Bird food that gives joy

A beloved child has many names. Christmas straw, grain sheaf, bird feeder, or corn band? No matter what you call it, it has long traditions in Norway. A Christmas straw with a red ribbon tied around it, fastened to a broom handle, brings forth a nostalgic Christmas spirit. Many also choose to tie the sheaf to a tree in the garden.

If you are the type who likes to experiment a bit with traditions, perhaps you could make a wreath from the bird feeder this year? You can follow the recipe for making a Christmas wreath from evergreen plants, just swap the greenery for grain straw.

Although Christmas straw is a firm tradition for many, there aren't actually that many birds that consider it their favorite. If you want to provide some extra treats for the birds while still adhering to tradition, you could decorate the sheaf with some nice suet balls.

Making your own suet balls doesn’t have to be complicated. In short, all you need are some types of seeds and nuts that the birds like, along with cooking fat. Just make sure everything is salt-free. Here’s a simple recipe that you can vary based on what you have and can get:

• 200 g coconut fat or unsalted cooking fat
• 3 dl seeds and nuts for birds

TIP! Our ready-made seed mix for wild small birds is a simple and safe choice. It has a high nutritional content, is suitable for feeding many different wild small birds, and is also quite decorative, as it contains various types of seeds in different shapes and colors. Add some peanuts for a good mix. You can find both seed mixes and peanuts at Plantasjen.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Melt the cooking fat in a saucepan over low heat. It should not boil.
2. Chop the nuts, mix the dry ingredients, and stir well together with the fat. Let the mixture cool a bit on the kitchen counter before filling it into molds. You can use everything from milk cartons to muffin tins, paper cups, orange peels, and gingerbread molds.

TIP! If you’re using gingerbread molds, the mixture should be extra firm. Try adding some oatmeal if the mixture becomes difficult to work with.

3. Place twine or ribbon into the molds before the mixture completely sets so that you have something to hang the suet balls with. Use a few extra centimeters of ribbon and weave it in a zigzag pattern from the top down into the mold, so the ribbon holds the bird food as securely as possible.
4. Place the molds in a cool spot for a while after you’ve filled them, so the mixture becomes firm and stable. Once the mixture has set, you can gently remove the molds and hang the treats outside in the cold. If you’re early, the suet balls can be stored in the freezer.

TIPS! Do you have a cup you're not too attached to? Fill the mixture in it, and hang the entire cup in the tree. If you leave a branch or spoon in the cup while the mixture hardens, the bird will have something to sit on while eating too. Perhaps this will be the Christmas where you go all out and decorate a whole tree in the garden with festive suet balls?