I thought I’d share some of my #wildlife endeavors. First a healthier suet recipe, guaranteed to help little birdies make it through cold.
Melt a jar of peanut butter and a tub of lard together, mix thoroughly, add rolled oats, cornmeal and birdseed until desired. Can add
Leftover nuts, cereals like Cheerios, a little sugar, and pack it into pound size tubs, freeze till hard. Unmold using hot water
And store blocks of suet in freezer. I offer it in a fly-thru feeder type. It will draw cold hungry ones from all around.
I also provide squirrel food blocks on the ground, sold in stores. They get corn and peanut butter too.
For the deer I provide planted forage, corn and apples. And fresh salt mineral blocks each season.
The best seeds for little birds in winter is Black Oil Sunflower seed, for the oil. For finches, Nyger seed.
If you can maintain an unfrozen water source, please do. Many birds die for lack of drinkable water in winter. I have a running stream.
Your larger birds, starlings, crows, etc will, oddly enough, eat small bite dog kibble, cheap brand w/GRAIN as main ingredient.
Isn’t good for your dog, they aren’t engineered for it. But larger birds are and they like the extra fat and protein in the winter.
My son made me the perfect bird feeder. He found an old disker or harrow, up-ended it and tied it to a tree. Viola! 6-level fly-thru feeder!
You can be creative with bird feeders and housing. I’ve been collecting and using all kinds of homemade stuff! Really fun.
Around here we have all kinds of oddball houses and feeders as well as bought stuff. Birds nest in almost anything with the right hole.
I hope you all enjoy helping the critters as much as I do. And there are many choices to help with. Love to hear some of your ideas!
When snow was too deep to reach the feeders, put trays on top of snow full of seed. Seemed to work real well.
I love to feed the birds outside a big window so I can watch their joy, but now my two kitties go out and I don’t want put the birdies in danger. There isn’t any large tree close to the house.
Is there an easy way to put a feeder on a tall pole that will keep the birds out of harms way?
Thank you Jetsunma for showing us ways to be compassionate in our everyday life. I love you dearly for that example.
Sangdrol — Regardless of your feeders, cats outside are putting birds in danger. Domestic cats are one of the main predators for wild birds. Any chance you can get them to be inside kitties?