I don’t think anyone will disagree that the northeast has had a brutal winter. Moreover, I am sure it’s not quite over. Although, most of us humans have the luxury of living in a shelter with heat, our feathered friends do not. We try our best to keep the feeders full every winter but their appetites are furious. This winter we’ve gone through 3 times the amount of bird food we usually do during a winter. Sometimes they go through all four feeders in a single day. I have to admit there were days the weather was too nasty to even go out and refill the feeders. Sorry birdies.

As the days warm up and become more hospitable for humans and critters alike, we’ve decided to give our feathered friends a treat. Mathew and I decided to supplement their diet by making pinecone feeders.  This is a fun and easy activity to do with children of all ages.

All you need is:

Pinecones (opened are preferred)

Peanut Butter (or lard if peanut allergies are a concern)

Bird Seed

StringSimply coat the pinecone with peanut butter (or lard). Roll the coated pinecone in the birdseed until it is completely coated. Tie one end of the pinecone with a foot or two of string, and hang it in a tree.

Enjoy watching all your feathered friends visit their new source of food.

Peanut butter is a nutritious treat, high in calories and fat content. Many birds seem to enjoy it, including Nuthatches, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and Jays. That is, if the squirrels leave them alone. Some people are concerned that peanut butter will stick to the birds’ mouth, but this is not problem. If you are still concerned with how sticky the peanut butter is, blend it with cornmeal or flour to make it crumbly. Peanut butter sold in grocery stores is safe for human consumption; therefore, it should be safe for birds especially because cold or cool temperatures keep it fresh. However, it should not be used in warmer weather, as it could go rancid.