How to make a hanging bird feeder

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Monday, 8 July 2019 at 8:42 am

Discover how to create an energy-packed hanging bird feeder, using pots and fat balls.

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Birds benefit from supplementary food in gardens, especially during winter and early spring, when food is in short supply. Make a simple feeder using terracotta pots packed with fat balls, to attract a variety of birds such as the great tit, pictured.

You Will Need

Terracotta pots (11cm in diameter)
Wire (approximately 50cm long)
Wire cutters
Twigs
Secateurs
Fat balls (roughly three per small pot)

Total time: 30 minutes

Step 1

Use secateurs to cut a piece of twig that will fit across the base of the pot. Wrap a length of wire around the twig, leaving enough to hang the pot with later.

Step 2

Clean the pots with a weak disinfectant solution and rinse thoroughly. Feed the wire through the drainage hole in the base of the pot, ensuring that the twig fits snugly inside.

Step 3

Turn the pot over and pack the inside tightly with fat balls. Fold the wire and loop it onto a longer piece, hanging from a branch.

Step 4

Hang the feeder singly or group it with others.

Kate Bradbury says
Fat balls are a particularly good source of calories in winter, when birds use huge amounts of energy just to stay warm at night. In summer feed birds protein-rich foods such as mealworms and sunflower seeds. These aid feather development and growth, which helps them get into shape after the grueling breeding season.