Bird Watching: Modified Suet Feeder With Nut or Seed Box
Jar of Peanuts
It all started with my hubby cleaning the old stuff out of our pantry. He handed me this jar of peanuts and wrinkled up his nose and said, "These are suitable for the birds, they are turning rancid. Smell them. You'll see."
I believed him. But, where to put them. We have a large, flat wooden wire holder that we have some screws that hold corncobs, but no place where a person could pour a bunch of peanuts and have them stay put. Then, I noticed that the suet feeder had a rod in the center, and I did happen to have a plastic box in the drawer that was the right size, and since I could not find a cover, there was my excuse to waste a box. No one would miss it.
The Inspiration
It was raining and when I looked at the suet feeder, it occurred to me that the space in between the two suet block holders could be utilized for a holder of some sort. Upon occasion, we purchase plastic storage boxes from the grocery store and the one I had in the drawer did not have its lid any more, so it was a perfect choice for this project.
I could have drilled the hole, but, again, since it was raining, I opted for a large nail, a hammer, a board and a flat surface to make holes. I made the center hole first, banging the nail through the plastic into the board. I also made holes around the inside bottom edge of the box, so if it did take on rain, it would drip out instead of making a pool of peanut water.
I wiggled the nail to remove it and later, had to use a chopstick to wiggle the hole larger. The center post on the suet feeder was a little bit larger than my hole. I am thankful that making a hole in the bottom did not crack the plastic. Sometimes, I have had problems with the plastic boxes cracking. Then, you're done. No plastic box.
Assembling
To place the box, with the hole in the suet feeder, I had to unscrew the top nut and remove the roof.
Then, I wiggled the center hole over the post and pressed downwards until it was down a bit. I started to put the peanuts in the box, and the weight of the peanuts made the box slide to the bottom of the suet feeder. I was going to leave it up, but, gravity changed my mind.
Perfect fit.
