This year we’re taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch which takes place 28th-30th January. The Big Garden Birdwatch helps the RSPB to build a picture of garden wildlife across the UK. If you want to take part simply click the link above and register for your FREE pack, full of fascinating facts, tips and advice. You can either chose to download your pack online of request for it to be posted to you.
We downloaded our pack and it is fab! You can find out about how to attract birds to your garden and there is a handy 12 month calendar which you can put up on the wall. There’s also a handy chart which has pictures of the different birds you that might spot in your garden so that you can easily identify them.
To help us get off to a good start we decided to make some pine cone feeders. We found out how to do this here. I bought some wild bird seed from our local pet shop and ordered some string, lard, peanuts and raisins from our local supermarket.
Our twin girls told us that they’d made bird feeders in school and R asked if we could make some at home. Thankfully my hubby was able to collect some pine cones from the road outside of the house that he was working so we had all of our supplies! I did put the pine cones on a baking tray covered with foil and into the oven for an hour at 200 degrees so that they opened up a bit more.
We waited until the weekend to make a start. First up we left the lard to warm up to room temperature by taking it out of the fridge for a few hours and then I gave the girls a plastic bowl each.
I cut the lard up into squares and added it to the girls bowls along with the bird seed, raisins and peanuts. The girls loved using their hands to make the ‘sticky mixture’ as they called it!
Whilst the girls were busy sticking the seeds etc to the lard, my husband and I cut some string and tied it around the pinecones.
Once the sticky mixture was finished, all that was left to do was pack it onto the pine cones, leave it in the fridge for around an hour to set and then hang them in the garden.
We had lots of bird seed left over so we used an empty milk bottle to create a hanging bird feeder too!
This was such a fun, simple activity to do. The girls absolutely loved it, as did I and the girls decided to eat their lunch whilst looking out into the garden so that they could do some bird spotting!
10 Comments
Chilli Regina
January 18, 2017 at 7:22 am
We make these every year – bird feeders. It’s amazing and such fun to watch the birds come up and eat. And the fights, the shy ones who always wait till the feeders are free of others and the ones that search the ground for seeds that fall off…Better than TV;)) And my kids and me also get to know quite a lot different species of birds;). Like discovery only better;) #bestandworst
Nige
January 18, 2017 at 8:02 am
Those darn squirrels I will have to start doing a Daryl on walking dead and get myself a crossbow #bestandworst
Emily
January 18, 2017 at 9:35 am
Haha! What you like!
Janine
January 18, 2017 at 8:24 pm
It’s a shame I don’t have much of a garden as my kids would love watching the birds around these. I could hang some on the trees outside our house if I wasn’t such a short arse 😉 Great idea for an original activity for the kids though.
#Bestandworst
Fiona Cambouropoulos
January 18, 2017 at 8:51 pm
We love making these and then sitting back to watch the birds arrive. A great creative idea, a huge help for the birds and educational too. #Best&Worst
Laura
January 19, 2017 at 12:35 pm
We love making bird feeders – its such a lovely craft and perfect for kids and not only do you get to be creative but also enjoy the outdoors and bringing nature in the garden
Laura x
hannah
January 19, 2017 at 1:51 pm
These look great and really fun to make too x
Sarah
January 20, 2017 at 10:06 am
This looks like lots of (messy) fun! I meant to make bird feeders in the autumn but didn’t find the time. This looks nice and easy though so I think we’re going to give it a go, thanks! Xx
Helen Gandy
January 22, 2017 at 9:50 pm
What a lovely idea, I love trying to entice birds to our garden 🙂 Thanks for linking up to the #bestandworst
Kelly Keegan
May 10, 2019 at 12:59 pm
This is stupidly adorable! Especially the kids looking out at the feeders! I think it’s great you’re promoting cheap ways to get involved with nature and understanding food groups too. I hope you all keep enjoying the birdwatch challenge.