This time of year Starlings will demolish suet, even in the upside-down
feeders that are supposed to be Starling-proof. Ours figured those out
in no time. They have chicks to feed, and the chicks will soon be out
and about and chasing after the parents with their nails-on-blackboard
screeches. Starlings (and HOSPs) also will polish off sunflower chips
from the "Clingers Only" feeder.

I am thinking of buying the suet feeder, as described by Bob Sundstrom,
that screens out Starlings with an outer cage that lets in the
chickadees and nuthatches. However, I'm afraid the Hairy and Downy
Woodpeckers won't be able to reach into it; they visit ours a lot, and
soon their chicks will arrive too. I will probably leave up the
upside-down suet feeder outside my office; at least when I'm working,
and a Starling alights, I can shake the long-handled feather duster that
I keep propped on the windowsill and scare it off.

My husband says we need a "bird recognition" technology that opens up
the feeder to the native birds and closes it to introduced pests.

This time only lasts another month or so, anyway.

cheers,

Kristi Hein
Anacortes
khc
at
picturesandwords.com

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