Chirp, Chirp!

Spot a bird and build a birdfeeder this Christmas!

Spot a Bird

Download the Spot a Bird activity sheet from here

Christmas holidays are the perfect time to go for a nature walk or to visit a nature reserve to spot some birds. The activity sheet includes six birds which can be spotted across the Maltese Islands in December.

But you can spot more than six birds around our islands. BirdLife Malta carried out a study and discovered that birds from at least 47 countries pass over our Islands during the migration periods. Nicholas Galea and Steve Zammit Lupi, birdwatchers and members of Birdlife Malta, created a website Birding in Malta with a list of birds that you can spot on the Maltese Islands, along with information about them and some amazing photos.

Some great places for birdwatching include

• Buskett
• Għadira Nature Reserve (Open between September and May. Make sure to check out their opening hours)
• Simar Nature Reserve (Open between September and May. Make sure to check out their opening hours)
• Foresta 2000
• Salina Saltpans
• Għajn Rihana Valley
• Ta’ Ċenċ
• Qawra (perfect for sea birdwatching)
• Majjistral Nature and History Park

Build a Birdfeeder

Birdfeeders are a great way to enjoy birdlife in the comfort of your home. Birdfeeders provide small birds that visit our yards and gardens with food, which helps them use their energy elsewhere rather to forage for food. And the birds will appreciate your tasty treats!

You can make your own DIY bird feeder to hang in your balcony or yard, on your roof, or in your garden if you’re lucky enough to have one!

You can make bird feeders using all kinds of things that we can find lying around the house:

• If you have long kitchen rolls, you can put peanut butter all over the roll, stick bird seeds to it, and hang it up.
• You can use also hang cans horizontally (make sure there are no sharp edges) with a wooden stick across to provide birds with a place to perch, and just place the bird seed inside the can.
• If you’re into woodwork, you can also make a more durable one out of wood.

Get your tools and material ready!

Today we’re going to make two upcycled birdfeeders to attract common birds that we see around our homes.

For one of the birdfeeders we’ll be using a plastic bottle and for the other we’ll be using the outer peel of an orange

• Plastic bottle – or you can use a milk carton
• Snacks for the birds – I used sunflower seeds. But birds also love fresh fruit such as apples, bird feed, peanut butter, and bird fat balls.
• Two long wooden sticks – I found some takeaway chopsticks at home. But you could also use longs dowels, wooden spoons, cloth pegs, popsicle sticks, or even just pencils. They need to be long enough as this is going the be the place where the birds rest while they are snacking on your treats.
• Outer peel of an orange
• A thumbtack pin or pointy scissors (Adult supervision is required when using these)
• Scissors (Adult supervision is required when using these)
• String

Try it out! Bottle Birdfeeder

Step 1

Clean your plastic bottle well with boiling water and let dry.

Step 2:

Push the pin to create holes in the bottom of the bottle. This will let any water from the rain pass through.

The holes need to be smaller than the seeds you’re going to be using.

Step 3: Create the perch for the birds

Make two holes on opposite sides of the bottle about 3cm above the base of the bottle using the pin or sharp scissors.

Widen the holes a little bit using the tip of your scissors.

Step 4: Create the feeding hole

Create another hole the size of 5c slightly above the perch on both side of the bottle. These will be the feeding holes which the birds will use to get to the seeds.

Take care when cutting plastic bottles. Do not leave any sharp plastic that can hurt the birds, especially since their feathers can get caught on the sharp edges. Smoothen the holes as much as possible. If it hurts when you pass your finger over the hole edge, then it will hurt the birds.

Step 5

Repeat Step 3 & 4 further up the bottle to create a second set of perch and feeding holes.

In my photo, both perches are on top of each other. However, if you see larger birds around your house, place the perches perpendicular to each other (criss-cross) to leave more space for the birds.

Step 6:

Push the wooden objects you’ll be using as a perch through the perching holes.

Step 7: Create your hanging mechanism

Use the pin to create two holes in the topmost part of the bottle. Widen them slightly with the scissors. Thread the string through these holes.

Step 8:

Fill the bottle with your treats. We used sunflower seeds.

Step 9:

Hang your bird feeder from a tree branch or on your washing line.

Watch from a distance. Try to identify any birds that you see using http://www.birdinginmalta.com/birdspecies.htm

Take Note

Please clean and replace your bird feeder often to avoid bacteria or rotting food which may hurt the birds.

Try it out! Orange Birdfeeder

Step 1

Take an orange and cut it in half. Squeeze the juice (and drink it 😊) and remove the internal part of the orange.

Step 2

Poke 4 holes in the orange peel. Don’t poke them too high up or the peel might break with the weight of the birds.

Step 3

Pass a piece of string through each whole and tie them up to hold them in place. And then tie up all 4 strings together as a hanging knot.

You can also pass a wooden stick through the orange peel. However, this is optional since the birds can perch directly on the orange peel, especially if you’re using a large orange. I passed two chopsticks through the holes since my orange was quite small. Then I tied each string around the chopsticks before tying them all up together at the top. This helped keep the orange balanced.

Step 4:

Hang your bird feeder on a tree branch, or on your washing line. Try to place it somewhere it’s protected from the wind.

Step 5:

Fill the orange peel with your bird treats!

Step 6:

Watch from a distance. Try to identify any birds that you see using http://www.birdinginmalta.com/birdspecies.htm

Take Note

Please clean and replace your bird feeder often to avoid bacteria or rotting food which may hurt the birds.

Share your birdfeeder with us on social media by tagging us on social media @esploramalta #esploramalta #getcuriousgetinspired

Show us what you’ve made! Take a photo of at least 4 of your favourite activities from Esplora’s Science Advent Calendar. Trust us, you’ll need them later!