We keep suet going all year. Fortunately, we only seem to get numbers of
Starlings and Grackles during snowstorms. This is one way we confirmed a
number of species during the first year of the atlas. The Downy and
Red-bellied Woodpeckers continually come to the feeder and eventually
bring the family along. Same with White-breasted Nuthatches, Chickadees,
Titmice and Blue Jays. Our nemesis is the squirrel. They'll tear up a
suet cake in no time. It's funny to watch a juvenile either hanging on
the suet or on the sunflower platform begging for food that they are
literally standing on it!

Tyler Bell

California, MD

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On
> Behalf Of Monroe Harden
> Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 9:37 AM
> To: 
> Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] question for the experts
> 
> We kept the suet out because the pair of downy woodpeckers that live
> nearby keep coming every day, and we wanted to keep them around.  We
don't
> get many grackles, for some reason, but the other birds have found it
to
> be quite appealing.  They do eat through a whole cake in a day or so.
> 
> Monroe
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Norm Saunders <>
> >Sent: May 26, 2006 9:31 AM
> >To: 
> >Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] question for the experts
> >
> >That's an interesting observation, Monroe.  We tend to stop putting
suet
> out this time of year because all it attracts are starlings and
grackles--
> they can finish off a whole suet cake in half a day...sigh.
> >
> >One wonders--is suet a substitute for the nourishment catbirds are
> getting from insects?
> >
> >Norm Saunders