Winter is a tough time of year for the birds in our yards. The normal sources of food for birds are tough to come by. The bushes have no berries, the insects have gone in hiding for the winter, and the snow and ice often covers what little food is naturally available. So we look for ways to feed the birds in the winter time, and suet feeders are often a great choice.

Pepper suet is one way to help them along with a suet feeder.

The idea of a solar powered bird feeder struck me as odd when I first saw it. What could you possibly need to power on a bird feeder. I had seen motorized squirrel proof feeders before as a possible candidate for a powered bird feeder, but what else could need it?

Winter months are the harshest months for birds. A suet bird feeder is a good way to keep them feed and warm, and it doesn't take a lot of effort on your part, as bird suet will last a long time. Here's how suet is made, and

Aside from actually attracting the birds we want to the feeder, the biggest problem that backyard birders run into is the need to keep squirrels out of the feeder. There are quite a number of designs for squirrel proof feeders, some are real monuments to engineering. Of course some folks have just as much luck with natural deterents like pepper suet, but that's not nearly as much fun as some of the Droll Yankees squirrel proof feeders. Here's a look at the different types of squirrel proof feeders.