Springtime Crafts Help Birds Build Their Nests

Make a Nest-Picking Fuzzy Egg or Nest-Picking Bunny this spring. They'll look pretty hanging on a tree, and you'll be able to watch birds gather supplies from your creations to build their nests.

SUPPLIES
* A vegetable net bag
* Acrylic and wool yarn scraps.
* Cat fur
* A big plastic needle (optional)

(All photos courtesy of Blue Jay Point County Park)

INSTRUCTIONS
1) Use the needle to work the yarn into the netting and then, cut the yarn. Or cut the yarn into short lengths and work them into the netting with your fingers.
2) Add fur into the top half of the netting and tie that off to get the basic Nest-Picking Egg shape. Or shape the fur into a critter head with ears and tie them off to make a Nest-Picking Bunny.
3) Tie your Nest-Picking Egg or Nest-Picking Critter to a tree branch or feeder site.

TIPS
* If you don't have enough fur, you can use a mixture of fur and yarn scraps to stuff the top of the netting to make your egg or critter head shape.

* The holes of the netting are big enough for the birds to pull the yarn out of the fur mixture. We thread the yarn scraps through the netting because it looks cool, but the birds could get to the yarn, even if we just stuffed it in the bottom.)

* Do not use cotton or dyer lint to make these crafts because they collect water and will cause a nest to get soggy, which is bad for the baby birds.

* If you don't have cat fur, any critter fur can be used. Visit a veterinarian to get fur clippings, or you can use human hair since birds don't have a great sense of smell.

* Looking for more ways to attract birds? Find more fun bird projects The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds site.

BIRDING EVENT
Blue Jay Point County Park, in Raleigh, will host its annual Songbird Celebration, a free festival for birdlovers of all ages, Saturday, April 27, 2013, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

A fun outing for families, Songbird Celebration is an annual event celebrating the return of migratory songbirds and in honor of International Migratory Bird Day. Enjoy bird-related activities throughout the park, including games and crafts, preschool storytimes, bird hikes for adults and kids, learning stations and more. For more information, visit the park's website.

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Dana Fitz-Simons, is an Environmental Education staff member, Blue Jay Point County Park, located at 3200 Pleasant Union Church Rd., in Raleigh.

This article was updated Feb. 18, 2013