Projects to work on — Make a bird table

Putting out food is the best way to attract birds close to us, so that we can watch them. By providing food and water you can help birds su...

Putting out food is the best way to attract birds close to us, so that we can watch them. By providing food and water you can help birds survive severe winter and summer and ensure that the birds are in a good breeding condition.

All you really need to make a raised bird table is a flat piece of wood. Fix this piece to the top of a 1.5 metre high post. Construct a rim of about 2.5 cm high around the edge which will stop food from blowing away (see the picture). Drill holes in the tray for rainwater to drain through and leave a gap at one corner to clean away uneaten food. A roof is not necessary but it will give birds some shelter from bad weather. Attach a couple of hooks underneath the table and use them to hang bird feeders (see the picture). Nut baskets, seed hoppers and peanuts in the shell threaded onto a string can also be hung from your bird table. Fill a half coconut shell with a mixture of fruit, seeds and bread and hang it upside down from table to attract fruit-eating birds which you can watch performing acrobatics.

Many kitchen scraps are suitable for the birds but some foods can cause harm, so take care to avoid them. Good foods include bread crumbs (moisten, if they’re dry), cooked rice (without salt), dried fruits like apples, bananas, custard apple and papaya (bruised as well as partly rotten ones).Till monsoon there is plenty of natural food around so there is no need to put out the food. But in winter and summer, natural food is hard to find, so put out food twice a day, in the morning and early afternoon. Once you start feeding, local birds will come to rely on it so do not stop feeding suddenly. Pigeons, sparrows and crows are generally the first to come. But soon you may see a myna and bulbul coming to your bird table.

Don’t forget to provide water for drinking and bathing. An upturned dustbin lid set into the ground or grass will do, but keep it clean and free of algae, dead leaves and bird droppings. To know more about birds refer to BNHS publication on Bird Watching for Beginners’ which will not only tell you more about bird watching but also how to study birds sitting in your balcony.