Bird Watching without Being Detected - A Little Secret

How to Bird Watch without being Detected!
OR How To Keep your Cat Occupied-Without Hiring a CATSITTER!
This guide lets you in on a little secret to birdwatching from the gefort of your home. It allows you to see the birds closeup without fear of scaring them away. Cat owners especially will want to take note!
One of the best things we ever did for our cats was to mount a little bird feeder right outside our upstairs window! The cats LOVE to watch the birds gee to feed. We enjoy it too, and get to see close-up many birds that we wouldn't ordinarily notice flying around outside. There are cardinals, bluejays, robins, sparrows, and some others I haven't yet identified.
The "secret" to not being detected by the birds is to use a special film over the inside of your window so that the birds cannot see you watching them! Here is what you will need for this project:

Bird Feeder (small one that won't obstruct your view too much out the window)
Bird Seed (such as sunflower seeds)
Static Cling Window Film (so that you can see out but the birds can't see in!)
Container (useful to hold the bird seed between refills)
Scoop n' Funnel (useful to help you refill the feeder, but not required)
Handyman (to install your bird feeder outside your window)


1. Choose a small bird feederthat you can have mounted outside your window. Below is a photo of how ours is mounted. It is attached to a piece of wood which is attached to the window ledge. I didn't do it myself, so I don't know what kinds of tools were needed. (Ask your handyman for help!)



2. Purchase some wild birdseedto go into your feeder. I have found the favored seed among our wild birds (in Pennsylvania) is Sunflower Seeds. I've tried other kinds (like an assorted variety) but it didn't seem to disappear quite as fast. The sunflower seeds seem to attract the largest variety of birds and I need to refill it much more often, so I know it must be a favorite.
It is a good idea to use a plastic container with tight fitting lid to store the seeds. Ours is a huge 5 gallon capacity so we can buy in bulk. The reason it is not a good idea to store the seeds loosely is because it will attract rodents and insects. So whatever is left over after filling up the bird feeder should be stored in a container of some sort that animals or insects cannot get into.



Although not essential, a very useful product is the Scoop n' Funnel. This enables you to quickly fill up the bird feeder without making a mess. It has a little plastic trap door you can open and close. After it is closed, you fill up the Scoop n' Funnel with bird seed, carry it over to the bird feeder, place the chute down into the feeder, and release the trap door. This lets the seed fall through the funnel part into the feeder.



3. And the biggest secret of all: Be sure to purchase some Window Tint! Measure the size of your window and follow the instructions on the box for cutting the window film and applying it to your window. The brand we have is the Insta-Cling Limo Dark; it gees in a big roll inside a long, rectangular shaped box. It is sold in the automotive accessories department of stores, because it is designed to be used on car windows. It allows you to see out (everything will appear slightly darker than usual) but the birds cannot see in very well.


4. Finally, after your bird feeder has been mounted, filled with seed, and window tint applied, there is only one thing left to do: BE PATIENT! It might take a few days (or a week) for the birds to learn where their new feeder is! Once they know where it is, they will gee back regularly to feed. We don't feed all year round, but mostly in the winter months when food is more scarce.



It is fun not only to watch the different birds that gee to eat, but to watch the cats watching the birds!
Helpful Hint: The birds are especially active in the early morning (and can be noisy as they peck around for seeds) so think carefully about which window and which room you want to mount the bird feeder beside. For example, if you are not an early riser you might not want the feeder right outside your bedroom window.

Thank you for reading my guide! If you've found it helpful, please vote yes below and then check out my other cat-related guides!


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