This post comes from our blog intern, Aubrie!
Sometimes I think we, as humans, forget that each living being is just as important as the next organism in the food chain. There are simple acts we can do alone or as a community to convey a helping hand to our backyard neighbors.
In my eyes, birds are magnificent creatures. The gentle tweet of their nearby songs can be so calming, as it lets me know they wish to be friends. I catch sight of their seemingly weightless bodies as they swoop and sail across clear blue skies, searching for food. Feeding wild birds has been a pastime for centuries for all nature lovers. Growing up I loved sitting at the window sill, waiting for the Blue Jays to perch atop our wooden birdhouse and find the seeds I had just scattered across the ledge. However, it makes me sad that I haven’t enjoyed this simple interaction with my local wildlife for quite sometime now.
In honor of setting our intentions on bettering the environment this month, I couldn’t wait to make these all-natural bird feeders to enhance my local ecosystem. From flower pollination to weed control, local birds are the natural answer to keeping your neighborhood naturally beautiful. Oftentimes when land is excavated for new building, birds lose nesting spots, shelter and natural food sources. A simple project such as the one I’m presenting today can benefit the birds by replacing resources that have been destroyed by development so that we can all live together harmoniously. These bird feeders use ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, which also makes them completely biodegradable! After the birds have enjoyed the assortment of fruits and nuts you’ve arranged for them, they can use the natural fiber twine to help build their seasonal nests. Hang this garland or feeder from a nearby branch and watch as your local environment comes to life.
Bird Food Garland
What you need:
Twine
Assorted nuts (peanuts in the shell work great)
Assorted dried fruit
Fresh fruit (optional)
Toothpicks
Wild birds love to snack on fresh and dried fruits as well as raw nuts. For this simple garland, I chose to use apricots, raisins, peanuts, and a fresh apple. Simply use a toothpick to poke a hole through the center of one fruit or nut one at a time, and then string the twine all the way through. Repeat and alternate the different kinds of bird food until you’ve made a garland as long as you’d like.
Orange Rind Bird Feeder
What you need:
1 orange
Twine
Wild bird seed
Spoon
Knife
Toothpicks
Take a large fresh orange and cut it in half. Then cut along the inside rim, separating the rind from the pulp and being careful not to cut all the way through the fruit. Take a spoon to scoop out all of the pulp from the orange.
Once you have the shell of the orange, poke four holes equidistant from each other around the rind. String two pieces of equal-length twine across the inside of the orange shell, making an X in the middle. Tie all four ends of twine together at the top with a large knot.
Fill the shell of the orange with wild bird seed. Make sure that the seeds are appropriate for your local species, because tropical birds or pets need different kinds of nutrients. Adjust the twine so the orange hangs evenly. Transport the bird feeder and garland outside to hang from any plant or tree in your backyard!
Check out more #FPEarthMonth ideas and projects from BLDG 25
More DIY projects from the BLDG 25 Blog.
Very eco-friendly item, looks nice, too.
http://www.safran-bolu.com
I love this!!! This looks like an awesome project for my son and I. He just turned two and LOVES birds! He will be super excited! Thanks!!!
-Erin
http://www.thecurlyroots.com
I love birds too. The orange rind feeder is gorgeous!
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
If you have orioles or flickers in your area, cut an orange in half, hang it in a tree or attach it to a feeder, and these birds will come to snack on the fresh orange.
Such a cute idea!!
http://woodlandhalls.wordpress.com
I’ll do that with avocado shells! What a wonderful idea!
super cute I’d just be afraid that it would attract EVEN more squirrels to our yard! haha
This is such a gorgeous idea! The birds around our house will love this!
http://www.cultivatebeauty.com.au
Beautiful idea!
Looks good and good for birds also!
http://www.safran-bolu.com
Heya-
Just a passing comment as an ecologist- feeding birds in areas that get real winters (obviously excluding Florida) and migrating birds, putting out bird feeders like these out in the winter actually detours the birds from migrating as they would normally and ends in its ultimate death. Something we call an “ecological trap”.
Be mindful of this..
This is a lovely idea! Can’t wait to see more birdy guests!