I remember making yoghurt pot bird cakes when i was little and i think it's a simple way to get children engaging with nature. You don't even need to force your child to consume copious amounts of yoghurt - All sorts of food containers can be recycled into bird feeders. Alternatively you can use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the mixture like i did. I used 100g of lard with an equal amount of bird food - too much lard will result in very squishy cakes but too little means the mixture won't hold together properly. Begin by melting the lard over low heat and then mix together with any of the following:
- Bird seed - peanuts
- raisins (not good for dogs!) - sunflower seeds
- fruit pieces - bread or cake crumbs
- cheese - oats
If you are using pots or containers, tie a perching stick to the end of some string and thread through a small hole in the base of the pot (so that you can hang them upside down when ready). Get somebody to hold the string in place whilst you fill the pot to the top with mixture. If you have used cutters instead, take a drinking straw and punch a hole in each bird cake - you can add the string later once they have set. All you need to do now is leave them in the fridge overnight to harden.
These bird cakes are particularly good for hanging out in the winter because the lard will stay chilled and not melt in the sun. The high fat content will also give garden birds the best chances of surviving cold winter nights.
Here are a few more photos from my weekend at home in the Scottish Borders. The fields had already been harvested - i feel like autumn colour is already on its way (and i can't wait!)
