Turn This Kitchen Utensil Into A Bird Feeder And Watch Birds Flock To Your Yard

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Did you know, according to the Fish & Wildlife Service, 35% of the American population considers themselves to be backyard birders? That's a lot of people watching birds on their property. Whether you're a birding fanatic, looking for birdscaping tips to turn your yard and garden into a bird haven, or a casual viewer who just wants a few tips for attracting a more diverse variety of birds to your yard, we've got a bird feeder DIY that will give you plenty of feathered friends to observe. In fact, you probably already have the required kitchen utensil on hand: the humble whisk.

You'll be shocked at just how simple this DIY is and how quickly you'll be grasping those binoculars to get a closer look at all the feeding birds outside your window. Grab a whisk from your kitchen, or pick one up at your local thrift store, and place a bird feed ball, called a suet ball, inside the wired body portion of the utensil. This essentially turns the whisk into a suet feeder, which is traditionally a wire cage that suet feed is placed in. 

Suet is rendered animal fat, and when purchased in stores, it's usually mixed with nuts and seeds or berries and shaped into a ball. Hang the whisk outside by either stringing rope through the handle and tying it up or slipping the handle onto a shepherd hook wire pole in the yard.

One big benefit of a whisk bird feeder is that it's a budget-friendly DIY feeder that will keep birds flocking to your yard year-around, from the cold of winter to the heat of summer. Though suet can sometimes melt in high temperatures, you can purchase suet balls that are specifically designed for those extra-warm summer days. Another advantage is that there are many types of birds who like to eat suet — from bluebirds and chickadees to cardinals and even wrens — leading to a sundry of wildlife for your viewing pleasure.

Speaking of wildlife, your DIY whisk feeder might also attract suet-loving squirrels, too. If you have too many critters coming around, trying to eat all the suet and scaring away the birds, you can opt to hang the bird feeder from a shepherd hook pole, such as this Mipon 78-Inch Double Shepherd Hook, instead of, say, a tree branch that's easy for squirrels to climb. Additionally, you can add a baffle to the pole, like this Squirrel-Proof Baffle — a circular piece of plastic or metal that attaches to the pole and extends out all the way around, above, or below the feeder, making it difficult for the squirrels to reach the feeder.