Save Money and Help Your Feathered Friends

Spring forward and take action with these “Secrets For Money” on how to save money and help your feathered friends at the same time with these budget-friendly and bird-friendly recipes and DIY (Do It Yourself) mini-projects I bring to you.

There are double the gifts of nature when you can quickly and easily make your own “Hummingbird Nectar“—a recipe that is just 1 step—and 2 ingredients that you already have at home!

Most importantly, the clear homemade nectar is better for these amazing creatures than store-bought—I will personally never buy the ‘red kind’ (colored with red dye) again as I also recently learned it is not healthy for the precious Hummingbirds!

That is only one of the thrifty, fun and fulfilling bird-treats to make in this article—there is also a way to make a “Birds’ Christmas Tree,” “Pudding“ for Birds and much more.

I also give you a “Resource List” which has many tips, among them “Top 10 Foods For Winter Bird Feeding,” and “Top 10 Ways To Help Birds In Bad Weather,” and pointers for what to do before going to buy a birdhouse—a handy online guide from The Department of Wildlife Conservation for the type of house each bird uses.

Hanging a birdhouse not only gives an address to birds year ’round but it help birds and their habitat, and is especially important with the breeding season about to start.

An extra bonus is that you could make any one of these items as a gift to your non-feathered friends so they can spread the joy too!

1) “Seed Cones” and a “Birds’ Christmas Tree”: One year awhile back near Christmas, when I had a backyard (sadly we don’t have one currently—we are saving for a home with a backyard) I made these pinecone treats.

Using strong string from the hardware store, I hung these Pinecone Treats or “Seed Cones” on a large pine tree in my backyard—the tree looked as if I had decorated it with ornaments—and I called it the “Birds’ Christmas Tree.”  It seemed like all the local Songbirds showed up to eat these treats and sing Christmas Carols!

If you have children, this is a great project to involve them with along with your supervision of course.

And you can give a dozen off these “Seed Cones” as a gift—just place them upright in a recycled egg carton to present them to a friend.
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/how_to/recipes/seed_cones.aspx

2) “Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe”:
Here are some extra-important tips for when you follow this fast and easy recipe which uses just white cane sugar and water.
–Only use “white cane sugar” which you can buy at your local supermarket (do not use beet sugar or artificial sweetener or anything else!)
–Let the nectar cool completely before pouring into the hummingbird feeder.  Do not add anything extra to this recipe (no red food coloring; no honey—it is unnecessary and harmful, for example honey quickly ferments and becomes poisonous to the hummingbirds.
–Also, clean the hummingbird feeder every 2 weeks and replace with fresh nectar.  Or replace the nectar sooner if you see that the nectar looks murky or cloudy.
http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/23/homemade-hummingbird-nectar/

3) Bird Watcher’s Digest.com has an easy “Ant Catcher for Hummingbird Feeders” that you can make: http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/how_to/hummingbird/ant_catcher.aspx

4) Make your Own Bird Bath: I love this easy and resourceful “Clay Pot and Saucer Bird Bath” idea! http://www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/bird-bath.shtml

5) Pudding for Birds? Yes—see this recipe for “Peanut Butter Suet Dough”
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/how_to/recipes/bird_pudding.aspx

And here is an article that explains why this “Peanut Butter Suet Dough” is so important. http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/suetdough.aspx

More Resources List:

* Specifications For Birdhouses for when you purchase one from The Department of Wildlife Conservation http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/birdhous/specs.htm

* Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds how to identify them, what to feed them and much more! http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/

* “Top 10 Foods For Winter Bird Feeding” http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/bill_top_10_winter.aspx

* “Top 10 Ways To Help Birds In Bad Weather”
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/bad_weather.aspx

* Top 10 Things You Can Do For Birds In Fall”
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/top_ten/bill_top_10_fall.aspx

Copyright © 2009 by Mara Rogers of Secrets for Money http://www.SecretsForMoney.info

Photo Credit: This photograph “Hummingbirds” by Teddy Llovet. For more of this Photographer’s work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teddyllovet/ and http://www.flickr.com/people/teddyllovet/

For more “Secrets” to making money, saving money, and managing your money go to the Archives at Secrets For Money http://www.SecretsForMoney.info/blog

This article is featured at Green Panda Treehouse at the latest edition of The Festival of Frugality http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2009/03/festival-of-frugality-167/