Bird seed ornaments
Everyone loves to feed the birds in winter.
(Learn about one of Iowa’s winter birds: Dark-eyed junco)
It helps the birds that are scavenging for food. It lets you get close to watch these fun, feathered friends. Bird watching is a good hobby to do from the warmth of your house on chilly days.
You can always fill your feeders with regular bird seed, but you can also turn making bird feeders into an activity itself.
(Tell finches apart at your feeder)
A great way to make bird feeders with the kids is to make bird seed ornaments to hang outside.
Naturalists prepare bird seed ornaments for a program.
You’ll need:
4 cups of bird seed mix
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope dry gelatin
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
12 cookie cutters
Cooking spray
6 plastic straws, cut in half
Parchment paper
12 pieces of ribbon or twine, cut in 8-inch lengths
Optional: 1 cup shortening, 1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries
Begin by mixing the bird seed and flour together in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, microwave the water for 30 seconds and mix in the envelope of gelatin. Stir until dissolved, and then stir in the corn syrup.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Spray your cookie cutters with cooking spray and set them on parchment paper. Fill the cookie cutters with the seed mixture and press down.
Place a straw near the top of each mold to create a hole that will be used to thread ribbon through to hang your bird seed ornament.
Let your ornament dry at least 2 hours, or until completely dry. Remove the ornament from the cookie cutter; remove the straw, and put ribbon through the hole left by the straw. Knot the ribbon to make a loop.
If you would like to make your ornament even more appealing, spread shortening on top of one side of the ornament and dot with dried fruit.
Place ornament on a tree near your window so you can see the birds enjoy the treat!
Bird egg memory match game
Naturalist Ashley Hansen talks about how amazing bird eggs are — from the myriad of colors to the variety of sizes. You can learn even more about bird eggs by downloading our bird egg memory match game! Simply print off the pieces on cardstock, cut them out and match eggs with the adult bird. When…
Read More
Toilet paper tube birds
Who doesn’t have empty toilet paper tubes? We all do. And if you don’t right now, you definitely will have some soon. Let’s use them for a fun purpose and turn them into adorable birds, and you can make whatever kind of bird you want. I chose a robin — my mom’s favorite — and…
Read More
Types of bird nests
People live in different types of houses — some made from lumber, some from concrete, some very large and some very small. Birds also build different kinds of nests. Since there are about 18,000 species of birds in the world, so there are many, many different types of nests. Here are some common types: Scrape…
Read More
Birds have hollow bones
In the spring and fall, the vast majority of birds take to the air. In the spring, they head north to their breeding grounds, and in the fall, they head south to overwintering areas that are warmer and have ample food supplies. Migration can be a long and hard journey, and the bigger the bird,…
Read More
Birds change feathers like people change clothes
You may have noticed that as the seasons change, birds begin to look different. What was a bright eastern goldfinch in the spring becomes a duller hue in the winter. A duck that had vibrant breeding feathers earlier in the year now looks a little drab. That is because birds molt. Their feathers wear out…
Read More
Cowbirds lay eggs in other nests
Two volunteers were weeding an area and found a small chipping sparrow nest in a low bush. In the nest were three of the sparrow’s bright blue, speckled eggs and another egg that didn’t match. This fourth egg was larger, white and speckled with brown. If you find a similar scenario, you’re looking at a…
Read More
Iowa winter birds
Pine siskins, purple finches, dark-eyed juncos, American tree sparrows — these Iowa winter birds are really only just a few of the birds that make winter a bit more fun in this cold state. 1. Red-breasted nuthatch Red-breasted nuthatches live year-round in many parts of the western United States and Canada, but they spent winter,…
Read More
Make your own backyard birding binoculars
Birding is such a popular hobby because everyone can do it. Whether you are backyard birding, taking a hike or even boating, you can always catalogue the birds that you see. The he Dickinson County Nature Center features nests of some of the most common birds you might see right outside your window. (Grackles, blackbirds…
Read More
Make your own pine cone bird feeder
More than 40 people attended last week’s Turkey Trot hike through Kenue Park and ended the Thanksgiving celebration by making their own pinecone bird feeders. If you didn’t attend, why don’t you grab the kids, head out on a wintry hike today, find some pine cones and make bird feeders of your own? (Okoboji seagulls…
Read More