A snowy winter is a lean time for birds.
With insects in hiding and seeds and fruits frozen and buried away, birds sometimes struggle to eat enough extra food to stay warm. Luckily, there's plenty people can do to help. On Thursday, members of the Fulton Garden Club learned how to make two tasty treats for birds.
Suet
Suet, a high-fat bird food, is readily available in stores. But Joan Berry Morris prefers to make her own - she finds it more economical, and it also allows her total control over the recipe. She's skeptical of the preservatives in store-bought suet, she said.
"My recipe is high in fat, because birds need lots of fat during the winter to keep up their body temperature," she said.
To make Morris's suet, you'll need a large pot, 4 cups of water, 51/2 cups of oatmeal, 1 pound of lard, 12 ounces of peanut butter, 31/2 cups of cornmeal and 31/2 cups of cream of wheat.
Generic and store-brands are fine, Morris said.
"The birds don't know who's on the package," she said.
Heat the water to boiling and add 2 cups of oatmeal, then cook for two minutes. Then add in the lard and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and dump in the remaining oatmeal, cornmeal and cream of wheat. Continue stirring until well mixed. You'll need a sturdy spoon - the mixture is stiff and sticky.
Morris encourages tweaking the recipe. While making a recent batch, she added a full pound of peanut butter because she couldn't find a 12-ounce package and isn't a fan of the smooth stuff.
"You could put in birdseed for a little additional flavor," she suggested.
Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and form the suet into patties that will fit your suet feeder. Freeze until hard, then wrap each individual puck in wax paper and store in the freezer until needed. An empty oatmeal container holds many suet patties for easy storage, Morris said.
She said one batch tends to last her a year or two, and the birds love it.
"When I set suet out, I'll have them out there fighting over it," she said.
Easy feeders
Get the children involved in this one, Linda Houston said: It's easy, messy and fun.
"We did it during our last Junior Garden Club meeting and the kids always love it," she said.
To make simple, nutrient-packed feeders, you'll need large pine cones, foot-long lengths of yarn, shortening or lard, and birdseed. The Missouri Department of Conservation notes many species birds are especially attracted to black-oil sunflower seeds, but any seed mix will work.
Tie a length of the yarn to the stem of each pine cone. That's how you'll hang it once complete. Then use a spoon or butter knife to slather the pine cone with shortening or lard. Make sure to get plenty between the lobes of the pine cone.
Finally, roll the cone in bird seed. Hang it somewhere where the family can watch the fun. More than 150 species of birds nest in Missouri - see how many you can spot.