Totorus

Photo credit by Steve Mclaren

As any bird lover will tell you, it is a joy and pleasure to help our feathered friends along by making it just a little bit easier to fill their tummys, feed their babies, and making sure they have fresh water to drink. With very little effort, a bag of mixed bird seed and a few other items you can make sure that the birds that live in your area will have plenty of tasty treats to make them sing all day long! Here are a few recipes to help you get started.

Peanut Butter and lard Cakes

Wild Birds love peanut butter and lard. Peanut butter gives them plenty of protein and other nutrients while the lard gives them plenty of fat to keep their energy up. Birds have very high metabolic rates so they need all the energy they can get. This easy recipe combines both peanut butter and lard. These are super easy to make and are great rainy day projects for the kiddies.

You will need:

• 1 cup of lard (available at any grocery store)
• 1 cup of chunky or smooth all-natural peanut butter
• a pie plate with a layer of all purpose bird seed
• 1 muffin tin with paper liners
• heavy yarn, twine, or some other heavy string
• drinking straws or half inch diameter sticks or dowel rods

Melt the lard on low heat. Once the lard has melted add the peanut butter until melted and well blended with the lard. Pour the lard/peanut butter mixture into the muffin tin liners. When the mixture has firmed up a little stick the straws, sticks or dowel rods into the center and refrigerate until completely hardened. When your bird treats have harden, remove the straws or sticks and remove the lard peanut butter treat bases from their muffin cups. Roll each base in the bird seed mixture. String your yard or twine through the holes and tie an large knot in one end. Now find some shady tree branches and hang a few up and watch the birds flock to them!

Store the others treats in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Here is a delightful summer time treat that your feathered friends will also love.

Fruity Bird kabobs

For this tasty treat you will need: apples, pears, dried fruit, berries, summer squash or any other fresh fruits and veggies that you may have stored around your kitchen or growing in your garden and a 2-4 foot length of stout twine.

Slice and cut your fruits and veggies into nice, easy to manage pieces and carefully poke a hole in the middle of each piece. Take your 2 to 4 foot piece of twine and carefully string the twine through the fruits and vegetables. Find a suitable tree branch and hang the bird kabob from it and watch it disappear!

Peanut Butter Pinecone treats

• 1 cup lard
• 1 cup all natural peanut butter
• 2-3 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• Pine cones
• Some stout yarn or twine

This is another easy to make treat that is great for kids to do as well. Simply melt the lard and mix the peanut butter in until well blended. remove from heat and let thicken slightly. Add the corn meal and flour to the mixture and stir until well mixed. Tie a length of yarn or twine to the pinecone and then squash the mixture on to the pinecones until the pine- cone is completely covered. Hang from the branches of a suitable tree.