As we start to enter the cooler months of the year, a fun activity to do with your children is making Fat Balls for the birds who love to still spend time in your winter garden and yard. This project can be made in a quarter of an hour.
Fat Balls are a great way to keep your feathered friends happy and full over the winter months. It also encourages them to make a stop at your home when you hang this tasty source of energy straight from a tree. It's also a great way to create a wildlife-friendly garden. These fat cakes are best used in the winter or early spring, as they’ll melt in warmer weather.
Many of our native and migratory birds are fraught with challenges during this season – food, water and a safe nesting spaces, once abundant, can now be scarce. This is why doing all we can in these colder winter months to support our birdlife is so important. Giving our garden birds an energy-rich homemade fat ball is the perfect quick and easy craft.
Did you know that the common small birds that can be found in our gardens at this time of year, and the colder weather can be incredibly tough for them. It is thought that on a single cold night, a robin can lose up to 10% of its body fat. Offering these birds a source of healthful sustenance and the opportunity to retain body fat is just what is needed.
Fat balls are just a great way to feed the birds. Additionally, they also offer a great way to use up any leftovers that might otherwise go to waste – excess fat from your Sunday roast and stale bread in particular.
Recipe:
To Make your own Fat Ball, you will need one part lard and one part seeds and nuts. Melt the lard in a pan and add thee nuts and seeds whilst stirring. The ur this into a mould, such as half a coconut. You could also dip a pinecone in lard or pour it over a toilet roll. Tie a string to the fat ball and allow it to harden. If you have some lard left over, you don't have to throw this away. You can cut it in pieces and place it on a feeding table.