The wildlife expert emphasizes that it makes sense to set up feeding stations, especially in snowy winters. These bird buffets help the birds and are a great way to observe the animals in the home garden all year round. The international animal protection foundation advises against commercially available grain dumplings, as these are mainly found in environmentally harmful plastic nets. “These nets are often forgotten and then hang in the tree for a long time until they are eventually blown into nature. In addition, the close-meshed nets can become a dangerous trap for the birds if they get caught in them,” warns Christian Erdmann.
Feeding bombs and feeding bells are quick to make yourself and are great Advent fun, especially for children. explains how it works:
To make nutritious food bombs yourself, you only need a few ingredients:
- Vegetable fat, for example coconut oil, some salad oil
- Small flowerpot, coconut shell, washed-out yoghurt cups or cookie cutters
- Feed mix: Sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, millet, poppy seeds or chopped nuts are ideal as a crunchy seed mix for grain eaters. For soft food lovers such as robins, blackbirds or fieldfares, you can add raisins and other dried fruit.
- Branch or cord for hanging
Mix about 2 parts of the melted vegetable fat with 1 part of the seed mixture and add a little more salad oil. Then fill the smooth mass into the flower pot, yoghurt pot or coconut shell. Stick a branch into the feed mass and let everything cool down. A ramified branch is best, or you can take two at the same time. In this way, the feed container can later be wedged upside down in a tree in an environmentally friendly manner.
Alternatively, you can put the mixed fat-seed mixture in a biscuit mold. To do this, it is best to line a work surface with baking paper, place heart, star and other biscuit shapes and fill them with the feed mixture. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the top third of the mold. Once dry, pull out the stick and pull a ribbon or cord through it to hang. The cooled feed mixture can be easily pressed out of the mold.
tip: If there is any food mixture left, you can smear the rest here and there in the bark of gnarled trees or between branch forks.
Wildlife expert Erdmann advises always offering water to native wild animals and birds. Shallow bowls are suitable as a water source for birds, so even small birds, such as tits, can drink without any problems. Other wild animals, such as squirrels, also appreciate fresh water in winter.”
Christian Erdmann is available for interviews.
You can find more wildlife guides here here.
You can find information on the wildlife and species protection center in Schleswig-Holstein here.