GlennT
Gold Member
Once in a while I'm overwhelmed by the sheer genius of a simple solution to a difficult problem. Want to have birds eating out of your hand? The traditional solution is to stand (or better yet, sit) near a bird feeder each day for an extended period with seed in your hand. Eventually the birds will get used to you and fly to your hand to eat. If your hand feels like it's ready to fall off from being held extended and motionless, you could wear a hat with a broad brim and put seed on the brim. Well, no more. Bill Bird-in-Hand has come to the rescue! Bill is a life-sized flat cutout (probably of rigid foam). You dress Bill in one of YOUR caps or hat and one of YOUR shirts or jackets. Then you put a stake in the ground and tie Bill to it or you can have Bill sit in a lawn chair (he bends in the right places). Bill's right hand is extended--palm up--and there is a recessed area for bird seed. You let good ol' Bill sit there for several hours, days, weeks, whatever, and then YOU put on Bill's hat and jacket, stand or sit in his place, and WOW! Birds come and eat out of YOUR hand. Bill is advertised in a magazine I get--Birds and Blooms (www.birdsandblooms.com)--for $58.99 plus $7.95 S&H, but I'll bet that you could clone good ol' Bill in your shop for a lot less. I should point out that I have no affiliation with this magazine other than being a subscriber. I'm just enthusiastic about this marvelous idea!!