Homemade Bird food with Éanna Ni Lamhna

All year round there is bound to be hungry little birds in your garden.

Making your own wild bird food can be something fun the whole family can be involved in. It is quick and easy to do.

Éanna Ni Lamhna has suggested two easy to make bird food recipes that hungry little birds will love.

Peanut Butter Rolls

You will need:

• An empty Toilet Roll Holder
• A piece of String
• Some Peanut butter
• Good Quality Bird Seed

Method:

1. Put the string through the toilet roll and tie the ends so that you can hang it up afterwards
2. Spread the peanut butter all over the Toilet roll using a table knife to spread it
3. Pour out the bird seed on to a plate. Roll the buttered toilet roll all over the seeds. When it is completely covered in bird seed you can hang it up outside for the birds.

Bird Cake

You will need:

• You will need
• A small empty yoghurt pot,
• A piece of string.  
• Bird Seed Mixture
• Oatmeal
• Grated cheese
• Solid fat such as suet, lard or cooking vegetable fat

Method:

1. Make a little hole in the middle of the bottom of the yoghurt pot. Poke the string through and tie a knot underneath. Make a loop in the other end so that you can hang it up later.
2. Mix the bird seed with the oatmeal and cheese and put it into the yoghurt pot making sure to hold on to the string.
3. Melt the fat and pour the melted fat over the contents of the pot up to the top.
4. Leave it to harden – you can put it into the fridge.
5. When it is hard cut away the sides of the yoghurt pot and then you can hang up your bird cake for the hungry birds.

We’re here to help

If you need any help, if you have any questions about birds and what to feed them talk to any of our horticulturists in store. Ask us about our potting service. We’d love to help.