Heart for the Birds
A Valentine Farm School Project That Turns Craft into Curiosity
There’s something extra sweet about making something beautiful… that also feeds a living creature. This week at the farm, we made heart-shaped bird feeders using peanuts, oranges, seed, mealworms, and coconut oil — and turned it into a full bird study along the way.
It may look like a simple craft, but it opens the door to observation, questions, and noticing the feathered neighbors who share our space here in Cherry Valley.
🥜 Why We Chose These Ingredients
Every part of our feeder had a purpose.
Peanuts (raw, unsalted)
High in fat and protein, peanuts give birds long-lasting energy during cooler months. Woodpeckers and jays especially love them. (AMAZON LINK)
Birdseed
We use mixes that include sunflower and millet. Different seed sizes attract different birds — and their beaks tell you why.
Dried Mealworms
A protein boost that mimics the insects birds naturally eat. Especially helpful during nesting season.
Orange Half
A compostable “cup” that holds everything together. It adds natural sugars and moisture and eventually returns to the soil.
Coconut Oil
We used coconut oil to help hold the birdseed in place inside the orange. Once cooled (it firms up around 76°F), it acts as a natural binder.
And here’s the beautiful part…
Sometimes a few seeds fall to the ground.
Sometimes rain waters them.
And sometimes — if you’re lucky — they sprout.
You might see:
Little grasses
Volunteer sunflowers
Maybe even corn
Another, longer-term way to feed the birds.
❤️ How to Make Your Own Heart Bird Feeder
If you’d like to make this at home, here’s a simple overview of what we did.
Supplies:
1 orange (cut in half and hollowed out)
Coconut oil
Birdseed
Dried mealworms (optional but great protein boost)
In-shell raw, unsalted peanuts
Floral wire (about 20–24 inches per feeder)
Popsicle stick
Twine
Pliers (helpful but not required)
Step 1: Fill the Orange
Warm coconut oil under hot water until liquid (it melts at about 76°F).
Mix:
Birdseed
A handful of dried mealworms
A drizzle of liquid coconut oil
Press the mixture firmly into the hollowed orange half.
The coconut oil helps hold everything together once it cools.
Push a popsicle stick through the orange near the bottom to create a perch. This gives birds a stable place to land.
Step 2: Build the Peanut Frame
Cut about 20–24 inches of floral wire.
Carefully thread peanuts through the small end of the shell. It helps to press them against a table to start the hole so little fingers don’t get poked.
Twist the wire ends together securely.
Shape into a heart (or circle if that’s easier).
Step 3: Attach and Hang
Wrap tape around one end of your twine to make it easier to thread.
Thread the twine:
Through one hole created by the popsicle stick
Around the wire heart
Back through the other hole
Tie securely at your desired length.
For extra stability, wrap a second piece of twine around both the wire and orange ties before hanging.
Choose a sturdy branch where you can easily watch visiting birds.
🌿 A Small Act That Multiplies
Some seeds may fall.
Some may sprout.
Some may feed birds you’ve never noticed before.
Sometimes the simplest projects create the longest ripple.
📄 Printable Instructions
If you’d like a clean, one-page printable version to follow along or share with a friend, you can download it here:
👉 [Download the Heart Bird Feeder Printable Instructions]
🐦 Winter and Bird Adaptation
Even though we don’t get much snow here, winter still changes things.
Food sources shrink:
Fewer insects
Fewer fresh grasses
Less fruit
In colder regions where snow blankets the ground for months, birds must work even harder to survive.
Birds adapt in remarkable ways:
They puff their feathers to trap warm air (natural insulation).
They tuck their feet into their belly feathers while perching.
They huddle close together for shared warmth.
They roost in tree cavities to block wind.
Perching keeps them off the cold ground and away from predators. That’s why adding a sturdy perch to our feeder matters. Stability means safety.
🧭 Migration: Why Some Birds Leave
Not all birds stay through winter.
Migration happens because:
Insects disappear
Water sources freeze
Seeds and plants die back
Food becomes scarce
So where do they go?
Many birds that spend spring and summer here in Cherry Valley travel south for winter.
Some head to:
Southern California coast
Arizona
Mexico
Central America
Even as far as South America
For example:
Some hummingbirds travel into Mexico.
Many swallows head into Central and South America.
Waterfowl often move to lower elevations or coastal wetlands where water stays unfrozen.
Some birds only move a short distance — from mountains down into valleys.
Others fly thousands of miles using stars, the sun, Earth’s magnetic field, and landmarks to guide them.
