Warm weather means a multitude of things for many different people. For Audubon enthusiasts out there, the springtime means the return of many different kinds of birds. As the weather once again becomes sunny and warm, our avian friends once again return to our skies, and greet them with their many songs. Of course, if you're a fan of the feathered creatures, adding a bird feeder can be the best thing that you can add to your patio.

A well-placed bird feeder can invite your flying friends to come down for a visit, enjoy a meal, and catch up for a while before they move on to wherever their adventures may take them. But with so many out there, how can you tell which one is right for you? Will an open bird feeder encourage your feathered friends to stop in, or is a suet feeder right for you? Knowing the correct bird feeder for each situation will give you the most enjoyment throughout the year.

The key in selecting a bird feeder is knowing the advantages in each birdfeeder type, and how they can be of benefit to you. For instance, a tray or platform feeder will welcome birds of all kinds, because it is a large and open space. All it takes is clever placement, and a tray full of birdseed. However, birds will not be the only ones coming to visit: depending on what you put in, squirrels and chipmunks could provide competition for birds getting the best of your feeder.

A good bird feeder to protect your seed from other animals in the wild is the hopper-style feeder. This is a simple feeder that works similar to the tray feeder, with the exception that a hopper between two openings protects the seed from pests. The great thing about this feeder is the fact it will dispense seed as you run low, and will also encourage birds of all sizes to visit. However, these types of feeders can retain moisture after a rain, causing unused seed to mold, resulting in wasted seed.

If smaller birds are more your kind of game, consider utilizing a tube bird feeder. Tube bird feeders hang several perches and openings along a hollow tube, that dispenses the seed as the birds eat. This type of feeder welcomes many different birds to come visit your patio at once, as well as replenishes itself as time goes on. However, this kind of bird feeder only welcomes the smaller birds out there because of the perch size ? reducing the amount of birds that will come and visit throughout the season.

Depending on the birds you want to attract, another option to consider is the suet cage bird feeder. This style is geared towards attracting bigger birds to your deck. To build, place suet inside a specially-built cage, and hang from your patio, deck, or a nearby tree. Birds will be attracted to the suet mixture, and will be drawn like moths to a flame. While this option will discourage smaller birds to come feed from your bird house, other bigger birds (such as chickadees, woodpeckers, and even nuthatches) will want to feed from your bird diner.

Despite popular belief, choosing the right bird feeder for your patio is not for the birds. Rather, it is a well thought out investment that will help bridge the gap between the great outdoors, and where your patio begins. Buy purchasing the right one for you, encouraging birds to come and enjoy the good weather with you will give you another option to enjoy what Mother Nature has in store throughout the yea