HOME & GARDEN: Feed the Birds

Our garden is looking dreary and dismal with not much sign that spring is just a few weeks away. Apart from a few teeny-tiny green shoots, a hopeful sign is the beautiful birdsong which we are starting to hear again. It's a sign that the male birds are (loudly!) asserting themselves, ready to find their mates and start nesting - love is in the air!

All that happy singing is misleading though, because February is a tough time for birds that have made it this far through the winter - there's so little food left for them. Which means that feeding the birds that visit your garden is really important just now. There's brilliant information over on the RSPB website about feeding birds, making your garden more wildlife friendly, and identifying birds (although mostly we use our little bird identifying book that we keep, for very quick reference by the kitchen window).

A really fun thing to do (especially with kids) is to make suet-y treats to hang up for the birds. Here's how we do it:

Yummy Suet Cake for the Birds

• 200g suet (not vegetarian!!!)
• 250g good quality bird seed
• 100g peanuts (make sure it's from a reputable seller so they're free from aflatoxin)
• 50g raisins

1. Prepare four plastic plant pots (or small yogurt pots) by washing them thoroughly, covering the holes in the bottom with foil/greaseproof paper (wax circles for jam making are just the right size).
2. Cut four 60cm lengths of garden twine and fold each piece in half twice, so you have a little bundle of three strands, which you need to knot at the bottom.  I make two or three knots on top of each other to make a nice bulky knot, then put the bundle of twine in the plant pot so that the knot sits at the bottom.
3. Put the suet in a pan over a very gentle heat to melt - you don’t want it to get too hot otherwise it takes ages for the cakes to set.
4. Whilst the suet is melting, weigh out the other ingredients into a bowl.
5. Pour the warm melted suet over the dry ingredients and stir it all up, and then use a spoon to transfer the mix to the four prepared pots – try to keep the twine in the middle of the pot.
6. Use a teaspoon to squish down the mix – it really helps if the cakes are compact when you come to turn them out. Put the four plant pots in the fridge to set quickly.  
7. When they are quite hard, you should be able to turn them out by just giving the plant pot a little squeeze. If they prove a bit stubborn, just run them under warm water for a few seconds.
8. Take them outside and hang them up for the birds to enjoy.

Image courtesy of Menno Stassen

The other really important thing to do for birds at this time of year is give them access to clean water that isn't frozen - the RSPB suggests some ways to help. Insectivorous birds can get water from eating live food, like mealworms. Believe it or not, you can buy these online & get them through the post, and if you can get over the ick factor then this really is worth doing (and it's another thing that kids love!). But DO make sure that you fasten your bag of creepy-crawlies securely after using, unless you want mealworms crawling around your garage, shed or (horrors) kitchen… Trust me - I speak from experience!

The brilliant thing about feeding birds in February is that there's a chance that you will get new visitors - in from the countryside where food is very scarce - like fieldfares, redwings, siskins or bullfinches. Last year we felt so honoured to be helping a lone fieldfare get through a snowy February as he munched on our windfall apples - sacrificing a few apple pies felt worthwhile all of a sudden, as we watched him guard his supply from some cheeky blackbirds...

So put out some birdy treats, and see who comes to visit you!