I live in the U District and flocks of bushtits frequent my yard the year
round to eat suet. I have experimented with the different varieties and
now use only the plain suet. Squirrels, starlings, and sparrows usurped
the double suet cage whenever there was anything other than the plain suet
in it. The bushtits seem to prefer the plain and sometimes cover the
feeder with others waiting in the branches of the rhody it hangs in. They
usually feed alone, but I have seen them dine with a couple of sparrows
when I had plain and "flavored" suet in the feeder at the same time. Each
at their respective favorite type.

Bonus:
Since encouraging them in the yard, my aphid problem has become almost
non-existent.

Winning the Lottery:
On several warm summer nights this year, the bushtits would come in the
evening when I was hand-watering and drink the water drops from the rhody
and Portuguese laurel leaves sometimes not more than 12 inches from me. I
watered far more often than I had to, just to have them close to me and
hear their sweet chatter. I don't have the words to describe the
experience.

Gretchen Sorenson
University of Washington