Birds benefit from supplementary food in gardens, especially during winter and early spring, when food is in short supply. Make a simple feeder using terracotta pots packed with fat balls, to attract a variety of birds such as the great tit, pictured.
You Will Need
- Terracotta pots (11cm in diameter)
- Wire (approximately 50cm long)
- Wire cutters
- Twigs
- Secateurs
- Fat balls (roughly three per small pot)
Total time:
Step 1
Use secateurs to cut a piece of twig that will fit across the base of the pot. Wrap a length of wire around the twig, leaving enough to hang the pot with later.
Step 2
Clean the pots with a weak disinfectant solution and rinse thoroughly. Feed the wire through the drainage hole in the base of the pot, ensuring that the twig fits snugly inside.
Step 3
Turn the pot over and pack the inside tightly with fat balls. Fold the wire and loop it onto a longer piece, hanging from a branch.
Step 4
Hang the feeder singly or group it with others.
Kate Bradbury says
Fat balls are a particularly good source of calories in winter, when birds use huge amounts of energy just to stay warm at night. In summer feed birds protein-rich foods such as mealworms and sunflower seeds. These aid feather development and growth, which helps them get into shape after the grueling breeding season.
