"HK" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Jan 10, 9:33 pm, John H. wrote:
Came across this recipe for bird treats in the latest copy of Virginia's
'Outdoor Report'.

The following recipe is a great food mixture for birds that can be
smeared
on tree bark, fence posts, the wood in a wood pile, or pine cones hung
in
the yard where they can be seen from your windows. This mix provides a
supplemental source of fat energy and nutrients to the birds. Making the
mixture is fun, inexpensive and something the whole family can join in.

First, in large bowl, stir together:

1 part flour,
3 parts yellow corn meal,
1 part bird seed,
a handful of raisins and
a handful of shelled peanuts.
Then add 1 part of lard or peanut butter and stir until the mixture
holds
together in one big ball. (Or, you can substitute bacon grease that's
been
rendered and chilled, but do not use shortening.)

This mixture will attract nuthatches, chickadees, tufted titmice, brown
creepers, woodpeckers, mockingbirds and even bluebirds. Keep a record of
the different species of birds you observe, it's fun and educational for
"children" of all ages. The birds will appreciate it too!

--
John H

My daughter, a nature lover like her dad, makes pretty much the same
mixture! Only thing is trying to keep the squirrels out of it!

I just go to Costco, buy a 40# box of seed. Freeze the seed for a couple
days. Pour it in my feeder which holds about 8#. The birds share with
the squirrels. They just have to wait an hour or so until the squirrels
take a brake. Freezing the seeds cuts the germination rate down to an
acceptable level. Only get a few sunflowers and milo growing in the yard
now. The squirrels need to eat also.


We have separate areas for the birds and the squirrels. Since the
squirrels don't have to work hard to get at the food that's for them, they
typically stay away from the bird feeds until the squirrel food is gone.


The foxes and raccoons like almost any kind of Purina dog chow. We get
that because it never had the Chinese bakelite in it. Most of the raccoons
are hibernating now, but the fox couple comes by a couple times a week.

The deer go for "deer corn" and "deer apples," both of which are sold
around here for next to nothing.

The deer ate the roses and hibiscus. Wife was really ****ed about the
Hibiscus. We do not encourage them to come the couple of blocks from the
open space in the area.