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Take RSPB’s Wild Challenge: Feed the Birds
Giving birds a little extra food is a simple and fun way to help, especially when natural sources are low. Making cakes for the birds is great, sticky fun and is irresistible for many garden birds! Hang them from your garden trees, or on your balcony and watch your neighbourhood birds discover them.
Remember to take photos whilst making the cake, and of the birds flocking to your patch to eat it! You can share your picture with other Backyard Nature Guardians by tagging us @BackyardNatUK and using the hashtags #BackyardNature and #FeedTheBirds.
Find out more by visiting the RSPB website.
Stuff you'll need
- String
- Scissors
- Mixing bowl
- Molds (eg empty yogurt pots)
- Lard to bind the other ingredients together
- Mealworms
- Mixed seed
- Nuts (unsalted)
- Raisins
- Hard cheese
- Camera or smart phone
Step-by-step guide
- Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of your mould or yoghurt pot. Thread string through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Leave enough string so that you can tie the pot to a tree or your bird table.
- If using lard, allow the fat to warm up to room temperature, but don’t melt it. Then cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl.
- Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix them together with your finger tips. Keep adding the seed/raisin/cheese mixture and squidging it until the fat holds it all together. This bit can get quite sticky!
- Fill your yoghurt pots with bird cake mixture and put them in the fridge to set for an hour or so.
- Hang your speedy bird cakes from trees or your bird table. Watch for greenfinches, tits and who knows, maybe even great spotted woodpeckers if you’re lucky!
- Don’t forget to tell us when you have completed the activity! Head over to the RSPB website to do this. When you mark the activity as complete, you will be asked to upload a photo, drawing, painting or a piece of writing talking about your experience to help earn your award.
Important notes
Not suitable for children with nut allergies. Note that bird seed, including peanuts bought for birds, is not suitable for human consumption.
Stay safe!
If you are allergic to nuts, try this without adding peanuts – and make sure your bird seed doesn’t contain nuts. Be careful when you are using the scissors. Ask an adult to help if you need to.
Read more on the RSPB website.
Photos by Ben Andrew, RSPB Images.
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