Despite temperatures being in the 50's true CNY'ers know that spring hasn't officially sprung.  In fact we could even see a little snow this coming weekend.  That means bird lovers will need to continue to offer some food for them.  The Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension offer a tip on making your own.

While seeds are a great way to attract birds to your backyard, you may want to consider other foods to attract a wider variety of your feathered friends.  Particularly in the cold of winter, birds can put the calories in fatty suet to good use.  While suet is easily obtained in many stores, you may want to try making your own.  ere’s one to try:

Ingredients: 1 cup lard, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups quick cooking oats, 2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 1 cup birdseed

Directions: Melt 1 cup lard and 1 cup crunchy peanut butter.  Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup sugar.  Combine 2 cups quick cooking oats, 2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour and 1 cup birdseed. Add to the lard/peanut butter and mix well.  Mold the mixture into blocks sized to fit your specific feeder and wrap in aluminum foil. You can freeze the blocks, putting them out for the birds as you need them. 

Get more recipes and designs for making your own feeders and houses at Cornell's Ornithology web page.

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