Why a simple feeder makes a real difference

By the time January arrives, the garden has been picked clean. Berries are gone, insects are buried deep in the soil and bark, and the ground is often frozen hard enough that a blackbird cannot probe for worms at all. A blue tit weighing barely ten grams may burn through most of its fat reserves on a single cold night, and it must restock from the moment it wakes.

That is where we come in. A feeder hung in the right place, at the right time of year, can genuinely tip the balance for small birds. You do not need to buy anything made of plastic and perspex, either. Pine cones, seeds, animal fat and a length of garden twine will do the job beautifully, and the whole project takes about twenty minutes on a kitchen table.

What you will need

Gather everything before you start, because the fat sets quickly once it begins to cool.

• Two or three dry pine cones, fully open. Give damp or mouldy ones a miss.
• About 200g of lard or beef suet. Ask a butcher if you are unsure — they often sell it cheaply.
• Roughly 200g of bird seed. Sunflower hearts, chopped peanuts or a good mixed seed all work well.
• Natural twine — jute, sisal or cotton string. Roughly 30cm per cone. Plastic string does not rot away if it is dropped, so stick to natural fibres.
• A small saucepan, a spoon and a sheet of greaseproof paper.

One rule matters above all others: never use cooking fat, dripping from a roast, or vegetable oil. These smear over feathers, destroy their waterproofing and can leave a bird chilled and unable to fly properly. Animal fat sets hard and is safe.

Making the feeder, step by step

• Tie a loop of twine around the top of each cone, tucked between the scales at the base of the stalk. A doubled knot holds well. Leave a good 20cm hanging free for tying on later.
• Melt the lard or suet gently in the saucepan over a very low heat. It should soften, not bubble or spit. Take it off the heat as soon as it is liquid.
• Stir the seed through the melted fat until it forms a thick, claggy mixture. Add a little more seed if it looks runny.
• Hold each cone by its twine and press the mixture into the open scales with a spoon, turning as you go. Work it in properly — the scales are what hold the food in place.
• Lay the finished cones on greaseproof paper and leave them somewhere cool for an hour or so to set. A cold shed or the fridge is ideal.

Choosing seed that actually gets eaten

Cheap mixed seed often contains a lot of wheat, barley and split peas, which most garden birds simply scratch onto the ground. You will get far more visitors, and far less waste, with sunflower hearts. They are high in fat and energy, and because the husk has already been removed there is nothing left to litter the lawn. Goldfinches, siskins and greenfinches adore nyjer. Robins, dunnocks and blackbirds prefer a little chopped suet sprinkled on a ground tray, since they rarely perch to feed.

Peanuts are excellent winter food, but only ever buy them from a supplier that guarantees they are free of aflatoxin, and never offer salted or dry-roasted ones. If you are feeding through spring, use peanuts only in a fine mesh feeder, so adult birds cannot carry whole nuts back to hungry chicks.

Hanging it well

Position matters as much as the food itself. Hang your cones about 1.5 to 2 metres from the ground, near — but not inside — a dense shrub or thorny hedge such as hawthorn or pyracantha. Birds need somewhere to dash for cover if a sparrowhawk appears.

Think about cats. A feeder hung close above a low, bushy hiding place is an invitation to disaster, so keep the approach clear. If your feeder will sit near a window, either bring it within a metre of the glass, where birds cannot build up speed, or push it more than three metres away. Anything in between is where collisions happen.

Move the feeder every few weeks. This stops droppings and discarded seed building up in one spot and discourages rats from settling in.

Keeping things clean and healthy

A fat-and-seed cone is best treated as a disposable treat. Once it turns soggy, grey or mouldy, take it down and bin it — never leave mouldy food hanging. Wash your hands after handling feeders, and scrub any permanent feeders weekly in hot soapy water, letting them dry fully before refilling.

Watch your visitors, too. If you see a bird looking fluffed up, dull or unwell, particularly with a crusty or swollen face, stop feeding for a fortnight, clean everything thoroughly and let the area rest. Disease spreads quickly where birds gather.

More natural ways to feed a garden

• Leave seed heads standing over winter — teasel, sunflower, globe thistle and honesty all feed finches.
• Let ivy flower and berry. It is one of the best single plants for wildlife in a British garden.
• Leave windfall apples on the grass for blackbirds, thrushes and redwings.
• Build a leaf pile and a small log stack. Insects breed in them, and insects feed next spring's chicks.

Feed from October through to April, and double up during frost and snow, when natural food is locked away. A row of fat-filled cones in the bare branches is a small, kind thing — and it will bring your garden alive.