Doc
22/1/24
Feed the Birds
It is still so cold and it makes me worry about the birds finding enough food. I decided to have a go and making some bird feeders but I can’t help myself and turn everything into a little experiment! So I decided to make some different types of bird feeders to see if the birds preferred a particular one. I wonder if they will like one more than the others, we’ll have to wait and see!
Yoghurt Pot Bird Feeder to Feed the Birds
What you'll need...
Empty clean yoghurt pots
String
Lard
Unsalted nuts, eg peanuts
Seeds eg sunflower seeds
or a Seed/Grain/Nut mix (you can buy lots of different bird food from garden centres or Amazon)
Method...
Make two small holes in the bottom of your yoghurt pot. Cut a long piece of string and thread it through the two holes.
Put the lard in a bowl then mix and squash it so it becomes softer. Pour the selection of nuts and seeds into the bowl and mix together with the lard.
Spoon in the lard mixture into your yoghurt pots and squish it in as much as you can.
Result...
Once done you can then turn the pot upside down and hang it from a tree outside at school or in your garden at home. The birds should then be able to come and eat the nuts and seeds from the inside of the pot.
Pine Cone Bird Feeder to Feed the Birds
What you'll need...
Pine Cones
String
Lard
Unsalted nuts, eg peanuts
Seeds eg sunflower seeds
or a Seed/Grain/Nut mix (you can buy lots of different bird food from garden centres or Amazon)
Method...
Cut a long piece of string and tie it to the bottom of the pine cone.
Put the lard in a bowl then mix and squash it so it becomes softer. Pour the selection of nuts and seeds into the bowl and mix together with the lard.
Smear the lard mixture on to the outside of the pine cone.
Result...
This is the same as the yoghurt pot bird feeder, I just thought it might look nicer hanging outside. I wanted to do both to see which the birds prefer. The pine cone just like the yoghurt pot can be hung from a tree in your garden. The birds should then be able to come and eat the nuts and seeds from around the outside of the pine cone.
Cookie Cutter Bird Feeder to Feed the Birds
What you'll need...
Cookie Cutters
Foil covered tray
Straws
Ribbon
Gelatine
Unsalted nuts, eg peanuts
Seeds eg sunflower seeds
or a Seed/Grain/Nut mix (you can buy lots of different bird food from garden centres or Amazon)
Method...
Mix the gelatine with warm water following the instructions on the packet. Put your seed and nut mix in a bowl and pour in the gelatine and mix together. The liquid should coat all the mixture but it shouldn’t be too wet either.
Put your cookie cutters on a foil lined tray. Fill each cookie cutter with the seed and nut mix. Put a straw in to create a hole so you can put string through it once it is set to hang it up. Don’t put this hole too close to the edge or it could fall apart once hung up. Press down on the mixture with the back of a spoon to make sure they are completely filled up to the edges and around the straw.
Leave the bird feeders to set, you can put them in the fridge to speed this up. Depending on how thick you make them in might be an idea to turn them over half way through to completely set all the way through. You could take the straw out at this stage in order to turn them over.
Carefully remove the bird feeders from the cookie cutters and thread some ribbon through the hole.
Result...
Once set you can hang your bird feeder up on a tree for the birds to enjoy. Which one do you think the birds will enjoy the most? I think this one is my favourite!
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