By Tora Matys
Many people dream of waking up to the sounds of birds singing every morning. Luckily it’s almost as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich for you to make some feathery friends. Where there’s food there are animals, and by supplying a variety of different bird feeders in your yard, you’ll be feeling like a Disney princess in no time.
Feeding your new neighbours doesn’t have to be expensive either, much like people, birds love the household staple; peanut butter. And by making this natural hanging bird feeding and filling it with the delicious nutrient-rich paste you’ll attract different species of Woodpeckers, Chickadees, various Nuthatches and the occasional Jay.
Photo by Tora Matys
This feeder is easy to make and great for beginners and can be free to make if you have scraps laying around the house if not…it will cost no more than $5 in materials from any hardware store. It also requires two tools most grandpas will have in their garage if you don’t, so give him a call and go make a bird feeder with G-pa.
To start you’ll need:
1 log about 1-2 1/2 feet long and 2-3 inches wide
1 screw (with a head slightly larger than the width of your chosen chain link)
1 piece of chain (whatever length you want)
1 standard S-hook
Tools you’ll need:
Drill press with a 1-inch auger bit
Hacksaw, power saw or an ax
A screwdriver that fits the chosen screws
A Marker
Gloves and glasses (for safety)
Directions:
First, go for a walk around a nearby forest and find a small dead tree (birch or poplar work well but any tree will do). Using your ax or hacksaw cut a piece off about 2 feet long.
Next, take the marker and plan where you want to drill the holes. You can have 2 on the front, 2 on the back and one on either side, or have it random, it’s up to you. After your holes are marked using the drill press carve out holes about ¾ of an inch deep.
*Be careful not to overcrowd the stick or there won’t be enough room for the birds to perch.*
After the holes are drilled, take one end of the chain and screw it to the top of the log. Place the S-hook on the other end of the chain.
Take a spoon and fill all the holes with peanut butter. Hang up on a nearby tree, or on a post, and grab your camera. In no time your backyard will be an outdoor orchestra full of birds from all over the neighbourhood.
