| Recipes
recommended by Julie L. for attracting a variety of birds.
Freezer
Bird Treats
To make freezer treat recipes, start by saving
stale bread and cereal, mushy fruit, old nuts, and fatty meat
scrapes such as chicken skin or fat trimmed from roasts. Separate
these ingredients in individual containers in the freezer, then
combine them according to the freezer treats recipes below.
Bluebird Mixture
2 parts from fruit bag
2 parts chopped suet
1 part from bread bag
1 part from meat bag
1/2 part cornmeal (optional)
Combine all ingredients. Spread on cookie sheet lined with wax
paper. Refreeze until hard. Pour into resealable bags. Serve
in an open tray feeder. This is also a favorite of mockingbirds
and wrens.
2 parts from bread bag
1 part from meat bag
1 part chopped suet
1/2 part from nut bag
Pour into large bowl and break apart chunks. Work ingredients
until they are reasonably blended and the mixture clings together.
The suet will melt as you work, providing the binding agent.
But if the mixture seems too dry and crumbles, add some peanut
or corn oil. Mold into balls or corncob size logs. Serve on
a spiked feeder or put into a mesh bag and hang from a tree
branch. This is also a favorite of chickadees, jays, nuthatches
and titmice.
Other
Bird Treats
Fruity
Mix
2 cups raisins
2 cups dried cherries
2 cups almonds, pecans walnuts or other nuts
1 cup prunes
1 cup peanuts
1 cup dried squash or melon seeds Coarsely chop fruits and
nuts. Pour all the ingredients into a bucket or large bowl and stir
to combine. Store leftover mix in a brown paper bag in a cool, dry place.Note:
To chop dried fruit more easily into beak-size bites, use a sharp knife
and dip in cornmeal when fruit begins to stick to it.
Chickadee Delight
2 cups beef fat trimmings, ground or finely
chopped
1 cup hulled sunflowers
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup shelled almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts, coarsely
chopped
Spread the chopped fat on a tray in a single, shallow
layer and freeze until stiff. Break into small pieces with hands, and
pour into a resalable plastic bag. Return to freezer and freeze overnight.
Dump suet pieces into large bowl, and stir in other ingredients. Pour
into open tray feeder in a shallow layer.
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Newsletter Published for Young Birders
The
American Birding Association offers a special newsletter for young birders
called A Bird's Eye View. The newsletter accepts art,
poems, and other materials from youngsters about birds. Details about
the newsletter, and events such as birding workshops are available at
the web address: http://www.americanbirding.org;
or call (719) 578-9203.
Kids and Educator resources. Provides links and useful
environmental links regarding earth day, compost, creating a worm bin,
various publications and training opportunities.
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