Holiday Treats for your
Wild Neighbors
Peanut Butter Pine Cones: Spread
a mixture of peanut butter and
corn meal on the outside of pine
or fir cones. Roll them in BirdWise
blend or sunflower seed and hang
the cones from branches or feeder
hooks for an easy bird treat.
Fruit and Bagel Ornaments:
Cut a bagel in three or four
doughnut-shaped slices or choose
ring-shaped dried apple, pear or
pineapple slices. Spread a mixture
of peanut butter and corn meal
or softened suet on both sides of
the dried fruit or bagels. Sip in
sunflower chips, BirdWise seed or
FinchWise.
Popcorn Garland: Using a
sharp needle and heavy thread,
string popcorn, peanuts, cranberries, raisins and even bits of suet
together in a visually pleasing
pattern.
Wildlife Tree: Make a cone or
pyramid-shaped form of heavy
cardboard, plywood or any other
building material that is nontoxic
to wildlife. Using large nails,
attach apples or oranges and
decorate to suit your visual taste
and their actual taste with holly
sprigs, dried cranberries, nuts or
other edible treats. Done well, a
“tree” can serve as a centerpiece
for your table before serving as
dinner for the critters.
Wildlife Cornucopia: This is
about the easiest of all. Fill an
old basket, box, planter or just
about any container with dried
cob corn, dried pumpkin seed,
nuts (with shells), berries (dried or
fresh), even split winter squash or
carrots. Make it available on a low
platform, stump or on the ground
and wait for the parade to begin.
Seed Bell
DECEMBER 2016
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
47