| Sandra's guide pages Feed the birds |
When you start thinking about decorating your Christmas tree, spare a thought for the trees outside. Hung with edible garlands and decorations they’ll not only look great, but they’ll also provide much-needed food for hungry birds. GARLANDS Use a needle & strong thread (with a large knot at the end) thread popped corn into a garland. Knot each end of the garland and drape over the tree. You could use fruits, berries, conkers, hazelnuts, acorns or peanuts in their shells too. Cut out Christmas shapes such as trees, bells and stars from slices of wholemeal bread, push a hole through the top of each shape and knot fine string or garden twine to make a loop. Hang the shapes from the tree. BIRD PUDDINGS: Bake some mini- bird puddings. Put 1kg wholemeal flour and 225g soft margarine in a mixing bowld. Rub the fat into the flour then stir in enough water to make a thick, sticky mix. Put balls into bun tins & bake for about 10 minutes at 200C, 400F, Gas Mk6. Cool. Use needle & strong thread to make hanging loops FIR CONE FEEDERS Collect large fir cones. Thread fine string through the sections and tie to make hanging loops. Cover the cones with peanut butter and roll them in oats. BAKED POTATO BELLS Next time you are baking potatoes, put in an extra potato for the birds. Cool & cut in half to make 2 bell shapes. Thread knotted twine up through the cut side of the potato & tie into a hanging loop. SCRAP CAKES don’t forget ground feeding birds. Put out fir cone feeders and bread baubles for them, and make some scrap cakes. Collect small foil bun or pie plates and fill them with kitchen scraps – stale cheese, bacon rind, stale cake, potato – and bind together with fat from meat and the grill pan. Leave to set hard then take off the foil container and put the cakes on the ground. AND TO DRINK… Many birds die from thirst, not hunger, during hard winters. Keep a shallow container of ice-free water near the bird tree. From a Guiding magazine, date unknown |