In this video Kloe shows you how to make your own Bird Feeders for free using old jars & pine cones. This is a fantastic quick & simple rainy day activity, perfect for children too! Putting out bird feeders, provides a valuable instant source of food for garden birds, particularly during the depths of the Winter when food can be scarce & they need lots of energy to keep warm & start building nests during the breeding season.

Once you’ve made your bird feeder, the next step is deciding where to position & how to maintain it. Here are our top tips:

Placing & Maintaining Bird Feeders

• Position your feeders where there’s some cover nearby (a hedge, shrubs or trees) so that birds can quickly take shelter in the event of any danger.
• Some birds prefer to feed on the ground rather than on a hanging feeder or bird table so make sure there’s some clear space underneath for these ground feeders to pick up the food that will in variably fall from above.
• We also have an old table which we’ve positioned outside a window which we use as a giant bird table, scattering Kitchen scraps & seed on it.
• One of the joys in feeding birds is seeing them, so choose a spot you’ll be able to watch them clearly from a window.
• Ultimately a bit of everything is best – hang some feeders in a tree & have a feeding table too.
• DON’T FORGET water – needed for drinking & cleaning. An old pyrex dish or other shallow dish is perfect. Wants to be just deep enough for them to paddle in.
• Clean feeders & dishes regularly – we gather them all up & run in the dishwasher on a hot wash thus avoiding any chemicals.
• Only put as much food out as wild birds will be able to eat in a day. This helps prevent it going off & ensures you’re feeding the birds & not the rats.

Next Steps..

Once birds start visiting your feeders, why not take part in the Irish Garden Bird Survey!? This fantastic citizen science project being run by BirdWatch Ireland is currently running until the 31st March 2021 & your contributions will help develop a better understanding of garden birds across Ireland.

If you’d like to do even more for wild birds, we’d recommend you look at growing a bird-friendly garden. While making & filling feeders is fantastic in the short term, is doesn’t provide a habitat for birds in the long term with spaces for them to nest & create diverse, local food sources. Have a look at our blog post here on Growing a Garden for Birds for lots more information & recommendations on plants to grow.

We hope you enjoyed this read & a watch, for lots more tips from our gardens to you & yours have a look below..