Time for backyard birds to "come and get it"

When you're making out your holiday list this season, don't forget about our feathered friends. Birds are essential to a healthy ecosystem and birdfeeding has become a very popular hobby--second only to gardening. By adjusting the blend of seeds and type of feeder, you can attract a wide variety of birds to your backyard even as the weather turns cooler.

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For the latest in birdhouses, we turned to Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, Carmel, Ind. We immediately were drawn to the line of recycled feeders called EcoTough. These are wood-free feeders that actually look like wood. Made from milk jugs, they are extremely durable and come with a lifetime guarantee--they won't rot, crack, fade, or split. Depending on size, anywhere from eight to 55 jugs are used to make each feeder and, therefore, are not in our landfills.

The Classic hopper design just may be the perfect birdfeeder. It is attractive and easy to maintain, and refilling is a breeze--just lift the roof. Its most-popular asset is that it gives watchers a great view of the birds. It also has a perch drain which allows seed to drop for ground-feeding birds and angled perches to let empty seed hulls be blown away by the wind, making the feeder self-cleaning.

Specialty feeders are an easy way to attract specific birds to your yard. Want to see finches and other small songbirds? Try the Finch Sock insta Feeder. The mesh bag comes loaded with food. Just take it out of the package and hang it up. Same goes for the Choice Harvest insta Feeder. Hang it up and watch woodpeckers, chickadees, wrens, nuthatches, jays, etc. flock to your yard.

For a festive touch, set out a Cranberry Fare Seed Wreath. The wreath comes loaded with seed and weighs 3 1/2 pounds.

For more information, visit www.wbu.com.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning