Beckoning the birds: an open-air thanksgiving.

The fig tree outside my kitchen door has become a gathering place for birds and other creatures throughout the year, a place of raucous and earnest feeding activity. Brown thrashers forage through the undergrowth, cardinals and finches and squirrels perform stunning acrobatics as they feast on figs in season. But by November, when all the leaves are curled and brown on the ground, I think about creating a Thanksgiving feast for my winged and furry friends.

Last year, I invited a small circle of friends to join me over the Thanksgiving weekend, to decorate the fig tree and take home treats for the birds in their own yards. It was a day of happy visitation with friends, all of whom were invited to bring some people food to share with one another, along with the ingredients for bird treats (jars of peanut butter, pine cones, safflower seeds, etc.) After a good hash and hatter, we set out to honor the birds with a moveable feast. Here are some of the creations we came up with and how we put them together.

Suet Balls * Suet, the fatty part of animals, is often thrown away as scrap by butchers as they process cuts of meat. Since I'm a vegetarian, I don't have a special relationship with a butcher, but I did request of a young lad at our local market that he save some suet for me. He blinked uncomprehendingly, apparently unfamiliar with the stuff, and seemed displeased when I exclaimed, "Don't tell me you've never heard of suet!"

When I lived in England, three decades ago, suet was an (admittedly unappetizing) ingredient in various sweet and savory dishes, collectively known as suet puddings. But that was then and this is now, and clearly this young butcher was unfamiliar with the nuance and history of his chosen trade. When I explained that suet was the white chunks of fat collecting in his garbage bin, and that I had a use for them, he seemed unmoved. Nor, after my perceived insult, was he inclined to dig around in his garbage bin for greasy chunks of discarded fat. So I thanked him, departed, and returned later, asking another butcher for assistance ... this one providing all the suet I needed, free of charge. (Ben Franklin would surely have an aphorism to share here, about the greasy palm getting the suet, while the vinegar-voiced harridan walks away empty-handed.)

Rendering suet, the next step in making bird treats, is done by simply melting the fat chunks over slow heat until the fat liquefies and can be strained and separated from the now-crispy adipose tissue. I use a cast iron kettle for this process, and watch the contents carefully ... overheating will cause explosive fires. When the suet is rendered, and the liquid fat strained into a bowl, you can add safflower seeds or sunflower seeds to the mix and allow to cool.

Once cooled, the greasy fat and seed mix can be shaped into balls, then inserted into plastic mesh like the kind enclosing oranges or other grocery items. This is then tied with sturdy twine or wire, and hung out on branches for the birds to enjoy. (And expect a few squirrels to get in on the suet-feeding frenzy--it's a food item that most wild creatures crave as the temperatures drop.) Just make sure your suet treats are well secured to the tree branches, or the squirrels will try to steal them away altogether!

Another method for making this treat is to pour or pat the suet into small, shallow plastic containers, like the packaging for hummus or sour cream, punch a hole in the rim of the containers, and tie them with sturdy twine to tree branches. Birds can light on the rim for a quick peck, and squirrels will perform their acrobatic feats to gorge to great advantage. Some say adding safflower seeds to suet makes the resulting mix unpalatable to squirrels, but I've never noticed the bushy-tailed guys to turn up their noses.

Peanut-Butter Pinecones * These are easy to make. Choose the largest cones you can find, with loose, open bracts. I generally buy cheap hydrogenated-oil type peanut butter for this project, but that's just me ... if you want to buy premium organic, go right ahead. Affix sturdy wire or twine to the cones, then smear the peanut butter onto the pinecones, into the spaces between the bracts, and roll in safflower seed. Hang your creations from the trees. Be certain the squirrels will do their best to steal these straight off the branches!

Won-Ton Cutouts * This is mainly a decorative exercise, though birds will appreciate nibbling on won-ton and egg roll wrappers, cut into snowflake shapes. Simply employ the techniques learned in kindergarten, folding a sheet of dough into triangular or rectangular shape, then snipping into the folds with a pair of sharp scissors. The resulting design, allowed to dry, can be hung on the trees with string. Somewhat fragile, they can be dabbed with peanut butter for extra appeal, but don't expect them to last through a heavy rainstorm.

Popcorn Chains * I don't have to tell you how to do this, do I? They will add nice effect to your sharing tree, but also disintegrate in a storm.

One caveat to all this beckoning of wildlife to your garden: one year I broadcasted sunflower seeds throughout the winter onto the ground below a dogwood tree, where my extensive bulb garden lay blissfully sleeping. The squirrels became habituated to foraging around the ground, and as the bulbs emerged--hyacinth, daffodils, tulip--the squirrels nibbled up their delicate flowering stems, one and all, as if they were the most delectable asparagus tips! I had nary a bloom that year, nor for several years thereafter, until the squirrels forgot their foraging ways from previous winters. My point? Don't scatter goodies for your winter friends unless you're prepared for their ravenous return, season after season.

To all who share their bounty with the birds this winter, I extend my thanks and good wishes. Blessed be.

Suzann Roalman is a writer, herbalist and massage therapist in Athens, Georgiam, and can be reached at hands4peace05@gmail. Ansley Beacham is a mother and soap maker, and can be reached at www.songbirdssoaps.com.