January 2021- Coffee mug bird feeder
Materials Needed:
- Coffee mug with handle
- Bird seed
- Twig or small branch
- Suet cake (store bought)
- Masking tape (optional)
- Microwave or stove top and pot
- Refrigerator
- Carabineer or twine
- Tree with low hanging branch
Instructions:
- Wash coffee mug
- Cut twig to length so it sticks out from the mug about 3 inches or so
- Twig needs to be sturdy enough for the bird to rest on it
- Place twig in mug touching the side of the mug and opposite from the handle
- Tape twig in place
- Fill mug half full with bird seed
- Melt suet cake in microwave or stove top
- I used 50% power for 2 minutes, stirred and did another 1 minute 30 at 50% power
- Carefully pour into mug filling mug to within ½-1 inch from the top of the mug
- Stir melted suet into the bird seed
- Make sure the twig stays in place next to the side of the mug
- Place in refrigerator to harden
- May take about 1 hour
- Stir once or twice to make sure the bird seed does not settle to the bottom of the mug.
- Hang mug from a low hanging branch with either the carabineer or some twine.
- Go inside and wait for the birds to find their new treat.
- Refill with suet/bird seed when empty.
NOTES:
The suet I purchased already had some birdseed mixed into it which I didn’t realize at the time. It did not produce as much liquid as I thought it would. I filled 1 mug and poured the remaining liquid into a 2nd mug which already had some bird seed in the bottom of it. It was a little difficult to stir the melted suet into the existing seed as it definitely needed more liquid. Both mugs turned out okay in the end. You might want to consider skipping the additional bird seed and just place the melted suet in the mug of your choosing.
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