ENCOURAGE feathered friends into your outdoor space this winter by making your own bird feeder.
For just a few pence, you can give them a feast that’s sure to keep them feeling chirpy.
Here are some simple treats you can create on the fly . . .
BE FRUITFUL: Apples or oranges make great DIY feeders.
Remove the core from an apple, then press sunflower seeds into the skin of the top half of the fruit until they become embedded.
Next, push some sticks through the apple to provide perches for the birds.
Tie string to the sticks, feed it through the hole where the core once was and use it to hang your feeder — it’s simple and effective.
With oranges, cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh.
Mix bird seed with lard to form a smooth paste and spoon the mixture into the empty orange half.
Make holes in the skin, thread through sturdy string to form a loop to hang it from a tree.
ROLL WITH IT: Use an old toilet roll or kitchen roll tube for an easy feeder.
Punch two holes in the cardboard around a centimetre from the top.
Cover the tube with butter, lard or peanut butter and then roll it in bird seed until it is fully coated.
Thread twine through the holes and hang from branches where birds can easily land and peck at it.
SECRET SNACKS: Some birds like to hide away to enjoy a nibble. For them, you can crumble fat balls beneath shrubs or smear the mix into the cracks and crevices of branches.
Make the balls using scraps of oats, cheese, raisins, breadcrumbs or cake crumbs mixed with melted lard. Leave them to set in the fridge overnight.
WET THEIR APPETITE: Leave out a container of water so birds can enjoy a drink and a bath.
Use low, flat containers, such as plant saucers, and change the water regularly.
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