Bird Food Recipes by Rhonda Massingham Hart

Author:Rhonda Massingham Hart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 1995-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Pine cones can be spread with suet or suet mixtures and hung from tree branches.

Create suet balls by pouring suet into a rounded mold and removing while still warm and soft enough to manipulate. Set on wax paper and press into shape using the wax paper. When cooled, hang in a mesh bag.

Suet Mixtures

All by itself suet is a valuable source of energy and very attractive to many birds. Suet cakes, cones, molds, and mixtures simply liven up the menu and keep the birds interested.

YUMMY CRUMB CAKES

This recipe combines the high energy of suet, the mass appeal of popular seeds and the extra treat of fruit.

1½ parts wheat or multi-grain bread crumbs

1 part hulled sunflower seeds

1 part white or red proso millet

½ part chopped dried fruit (apples, blueberries, raisins, cherries)

6 to 9 parts suet

Dash of salt

Sprinkle of sand

Melt suet, allow to cool, then re-melt. As it cools the second time stir in all other ingredients. Spoon into molds. Once the cakes solidify, place in suet feeders or attach to trays.

HANGING HEAVEN

A rich, nutritious mix, appreciated by a variety of birds, especially in winter. Even the feeder is edible!

3 parts suet

1 part cornmeal

1 part peanut butter

Sprinkling of sand

1 part brown sugar

1 part raisins, dried cherries, etc.

1 or more coconuts, split in half

1 part mixed seed or broken nuts

Melt suet, allow to cool, then re-melt. Stir in other ingredients. Cook until the mixture is the consistency of porridge. If too thick, add small amounts of water or milk; if too thin, add flour. Pour into coconut halves. Hang coconut halves from tree limbs or eaves.

NO SUET SUET

So tasty you might be tempted to try it yourself!

2 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup oatmeal

½ cup raisins

4 cups crunchy peanut butter

½ cup cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup millet

Boil water with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Add oatmeal and raisins. Cook one minute and stir in remaining ingredients. Press into containers or mold directly onto tree branches.

VON BERLEPSH FORMULA

This highly nutritious formula was developed by the National Audubon Society to resemble the natural diet of insect-eating birds. It is very high in protein and energy and heartily consumed by many overwintering species of birds.

5 parts fine, dry bread crumbs

1½ parts dried berries or fruit

3 parts millet or 5 parts ground, dried meat

Suet

3 parts dried, ground meat

5 parts hempseed

2 parts ant “eggs”*

3 parts hulled sunflower seed

Combine all ingredients except suet. Melt down 1½ times as much suet as the total volume of all other ingredients. This will be equivalent to about 30 parts suet. Allow to cool, then mix with all other ingredients. Allow to cool until of a spreadable consistency. Originally intended to be spread directly onto tree trunks for insect foraging birds, this mixture can also be spread into containers, pie cones, etc. Since the suet is only once melted it will be softer than twice-melted recipes.

*The pupal stage of ants that can be discovered by disturbing ants underneath woodpiles, stumps, etc. If you’d rather forego the foraging part of this recipe, substitute 5 parts ground, dried meat.

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