by phone.
How Did I Do?
Did I cover most of the bases? If not, let me know what else you recommend that you really love to get. Leave a comment below and let’s talk about it. Otherwise, download the PDF below and email it to your non-birding friends before it’s too late!
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