Ask your kids:
“If your food disappeared and everything froze, would you stay… or would you travel somewhere warmer?”
Migration isn’t random.
It’s a survival strategy.
And when spring returns?
They come back.
Which makes the first bird song of the season feel a little like a reunion. 🐦🌿
🪿 Have You Ever Heard Honking in the Sky?
Have you ever looked up after hearing a loud commotion overhead — something that sounds like honking?
That’s often geese migrating.
Most commonly in our area, it’s the Canada goose traveling in large groups across the sky.
They usually fly in a V-formation.
Why a V?
It helps conserve energy.
Each bird rides the air current created by the one in front.
They take turns leading — because the front position is the hardest.
And that honking?
They’re communicating.
They call to:
Keep the flock together
Encourage the lead bird
Signal direction changes
Many geese migrate from colder northern regions — like Canada and the northern United States — down to warmer places where water doesn’t freeze and food is easier to find.
Some stay in California year-round.
Others are just passing through.
Next time you hear that sound overhead, pause.
Look up.
You might be witnessing a long journey happening right above you — one shaped by instinct, weather, and survival.
🎵 Winter “Simon Says” Game
Want to help kids understand migration in a way they can feel?
Play this simple movement game:
Call out:
“Migrate!” → Flap arms and move around the room
“Roost” → Crouch low like you are roosting, fluff your feathers out to keep warm
“Predator!” → Freeze completely still
You can add:
“Honking overhead!” → Form a V-shape line like migrating geese
“Food found!” → Pretend to peck at the ground
This helps children understand that migration isn’t random travel — it’s response.
Birds move when:
Weather changes
Food disappears
Danger increases
It turns a big science concept into something physical and memorable.
Beaks Tell a Story
One of our favorite discussions is:
“What do you think this bird eats just by looking at its beak?”
Around Cherry Valley, you might see:
Steller's jay – Strong beak for nuts and seeds
Mourning dove – Small beak for grains
Anna's hummingbird – Long beak for nectar
Lesser goldfinch – Cone-shaped beak for seeds
Acorn woodpecker – Chisel-like beak for drilling wood
Beaks are tools.
And tools match purpose.
If you want to try this hands-on at home, visit our Beak Lab here:
[Link to Beak Lab]
🐛 Bird Survival Challenge (At-Home Version)
This activity works beautifully for one child or siblings — no big group required.
Scatter different “foods” around the room:
Brown yarn (worms)
Birdseed in bowls
Small rocks (grit)
Dried beans
Pom-poms
Small stuffed animals (prey)
Place one basket as the “nest.”
Now your child becomes different birds each round.
Choose a bird:
Finch
Hawk
Woodpecker
Duck
Assign a “beak tool”:
Tweezers
Spoon
Tongs
Chopsticks
Clothespin
They must gather only the food that fits that bird.
Add movement for fun:
Hop like a sparrow
Move slowly (storm coming)
Freeze (predator nearby)
One hand only
After each round, pause and ask:
Was that beak good for that food?
What was hard?
Would that bird survive here in winter?
It becomes imaginative play, science, and movement all at once.
🌻 The Birds Change Every Year
One thing I’ve noticed around our farm in Cherry Valley is that the birds shift from year to year.
Some winters we see more:
Acorn woodpecker
Steller's jay
Mourning dove
And as we’ve planted more flowers, we’re seeing more tiny, colorful visitors.
Plant diversity invites bird diversity.
The more layers we grow — trees, shrubs, flowers, seed heads — the more life we see.
👀 Turn It Into Bird Watching
It may take a bit for the birds to find your feeder but once they do take the opportunity to watch them:
Sit quietly for 10 minutes.
Notice colors.
Look closely at beak shapes.
Guess what that bird prefers to eat.
Keep a simple journal:
Date
Bird seen
What it ate
Encourage your kids to sketch what they see.
You don’t need binoculars to begin bird watching.
You just need stillness.
❤️ From Craft to Care
A simple heart-shaped feeder becomes:
A science lesson.
A winter survival story.
A migration discussion.
A bird watching invitation.
A small act of stewardship.
And maybe — just maybe — a few fallen seeds that grow into next season’s flowers.
What kinds of birds do you see around your house?
Are they bold and loud? Tiny and colorful? Ground feeders or high perchers?
We’d truly love to hear what visits your yard. If you hang a feeder or spot something special, tag us on Facebook or Instagram at @k2acres so we can celebrate it with you.
Because once you start watching birds… you never quite stop.
