When one of the chicken mommas I follow on Instagram posted about the WoBirdy Smart Feeder, I jumped on the chance to apply for beta testing. Imagine my delight when I was selected!
We hit a few hiccups on the installation, but a quick trip to Lowe’s for bigger screws and we were able to get it mounted and filled with seed. And then we waited … and waited … and waited.
Turns out, the birds were more interested in devouring my {rapidly fading} zinnias and marigolds than mixed birdseed. They’re enjoying the seasonal harvest as much as we are, I suppose.
I did get to see how the bird alerts work when this sweet hummingbird took a breather. I also got an adrenaline jolt at 11:30pm when a “motion detected” alert came through. Turns out it was an enormous spider crawling in front of the camera.
I knew the birds were aware of the feeder, because a cute wren was sitting on top of it singing her heart out one afternoon. She finally, and perhaps predictably, was my first official customer. She’s returned a few times, and enjoys getting all the way in the food tray.
My hope is that as the season continues to shift, and the flowers come out to make way for my next crop, more birds will find their way to the feeder. A Brown Thrasher visited one morning, and I know it’s a matter of time before the House Finches and Mockingbirds discover the new cafe.
I love that the app sends alerts to my phone when it detects a bird {or the slightly more concerning “motion”}, and the bird recognition feature is also cool. It did mistake the hummingbird for a type of parrot, but she was a very tiny bird. One of my favorite features is the auto-feeding schedule, where I can determine how often fresh seed is released, or push some through on-demand.
As more bird visitors come, I’ll be sharing further updates. We’ve seen so many birds this year, including a gorgeous Indigo Bunting male, I have high hopes for what I may be able to capture!
Have you ever had a smart bird feeder?
Or do you feed the birds in general? We tend to put out seeds and suet in the Winter, but during the Spring and Summer there’s so much growing around here it feels redundant.
That hummingbird pic is amazing, Rebecca! This looks a lot like my sister’s Bird Buddy. She’s captured so many awesome bird pics and videos on it, and she sends them to me. How fun!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was so impressed with the hummingbird photo! 😀 I know some people who have Bird Buddy feeders, but I haven’t compared the two side-by-side to see where the differences come in. It’s such an awesome concept though, I can’t wait to see more birds starting to visit! We had two missy House Finches come by yesterday morning ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, the hummingbird is waving! What a great picture! Your bird feeder looks like lots of fun. The big spider would have freaked me out too! I haven’t ever had a bird feeder. We have so many Magpies around here, and I don’t want to encourage them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Her wing does look like a wave 😀 As fast as they flit around, I’m surprised she wasn’t just a blur. Oh that is sad, having so many Magpies you can’t feed the fun birds! 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so cool! My parents love feeding birds, though I wonder if my father could figure out the technology??!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The app is actually pretty easy to use – it took me a minute to get the feeder and my app/phone paired, but I think I hit the wrong button on the feeder, lol. After the initial pairing, it’s super easy tech-wise: the feeder sends an alert to my phone and I can open the app to see either a live feed or the recorded clip. 🙂
LikeLike
I love birds so much! That hummingbird is cracking me up – it looks like he knows he is being recorded and is throwing a wave to you. I’m excited to see the birds that visit you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The hummingbird was the cutest thing! 😍 I can’t wait to share more birdies with everyone.
LikeLike
[…] there is definitely more emphasis on the benefits than the birding. Maybe I’m just very in my birding era, but I wanted more of that, especially since the contest was such a massive part of the plot. Also […]
LikeLike
[…] the slow start to my WoBirdy experience, I had a feeling that once the weather changed {and all my flower seedheads disappeared}, […]
LikeLike