A Wildlife Yule Tree
In the autumn, start to collect seeds, berries, nuts, hips and haws, in preparation for this midwinter feast for the birds and other wildlife.
'Bird Cake' can be made from seeds, nuts, bread and dried fruits set in fat in used yoghurt pots: knot one end of a piece of string and thread the other end through the base of the yoghurt pot to form a hanging bell. Mix the dry ingredients with melted fat and spoon into the pot; leave to set. Another treat for the birds is peanuts in their shells, threaded onto lengths of twine with a large, blunt needle.
Having collected the food stuffs, you need somewhere to hang them. Find a large branch from a tree and choose a place in the garden or outside a window, where it can be firmly anchored in the ground or fixed to a support. When the really cold weather comes, attach the bells of bird cake and the peanut strings to the branch. Also tie on stems of berries, wild fruits, hips and haws still attached to their twigs.
During the coldest part of winter, when the need for food will overcome some of the wilder birds' fears, you will find all kinds feeding at this special branch. The seeds that fall to the ground will nourish other creatures. Please also find a way to put out shallow bowls of fresh, clean water where birds can not only
drink but, even in very cold weather, can paddle and bathe. An old
frying pan is good and any ice can easily be turned out to be replaced with fresh water. You may be amazed at what kinds of wildlife there are in the most suburban settings.
http://www.paganpar enting.net/ information/ activities/ yuletree. html
A Wildlife Yule Tree
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