This weekend...can you find a bigger one?

I found this whopper of a pine cone while on a lunchtime walk round The Lodge last week.

It isn't very easy to see in this photo, but at around 25cm long, I think it'll take some beating to find a bigger one.

My challenge to you this weekend is to prove me wrong! Let me know how big yours is by leaving me a comment below.

And once you've found the biggest pine cone you can, why not turn it into a fine dining experience for your garden birds? Making a pine cone feeder couldn't be easier. Follow the simple steps below:

• If your pine cone isn't already open (like the one above), heat it gently on a radiator until it is
• Tie a piece of string firmly to one end of your cone
• Mix some lard and porridge oats together until the mixture feels soft
• Squish, push and press the mixture into your pine cone until no more can fit between the scales. If you want, you can then roll your cone in some bird seed to give your treat some extra crunch!
• Finally, hang your feeder from a tree with the piece of string and watch the birds flock to it.