Bird feeders are a wonderful way to bring birds into the garden for toddlers to observe. Hang them in view from a window to be able to observe the birds from inside on a cold winters day. Paired with a few books from the library and home made language cards, toddlers can learn the names of the different local birds and develop an interest in the natural world.
Materials
- Pine cones
- Cotton string
- Wild bird seed
- Lard
- Spreader
Preparation
- Tie a length of string to the top of the pinecone.
- Place enough lard for one pine cone in a small dish with a spreader.
- Cover the bottom of a wide dish with bird seed.
Method
Spread the lard all over the pine cone pushing it in between the scales. Transfer the pine cone to the dish of seeds and sprinkle the seeds over the top. Press more seeds onto the pinecone to fill the gaps between the scales.
With a toddler try to demonstrate the whole process before letting them do their own. If they are eager to jump in just take turns with the first one and then let them do another (or more) on their own if they wish.
Henry really enjoyed sprinkling the seeds over the pinecone. He became quite absorbed in just playing with the seeds and pushing them around the dish with his hands.
Below is Henry’s finished product. He didn’t manage to get the lard all over the pinecone but that doesn’t matter at all. Most importantly he did it himself.
What type of birds will these attract?
This recipe is suitable for birds such as tits, finches, and sparrows that feed primarily on seeds. When observing notice that these bird species all have strong cone shaped beaks for crushing seeds.
Oats, raisins and fruit can be added and the bird feeder set out close to the ground for omnivorous birds such as blackbirds, European robins and starlings. These bird species eat insects and earthworms during the summer but will eat fruit and or seeds during the winter. When observing notice that they have finer beaks.
Providing feed for birds during the winter is not particularly necessary as the birds who stay for the winter months are well adapted to the conditions. However, it does provide a wonderful opportunity for children to observe birds and as long as it is done in moderation when there is snow on the ground it will not do harm.
Notes on ingredients
Birdlife Switzerland recommendations are that the ingredients used for feeding birds should be as close to the natural diet of native birds. This means avoiding coconut oil, peanuts, palm oil, salt, spices, and bread.
Birdseed primarily made of sunflower seeds and hemp seeds are preferred by birds over mixes containing wheat. Sunflower seeds with the shell on will encourage birds to stay for longer.
In this recipe I use lard because it is easy to source and spreadable. However, it should only be used in cold temperatures so that it doesn’t melt. Some recipes call for suet which has the advantage of being firmer.
Some recipes call for mixing the fat and seeds together and then forming it around the pinecone. I found that working it with the hands makes the mixture very soft and difficult for toddlers to handle and prefer the method presented here.