This easy-to-make log feeder offers birds a feast of energy-boosting seeds and fat. Over time, the log will rot down, providing a perfect habitat - and a food source - for lots of different insects, many of which would make a tasty snack for birds, too.

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You Will Need

  • Log or thick branch
  • Drill
  • Drill bits
  • Auger bits
  • Ready-made suet and seed block, or any mix of suet/fat and seeds
  • Garden spade

Total time: 30 minutes


Step 1

Drilling holes in the log
Drilling holes in the log

Drill lots of holes of various sizes into the log, using a selection of drill bits and auger bits. Work along the full length, on all sides.


Step 2

Stuffing suet into the holes
Stuffing suet into the holes

Push the fat and seed mix into all the drill holes. Then find a suitable site for the feeder where visiting birds won't be disturbed.


Step 3

Firming the log into the ground
Firming the log into the ground
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Dig a hole, deep enough for support your log. Stand the log upright in the hole, then backfill with soil, firming it down with your foot.

Kate Bradbury says

If possible, use a log from a native tree, such as an oak or beech, growing in your garden or nearby. As it rots, it will attract beetles and other wood-boring insects, which have evolved alongside that tree. It’s a lovely symbiosis that happens all the time in the natural world, but which we can replicate in our gardens.
Kate Bradbury
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