I love using my Cedar Works Scoop n’ Funnel for putting bird seed into my bird feeders. This device offers two methods of putting bird seed into a feeder. One method is to close the valve shut, dip the scoop into the bag of bird seed and then dump the contents into the bird feeder. Most feeders have a rather small opening at the top and his funnel bottom fits perfectly. I never use the scoop method but rather put my bird feeders on the ground and then put the small opening funnel into the top. I then carefully aim the bird seed bag contents into the funnel top opening. This funnel also has a slide valve to shut off the seed from flowing out of the funnel when you lift the funnel out of the bird feeder, a really nifty feature which gives this device TWO methods of filling your bird feeders, scoop and funnel. I seldom use the valve but every once and a while I overfill the funnel. You only need to close the valve and then move the funnel back to the bird seed bag to dump the extra seed back in the source bag.
I have no idea where I purchased this funnel. I have had it for years and love it.
October 2015, I decided to review this product and part of the review process was to check the Internet and see where I can be purchased. It is hard to find. The cost should be close to $5, well worth the cost.
Cedar Works (Not sold by this company?)
Product #: 100080570
Mfg Part #: BE203A
UPC: 016544552035
Pennington (Seems to be a current product as of March 2019.)
Classic Scoop N Funnel
I do recommend this funnel!
Since the first product review, I found that I can no longer find this product being sold by Cedar Works. The closest product is Pennington Bird Seed Classic Scoop N Funnel.
Bird feeder funnel.
Updated: 3-6-19 due to 404 Not Found error for the link to the product. I removed the link. I then found that Cedar Works no longer shows this product. I have tried to track down a good vendor to provide a web site link but the company Pennington fails to show this in their catalog. I also updated how to use the device.
Changed URL to Bird Feeder, Scoop n’ Funnel Review.
A near perfect bird feeder is Gardeners Globe Cage Feeder and Mixed Seed Globe Cage Feeder (see picture below).
The problem with these feeders is they only let small birds enter. Another problem is that California squirrels apparently are very intelligent. “My” squirrels can unscrew the lid and get to the inside top of the feeder.
Squirrel opens bird feeder lid to feed from it. Sorry but my daughter used her cell phone camera to take this inferior picture.
I decided to lock the top lid into its closed position. I did this by drilling a carefully positioned small hole for a small screw to be put in and lock the lid. If you decide to improve this bird feeder and also wish to drill this hole make darn sure that the lid is turned to be locked so the holes line up properly. Do not drill anywhere close to the wires.
Globe bird feeder with lid lock screw drilled and lock screw being applied.
“My” squirrels now need to get a Phillips screw driver and learn how to use that tool to unscrew this bird feeder and get to its treasure.
I conditionally recommend these feeders. You could start out to see the intelligent level of “your” squirrels. If they are low wattage light bulbs, you may not need to drill a lock hole.
I really have no idea when or why I started to feed birds but I have not stopped since starting. It seems that in a lot of endeavors I try there crops up some element that tends to spoil the experience sometimes. For me it’s squirrels. I had no idea going into this hobby how much a squirrel can challenge my bird feeding efforts. I started putting my bird feeders in the back yard hung from a patio cover. The feeder was free from attack for a month or two but then those fur ball beasts found it and would find all kinds of ways to get into the feeder. I placed the feeder way out from anything that the squirrel could use to get to but I was amazed to see them leap great distances on to the feeders and feed themselves. I moved the feeders to the front of the house and I had about one month of non intervention before they discovered the new location. I put up a plastic shield over the top of one feeder but that only protected the feeder from rain. I then purchased a Squirrrel-Be-Gone Wild Bird Feeder (purchased at Home Depot) which has a very clever door system.
Squirrel-Be-Gone Wild Bird Feeder label.
There is an outer box shield that aligns to bird feeding stations if there is no heavy weight on the outer box. When a squirrel jumps on this box the outer box slides down closing all the feeding ports. Birds do not weight enough to close the ports. This outer box has a spring that allow for this action. It took the local squirrels a week or two to start opening the top lid. The top lid is held by a spring but my squirrels must work out at the local gym because they lift that door with glee.
Image shows the bird feeder top lid. Note the spring that holds the lid from squirrels getting into the top of the feeder.
I tightened the spring and found that one squirrel ate the plastic down from the top. That bird feeder had to be thrown away. It was a battle of wits and I was running out of ideas.
One day I found that the bottom of the bird feeder had dropped, probably from a squirrel attack and all the bird seed fell to the ground. I drilled two holes and put screws with bolts to anchor the bottom plate.
Suddenly, one day, I thought of the perfect solution to the top being lifted by “my” squirrels. I would cut a plastic PVC pipe about 5 and 1/2 inches and slide it down the bird feeder hanging loop. I could easily remove that pipe when I needed to remove the lid and put more seed into the feeder.
PVC pipe cut to 5 and 1/2 inches slid down through the bird feeder top wire hanger.
The reason the pipe works is that the wire hanger comes out of the feeder at a much wider distance than the diameter of the pipe. When the squirrel tries to lift the feeder lid, the lid presses down because the lid can not go straight up because the wires are held close together by the pipe in the shape of an inverted Y. This PVC pipe system has worked for over six months now. I even removed the spring that holds the top lid down as I found that it was no longer needed and putting bird feed seeds into the top was much easier. The squirrels still try to lift the top lid to get to the seed at the top of the feeder but the wire and pipe combination is way too much for these little fur ball beasts to overcome. Finally, a humane being outsmarted a squirrel!
The Squirrrel-Be-Gone Wild Bird Feeder is not recommended unless you are willing to modify it. Now that I made improvements to my feeder, it is my favorite feeder.
Updated: 3-6-19, Squirrrel-Be-Gone Wild Bird Feeder (purchased at Home Depot) link removed because timeout error.
