How to Make a Bird Feeder

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Whether you live in a city or village there will always be lots of wild birds around. Unfortunately most people do not even think about attracting birds into their gardens and we should be providing food and places for them to build nests so they can have their babies. It is easy to attract birds to gardens or to windowsills. You can place some wild bird food in a feeder high up somewhere that cats cannot reach. The birds will enjoy a nice feed and you can watch the different species come to your garden but hang it somewhere you can view it from inside without the birds spotting you and being scared. Also you can put a string of peanuts out that they will like to eat.

You will need:

• Empty milk or juice carton
• Scissors
• Paint and paintbrush
• Strong tape
• String
• Wild bird seed
• Lard
• Stale bread
• Chopped apple and carrot
• Small bowl
• Saucepan and spoon

1. Making this feeder is also a way to recycle cartons. Cut out most of the sides of the carton but leave space at the bottom as a base to put the food.

2. Once you have the shape of the feeder you can paint it, preferably green so it blends in with the surroundings and won't frighten the birds away.

3. When the paint has dried use some strong tape to make a loop at the top of the carton and fill the base with the wild bird seed.

4. Hang your feeder in a place safe from the reach of cats. Thread some peanuts on a string and hang it next to the feeder.

To make a bird seed ball:
You may need help from an adult.
Melt the lard in a saucepan on low heat and add the wild bird seed and chopped apple and carrot.
Break a slice of stale bread into pieces in a bowl and pour the lard mixture over the bread pieces. Mix it together and as it cools you should be able to form it into a ball. Press a piece of string in the middle so when the mixture has cooled you should be able to hang the ball up next to your feeder and the peanuts.