This bird feeder will go to San Carlos Park Elementary in the new garden. I tried to lean on the arts theme and included a little whimsical element with the colored pencils. It’s made from Florida cypress, both solid and pecky for textural interest. It is four feet tall but I will mount it on a short post to make the filling still accessible.

Photo of the model I used to follow.

Pecky cypress is easy to drill.

I bought the cypress board on the left because of the perfect knot holes. Then mirrored them in the board on the right.

Let’s see, 45 plus 45 equals 90… I used stainless steel screws to outlast the cypress.

Outside rafters made from pecky cypress. The only non-cypress lumber in this project: pressure-treated pine for the inside rafters.

Strange smiley face on one of the roofs. I look for knots and try to include them.

Tall column of feed will hold less than a cubic foot of food.

Little roofs over the perches should keep out some rain.

Although this cypress seems porous, the holes don’t go all the way through.

The first roof was made from 9″ wide cypress with raw edges but they seemed too short. Their replacements now overhang the rafters.

New roof boards with knot hole.

Roof flops open to pour in about 10# of bird food.

I suppose I could have cut them with pruners but the table saw gave me exactly 3.5″ lengths.

One inch holes with one inch bored into the base for a reservoir for seed. I’m sure the kids will break/remove the pencils but I have plenty of replacements. Check out these saw scars, like tiger stripes.

Better view of the colored pencil perches. Now ready for oil sealer.

After applying oil/sealer.

Ready to be “planted” in the garden and filled with seed.