Subject: Some Varied Thrushes love suet also
Date: Feb 2 17:24:08 2004
From: variedthrush at comcast.net - variedthrush at comcast.net


Bob,

Thanks for your response about a bird that's special to me. Ours hang out under suet feeders that have peanuts in them--all suet types except "Plain" and "Insectivorous" from Oregon, in my experience. As soon as we put out either of the latter two, our VATH lose interest. It might be that in colder climates the birds need a higher fat content than peanuts to keep warm, like our tiny Bushtits, Nuthatches, Chickadees, etc. (I've even got a Flicker that turns up his nose at all but suet with nuts in it.)

Patricia Lott

--
Seattle, WA
VariedThrush at comcast.net
> Tweets,
>
> Many years ago I saw my first VARIED THRUSH while staying in Grinnell,
> Iowa for six months. It was in the cold season and we had feeders set up in
> our rental house including a suet feeder hanging from a pole. One morning I
> staggered out of bed and there was a VaTh! I called the knowledgable birder
> in town. He said it had been reported from many places in town always where
> there was a suet feeder although it always stayed on the ground under the
> feeder apparently picking up morsels the other birds knocked down.
> Now we see them much more frequently in our Washington yard and I have
> never seen them on the suet block. They are always on the ground. Probably
> like some humans who get addicted to M & M's some Varied Thrushs get suet
> addictions.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <variedthrush at comcast.net>
> To: "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 9:05 PM
> Subject: Varied Thrush love peanuts
>
>
> > The first year we fed Varied Thrush in our yard I learned they come for
> the mountain ash berries, their staple is our leaf mulch critters, they will
> politely eat our millet, and they will do anything for peanuts. I've even
> seen a male hammer away at a whole peanut in the shell, open it with great
> difficulty, and devour both kernels. Our VATH try to stand down the Rock
> Pigeons for peanut crumbs from our Jays and squirrels. I keep three suet
> feeders in the yard with plain suet or bug suet (to discourage House
> Sparrows) and I've never seen a Varied Thrush look twice at them. I suspect
> Isah's were after the peanuts in the suet, as for the fat eaters...maybe
> they were desperate.
> >
> > P.S. We've had 5 Varied Thrush in the yard this winter. A banner year for
> us. We do our best to hide their peanut kernel splits on the ground under
> thick evergreen cover near their roosts.
> >
> > Patricia Lott
> >
> > --
> > Seattle, WA
> > VariedThrush at comcast.net
> >
> >
> > female varied thrush jumped up onto the suet feeder,
> > wobbled precariously on it for a second as it
> > nervously surveyed the yard, and then spent a few
> > minuets pecking at the contents. I for one have never
> >
> > seen them do this (at least in my yard). We use suet
> > with peanuts in it, so i did not think there would be
> > anything appetizing for the thrushes.
> > All in all, a nice way to start a weekend.
> >
> > Isah Webb
> > Woodinville, WA
> >
> >
>
>