英语博客(A cup of English):026 Seed cones for the birds.

　　Beginners.
In our area, some birds will stay for the Winter. They make their nests cozy¹ , fluff up their feathers, and search for food every day. But, they have a problem. Because everything is covered with snow, it is hard to find food. It is too cold for insects to be out and about, and most seeds on the ground have been covered up by Winter's blanket. Berry bushes make great meals for the birds, but something that we, and many other people, do every year, is to put out seed cones³. You mix together bacon fat, seeds, and nuts, if you want those also. Then, you tie a string onto a pine cone², spread the mixture all over it, and put it in the freezer. When it is hard, you hang it from a tree. Then, sit back and watch the birds fly to it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's good to look after cute, flying friends.
Grammar notes.
Verbs: to make (make, made, made). To make a nest/ mess/ the bed/ a basket ( in basket ball) etc.
To search for = to look for. To cover up = to cover completely.
Related vocabulary: to hang up; to spread; to tie a string (shoe lace); pine trees, pine cones, branches.
Advanced.
One thing that keeps us entertained in the Winter is doing crafts. It seems to be a therapy of sorts that distracts us from the cold, dark evenings. Approaching Christmas, at home, as well as in school, the children will make all sorts of crafts: stars, nativities, gingerbread houses, and photo frames, to name but a few. One thing that we try to do each Winter, is to make seed cones for the birds. We have pine trees in our yard which drop alot of pine cones during the year. We collect them. We use them in our fire place to start fires, and also to hang on trees to feed the birds. I collect bacon fat in a bowl over a few weeks. It looks quite disgusting, but it really serves a purpose. On a plate we mix the gross looking fat with seeds and non-salty nuts. Then we spread the mixture all over pine cones to which we have already attached a string. Off to the freezer they go, to harden. Then, we hang them from trees all over our yard, especially those that are next to a window. That way we can sit inside and watch the scene develop. Once one bird has found the food, word quickly spreads. Within minutes their is a crazy fluttering of wings, little bodies hovering⁵, fighting, chirping⁷. It's a Winter feeding frenzy⁸, and great entertainment!
Grammar notes.
Important expressions: Approaching (a time); to serve a purpose; off to ... = common expression when going or taking something somewhere. Ex: Off to the dentist for you, boy. Off to your kennel⁹, spot. I'm off to the shops. Off to the mud room with those dirty boots!
Related vocabulary: seeds, nuts, to chirp⁶, to hover⁴, to flutter, a frenzy, crafts, therapy, to distract, nativity, gingerbread house, to name but a few, gross, disgusting.

1 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

2 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

3 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

4 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

5 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

6 chirp   

v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫

参考例句：

• The birds chirp merrily at the top of tree.鸟儿在枝头欢快地啾啾鸣唱。
• The sparrows chirp outside the window every morning.麻雀每天清晨在窗外嘁嘁喳喳地叫。

7 chirping   

鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。
• The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

8 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

9 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。