suggestions for a bird lover

sowhatnow

I want to know id anyone has an inexpensive easy way for me to install some sort of sound system so i can hear the outside birds in my house in winter. i have to doors closed its like 30 degrees outside, I stepped out to toss some bread crumbs and heard so many birds outside, and I would love to hear those birds in my kitchen while i eat. would a cheap baby monitor work ? Im missing everything! lol

label licker

Be careful what you ask for sowhatnow. I had googled the cardinal song bird which gives you different songs the cardinal will sing and I couldn't get rid of him. Every time I would play the song he would come to the windows and sing nonstop. Him and his mate plus another couple had moved into our bush for the summer and had their babies there.

Once I moved I thought I would try it on a pair of ravens that made our barn their home and it worked on them as well. Now we have them around the house every time we play the call. When it comes closer to the fall I stop playing the song birds that have to migrate or they tend to stick around which I don't want.

sowhatnow

lol, thats funny, But thats not what I meant, I figured a baby monitor sitting out on a table in my backyard would allow me to hear the backyard birds from in the house, on the inside unit, since in the cold weather, i cannot have the windows open. i am not aware of a cheaper way to do it.

Petraglyph

In theory a baby monitor would work but you need to be aware of a couple of things:

A baby monitor would be designed to work indoors at room temperature. Usually these devices have an operating range indicated on them. Put it outside in the cold (I assume 30 degrees is in Fahrenheit?) since you mentioned cold, then you have potential issues with condensation and temperature operating range. Check the operating range and it will almost certainly be around room temperature only and putting it outside in the cold will most likely be below the stated minimum range.
If you are running it from the mains then you have additional problems with damp/condensation on the wire which could be dangerous. If it's battery powered this is not an issue, but you will then have an issue with battery life as the cold saps the life out of batteries.

I presume you won't have it outside when it's raining, especially if you're running off the mains!!

Since you mentioned inexpensive, are you aware you can stream loads of birdsong on YouTube? It would not be your actual birds you're hearing but depending on your needs it may do the trick.

I hope this gives you a few pointers :)

brandnew

2 hearing aids turned up loud n stuff .....hee hee😇

kaik

Also another option is to bring birdfeeder closer to the house. I regularly feed birds and I have one of the largest trees on my property in the community, so my tree is packed with various birds. I had owls, eagle, hawks hanging on my property. I have several robin nests in my trellis and on top of the shed. Generally closer to the house, you can hear them better. Couple years ago we had ravens nesting outside the window on the branch from my huge tree, and the family was very, very noisy. I was happy that they moved away following year.

snugglebunny

A window suction pad bird feeder is ideal for tits and other song birds. The bigger birds won't use it. Generally it's only the smaller perching birds that sing - birds that walk but don't hop don't sing!

Feed them some grain and dried mealworms like this great tit is enjoying and you'll soon have a regular supply of visitors.

Petraglyph

I have a window suction feeder. I was given it as a present and I never thought it would work.

I put it out and nothing.

And then I had the idea of setting up a makeshift table further down the garden with food on it. The birds went to that. I then kept moving it closer to the house a little each day. Eventually they were visiting the table right by my window.

But they still did not go on the feeder. I used some bricks to raise the table so it was level with the feeder and put food right by the feeder. Once they got it and realised there was food there they've been visiting ever since. I took the table away as it had served its purpose.

And other birds now see them and it encourages them to visit. I've since put other feeders on hanging basket brackets right by my window.

One time I had a blackbird on my windowsill looking at me through the glass and singing quietly. It was a beautiful experience, as if he was thanking me for providing him with food.

JWdaughter

I love hearing the birds too-wherever I have lived in the world, when I could hear birds outside, it always made me feel "at home" and safe. If the birds lived there, I sure could! When in Egypt I saw and heard a lot of different birds than I ever did here-its a treat.

I didn't really see or notice any birds in Pakistan. I'm sure there must have been some, but they have hardly any windows because of the heat and dust. I hated that place. People were great, but it was NOT at all scenic where I was. My husband (later visit) visited a professor friend of his in the north and it was gorgeous. I was so ripped by being stuck in Sindh!

JWdaughter

Check out the Hud-hud, it looks like a bunch of leftover bird parts put together. Very random bird.

suggestions for a bird lover

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