Today is the vernal equinox. That means spring is finally here! Hooray! Let’s celebrate by putting out some bird nesting material!
The birds are already quite busy building their nests and preparing for their youngsters to come. By providing bird nesting material, you can help them with their work and also attract birds that don’t visit feeders. Additionally, this is such a neat craft to do with young kids! It’s quick and easy to do, doesn’t cost a thing and looks so pretty in your garden!
Bird nesting material
You can go about this craft in a lot of different ways. All you need is some kind of container to put your nesting materials in. I’ve seen pictures where they used old bird cages, shopping net bags, berry baskets and special wire spirals. The container should be weather-resistant and hazard-free for animals. If the container is solid, you should drill some holes in the bottom. Otherwise it might collect rain water and spoil the nesting materials. I used an old basket that I found in my garden shed.
If you don’t have a suitable container at home or are unsure what to use, you can also buy a bird feeder (available here*) online.
I used different scraps of wool als bird nesting material. Mainly because this is what I had at home and I really love the colorful look. Additionally it is so much fun to look around later in the year and spot the brightly colored pieces incorporated into some of the birds nests! 🙂
You don’t have to use just wool though. You can use various things like straw, sticks and moss. I will add a list of suitable materials at the end of this entry.
I put all the sraps of wool into the old basket and cut out a piece of chicken wire to fit over the opening. This is just to secure the wool pieces from falling out.
You can also use a piece of an old shopping net bag, or make a net with some yarn by crisscrossing it over the opening. Just make sure that the material is hazard-free for the birds and they can come to no harm while digging around the basket.
I bent down the edges of the chicken wire and secured it to the basket with some yarn pieces. Tug out some loose ends to make it easier for the birds to reach the wool.
All done! 🙂 Find a nice place in your garden, on your balcony or even on your windowsill to secure your bird nesting material dispenser. Ideally it should be a bit higher up and at a safe distance from the cat’s reach. Happy Spring!!
Suitable bird nesting materials:
scraps of wool
dried grass
twigs
moss
wood wool
natural raffia
sheep’s wool
fur
shredded paper
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