OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS DESERVE A TASTY TREAT
WATCHING the birds in our garden really cheers me up.
I love to see the pair of blackbirds pulling long pink worms from the lawn and the raucous house sparrows in their clubhouse (aka the lilac tree).
The fat wood pigeon looks comical as he balances daintily on the ivy to pinch the tasty blackberries and some days are noisy as crows and magpies battle on the rooftops and seagulls from the nearby beach circle and cry overhead.
But my favourite visitor has to be the little round robin that follows me around if
I’m out gardening.
Give your feathered friends a boost with these simple bird feeders.
YOU WILL NEED
Pine cones
Ribbon
Fat and/or peanut butter (no added salt)
A selection of bird foods (we used ready mixed bird food – seeds and grain– and some soaked sultanas)
METHOD
1. Make sure your pine cones are really clean – wash them in hot water and leave to dry completely.
2. Tie a ribbon around your pine cone (see picture inset). This will allow you to hang your feeder up.
3. Place a small portion of each ingredient in separate bowls. Salt is not good for birds so, if you are using peanut butter, make sure there is no salt in the list of ingredients.
4. Soak your sultanas in water to make them moist. Baby birds in particular need moist food.
5. Put all of your ingredients into a mixing bowl and give it a good stir.
6. Take your pine cone and press the sticky mixture into all its crevices. Make sure it is tightly packed.
7. Hang your bird cone in your garden and wait for your hungry customers to arrive.
8. Make sure you check your cones regularly – take them down if they go mouldy, as this can be harmful to birds.