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Suet

Hi,

Time to assault the issue of what birds eat what suet! To give you a brief refresher, we outlined popular feed habits a few posts ago including both single-seed food, and mixed-seed blends.

But what of the rendered fat mélange?

hairy%20woodpecker_save_350.jpg


Let's take a look... General recommendations concerning suet types follow...
  • Berry Suet: Black-capped Chickadees, Bluebirds, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Woodpeckers, and Mockingbirds.
  • High Energy Suet: Black-capped and other Chickadees, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Wrens.
  • Peanut Suet: Blackbird, Bluebird, Catbirds, Chickadee, Creeper, Crow, Finch, Jay, Kinglet, Magpie, Mockingbird, Nutcracker, Nuthatch, Oriole, Roadrunner, Robin, Siskin, Startling, Tanager, Thrasher, Thrush, Titmice, Warbler, Woodpecker, and Wrens.
  • Woodpecker Suet: Black-capped Chickadees, Flickers, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Titmice, and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.
  • Pecan Suet: Blue Jays, Bluebirds, Cardinals, Chickadees, Creepers, Finches, Flickers, Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers, Juncos, Nuthatches, Tanagers, Titmice, Warblers, and Wrens.
  • Fruit and Nut Suet: Bluebirds, Cardinals, Chickadees, Flickers, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Titmice, Pine Warblers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and Carolina Wrens.
  • Peanut Butter Suet: The usual suspects above, but the woodpeckers in particular love this stuff!
A side note: Birds' tastes vary not just from state to state, but from neighborhood to neighborhood... Best to ask your neighbors what they use. And as always, you can use the comments button below for my $0.02 worth, as well as the following contact info.

Call: 1-866-324-7373
E-mail: info@eBirdseed.com

Mail:
eBirdseed.com
27823 86th Ave. S.
Hawley, MN 56549-8982

Fax: (978) 268-7155
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Monday-Friday

See you by those feeders!

CapeCodAlan

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Comments

I'm new to wild bird feeding. I live 15 miles north of Boston, MA.

My Nyjer feeder was constantly busy with Gold finches before October 1.

Now it was not been touched. Should I remove it for the winter? Is this to be expected? I also moved to Nyjer seed chip mix without any luck.

{CCA replies: Hi Barry... Some thoughts...

* First, welcome to the 'burbs of Boston... Local sights that you might want to check out include: The Boston Public Library, the Pats, the Red Sox, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Pops, Cape Cod, Haymarket Square on Saturday mornings... The list just goes on and on. Anyway... Back to the birds.
* Lately, the wife and I have noticed the same absence of Goldfinches... During the fall, some do indeed leave the New England area for the short hop to more southern climes, though many hang around. (See:
http://www.ebirdseed.com/blog/2007/08/joanne_asks_where_do_birds_go.html

)
* Another possible issue might involve the state of your feeders... (See: http://www.ebirdseed.com/blog/2007/05/clean_feeders.html
).
* As for seed, you might want to try the old faithful - sunflower hearts and chips.

When all is said and done, birds can be a fussy lot. Example: For years the wife and I have been trying to attract bluebirds, and have had no luck. Yet a friend just a couple of miles away gets them by the flock... Go figure...

Anyway, I'd certainly suggest that you try the sunflower hearts and chips. If that doesn't bring your goldfinches back, it should still keep your feeder busy throughout the Fall and Winter...

Best of luck and enjoy the neighborhood!}

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