For birds to visit your feeding stations, the feeder must be attractive to most species and is easy to make. Called a platform feeder, it consists of a 2-foot square of half-inch of marine wood plywood. With a hammer, tack moulding strips around the edges to prevent seeds from falling off and attach the entire thing to the top of a cedar post at a level you can reach easily--but at least 30 feet off the ground. Treat the feeder with oil-based stain and rub the wood with a metal sponge to remove excess; let the feeder age outside for a few days before stocking it so no paint will absorb into the seed and make the birds sick. With this feeder, birds see the seeds, you see the birds, and the view provides excellent light for wildlife photography--especially if the feeder is just outside your kitchen window. One improvement to the platform feeder is a flat roof to keep off the rain. Also made of half-inch plywood, the roof is slightly larger than the platform and is held a foot above it by 1-inch doweling at the corners. A more decorative platform feeder would use an inch log upright and a roof covered by copper or brass. The roof diminishes the amount of light that strikes the seed platform, but it keeps the seeds dry during inclement weather. Don't waste your money on grocery store seed mixes. They often are high in milo and other seeds that most birds ignore and won't eat. It's better to buy bags of cracked mill corn, whole wheat corn, white millet, and black sunflower seeds at a feed store and mix them in portions you find attractive to birds visiting your feeders. BLACK sunflower seeds are the best and most nutritious for the little birds. Striped sunflower is air-filled with heavy hulls, which is hard for many birds to crack. Black sunflower has tight, easily-cracked shells and a very high food value full of nutrients and goodness. Ground-feeding birds such as Mourning Doves, Northern Bobwhite quail, and many sparrows come to food that is scattered about on bare soil. A low platform feeder on sturdy bricks concentrates the birds in one location and provides some control over ground-feeding mice or rats.