I added a couple of suet feeders to my property this fall and, for a while
they seemed very popular with the chickadees, nuthatches and a Douglas Fir
squirrel or two. I was using a beef suet, peanut butter and cornmeal mix
of my own concoction. Recently I noticed a real decrease in the number of
visitors to the feeders which seemed strange considering the colder
temperatures and shorter days. Then I noticed that there was green mold
growing on the suet mix and I wondered if the mold was deterring the birds
or even making them sick. I removed all the old mix from the feeders and
replaced it with 100% rendered beef suet. That was about a week ago and
I'm still not seeing many customers.
Any experience/opinions regarding the advisability of suet mixes,
especially in our very damp but not so cold climate?....Mike McCloud,
Bainbridge Island, WA.


On Mon, 10 Dec 2001, W. William Woods wrote:

> Jamie,
>
> We have had a female Pileated Woodpecker come to our suet mix (beef
> tallow, peanutbutter, oatmeal, corn meal and bread crumbs) for at least a
> year now. She never brings her mate, who is around with her every day on
> our tree farm. She is very quiet about her arrival at the suet feeder, and
> stays several minutes if not disturbed. Bill has gotten pictures of her at
> the feeder. Almost all of our woodpeckers seem to enjoy this treat --
> Hairy, Downy and Northern Flicker. We even see the juveniles in spring. On
> the other hand, the male Pileated and Red-breasted Sapsucker have yet to
> put in an appearance at the feeder.
>
> Bill and Erin Woods Woods Tree Farm Redmond, WA U.S.A.
> <wwwbike at halcyon.com>
>
>

Mike McCloud -- Amnesty International Group 396