One of these days, it’s going to get cold outside, and we’ll be turning up the thermostat, fixing a nice hearty and hot casserole for supper and snuggling in. But what about the birds? I always wonder how they weather the storms and especially how they find food when the weather snaps. Like us, they need a good meal, too!

So, this year I thought I’d do more than wonder, and do what I can to help our little friends. That being said, I’m thinking this lull before the holidays would be a good time to make our own wild bird food.

My research shows it’s reasonably affordable and it’s easy—favorite attributes for any project, right? If you like the idea of prepping for our feathered friends, take a look at how to make their seed in 4 simple steps:

First, gather ingredients. You’ll need rolled oats (not instant), sunflower seeds, and dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or just about any dried fruit), and chopped nuts. And by the way, wild bird food making is a smart way to put any stale or rancid seeds and nuts, or too-old dried fruit to use. The birds don’t care.

Next, mix the ingredients together. It doesn't really matter how much of each you use, but more rolled oats than fruit and nuts is best, and the least expensive route to go.

Then, spread the seed mixture in a bird feeder (or on the ground—but expect the squirrels to aggressively compete for this wonderful treat if it’s on the ground).

Finally, watch the birds enjoy your thoughtfulness! I don’t have the scientific facts to back up this opinion, but I’m just sure watching birds is a healthy for our blood pressure as is watching fish in an aquarium.

But wait, there's more! While researching for this article, I found a wonderful website you’ll want to go to, if you’re interested in attracting and feeding hummingbirds (www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com) as well as a few other sites that can help attract more birds in general.

For instance, a good site for bird food recipes is the official site for THE OLD FARMERS ALMANAC, (https://www.almanac.com/homemade-bird-food-recipes). I also learned here that by keeping a feeder stocked with bird food, the birds that you’ll attract will actually stay with you until spring.

And on www.savvyhomemade.com you can also find bird food recipes as well as how to make your own bird feeders. One suggestion was to save a cardstock milk or juice carton and cut it as the photo below shows. A carton, some wire or string, and paint (if you want to gussy it up) are all that’s needed. Just be sure to leave plenty of space at the bottom for the feed, and you and the birds are set.

Finally, here’s a recipe you might want to try. I picked fallen apples off a roadside the other day that I intend to use for this purpose (it doesn’t matter if they’re bruised, withered, or even wormy). I’m going to chop and dehydrate and store them in the freezer so I’ll be able to make wild bird food all winter long. You can delete or add to this recipe, depending on what you have on hand. This is a hobby that’s truly for the birds!

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