snowy arne

Snowy scenes at the wonderfully beautiful RSPB Arne! An early morning walk around Arne in the snow was beautiful with long-tailed tits bounding through the trees with the sound of robins, great tits, goldcrests and blue tits filling the air with birdsong. Out from Shipstal hide black-tailed godwits, dunlins, spoonbills and little egrets were paddling in the icy water. The snow melted quickly but it was beautiful whilst it lasted! 

  

 

 Fresh mole-hills in the snow!

 A flock of goldfinches in the cover crop!

 Fresh sika deer trails!

   

wooden bird feeder

It's pretty cold outside here in England at the moment, so what is nicer than making a bird feeder for the birds in your garden to have a nibble at?!

Here is a very simple recipe for a lovely bird feeder that looks like this... 

You will need: 

1 x small log 

1 piece of 30cm rope 

1 x metal hook 

85g of lard 

1 x bag of raisins 

1 handful of bird seed

Before you get started the small log will need to have small holes drilled into the sides all the way around for the bird food mix to be pushed into. A small metal hook will need to be pushed into the top so that the feeder can be hung up. 

1. Place your lard on a plate.

2. Use your hands to push the lard down into a flat pancake, the lard should soften with the warmth of your hands.

3. Push the bird seed into the lard pancake evenly and onto both sides. 

4. Then push in the raisins until the lard pancake is full.

5. Roll the pancake into a ball. 

6. From the ball, pick off small balls and push them into all the holes in the log.

7. Make sure that each hole is full up of the lard mix. 

8. Add a piece of rope to the metal hook.

9. Hang up your bird feeder in a high up location (to avoid the cats). 

Hope you enjoy this recipe! 

Lauren