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

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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