About this product
Full description
There are few quieter pleasures in a garden than watching birds find a new feeder for the first time — the cautious approach, the brief hover, the small confidence as they realise this is a place they can come back to. This generously-sized feeding stake gives them somewhere proper to land, with two arms to hang feeders, fat balls or a water dish from, and the height to keep things safely above the reach of most cats. Made in Norfolk by independent maker LV Bespoke and supplied in raw steel that develops a soft rust patina over time, letting the piece settle into your planting as if it had always been part of the garden.
What it's designed for
The two arms each take a hanging item — most commonly:
- Seed feeders for sunflower hearts, niger seed, mealworms, or general mixed seed
- Fat ball or suet feeders — particularly valued in winter when energy-dense food makes a real difference
- A hanging water dish or bird bath — equally important and often overlooked
- A combination — one feeder plus one water source is a popular and very effective setup
The generous 1450mm height puts the feeders at a proper viewing level from a kitchen window or sitting room, and out of easy reach of cats and ground predators. The 560mm width between the arms gives birds enough space that two species can feed at once without squabbling.
Birds you'll come to know
A well-placed feeding stake in a UK cottage garden brings in a wonderful cast of regular visitors — different species at different times of day and year:
- Blue tits, great tits, and coal tits — acrobatic, cheerful, often the first to arrive
- Goldfinches — particularly fond of niger seed, and worth the effort of buying it
- Robins, dunnocks, and wrens — quieter visitors, often feeding on what falls to the ground below
- House sparrows and chaffinches — the gentle squabbling regulars
- Greenfinches and bullfinches — less common now, but a feeder helps support them
- Nuthatches and woodpeckers, in gardens near mature trees — including, with some luck, the great spotted woodpecker on a fat ball feeder
Where to put it
A few thoughts from years of feeding birds in our own garden:
- Near cover — within a few metres of a hedge, shrub, or tree gives nervous birds somewhere to retreat to. They'll feel safer and feed more readily
- But not in cover — too close to dense planting gives cats an ambush position
- In view of a window — the whole point is the watching, after all. Make sure you can see it from where you spend time
- Sheltered from prevailing wind — birds prefer feeding without the seed swinging wildly, and feeders last longer too
- Pushed firmly into the ground — the long stake gives a stable footing in most soils, but in very loose or sandy ground a small concrete plinth or paving slab base can help
Be patient in the early days. It can take birds a fortnight or more to discover a new feeder — but once the first one finds it, the rest follow within days.
A small tip on feeders
If you're new to feeding birds, the most useful single feeder to start with is a tube feeder of sunflower hearts. They're high-energy, husk-free (no mess on the ground), and attract the widest range of garden birds — tits, finches, sparrows, robins. From there, adding a fat ball or suet feeder for winter and a niger seed feeder for goldfinches will give you a proper spread.
Clean your feeders every week or two with hot soapy water — bird feeders, like garden tools, do their best work when looked after.
The rust patina
Supplied in raw steel and designed to develop a natural rust patina over time, particularly outdoors. Within a few weeks of weather it begins to take on a warm, mottled rust tone; over months and seasons the patina deepens and softens further. The result is a piece that feels rooted in your garden rather than imposed onto it — and one that the birds, importantly, treat as part of their landscape rather than something new and alarming.
If you'd prefer to slow this process, a clear protective wax (Renaissance Wax works well) or matte clear lacquer applied on arrival will hold off the rust considerably. Most owners, however, come to love the patina once it arrives.
About LV Bespoke
LV Bespoke is an independent Norfolk maker producing handcrafted metal accessories for the garden and home. Each piece is made by hand in raw steel — designed to do its job quietly, age gracefully, and look like it belongs. We're proud to stock their work; objects with this kind of character don't come from factories, they come from somebody's careful hands.
Specifications
- Height: approximately 1450mm
- Width: approximately 560mm (between the two arms)
- Arms: two, for hanging feeders, fat balls, or water
- Material: raw steel
- Finish: designed to develop a natural rust patina
- Use: outdoor only
- Made by: LV Bespoke, Norfolk
Feeders, fat balls, suet, and seed are not included — choose your own depending on the birds you'd most like to encourage.
What's included
Feeders, fat balls, suet, water dishes and seed are NOT included.
Customers should choose feeders to attach based on the birds they
want to encourage.
Care and use
- For outdoor garden use only
- Push the stake firmly into the ground for stability
- Position near cover (shrub, hedge, tree) but not within dense
planting that gives cats hiding places
- Choose a spot visible from where you spend time indoors
- Avoid prevailing wind exposure if possible
RUST PROGRESSION:
- First few weeks outdoors: surface oxidation begins
- First few months: warm mottled rust tone develops
- Over seasons: deepens into a soft, characterful patina
- This is intentional and birds will accept it as part of the
garden landscape
IF YOU WANT TO SLOW THE RUST:
- Apply Renaissance Wax or a clear protective wax on arrival
- Or apply a matte clear lacquer suitable for outdoor metal
- Reapply annually for sustained protection
- The piece will still patina, just more gradually
FEEDER CLEANING:
- Clean hanging feeders every 1-2 weeks with hot soapy water
- Allow to dry fully before refilling
- The stake itself needs no cleaning - rust patina is its finish