Interesting! I didn't see them actually at the suet, but they were very near it, so this makes sense. I'm very partial to these birds, which I think of as species Polka Dottie, after a cartoon character I remember from childhood. Thanks, Christine!

Marcia Ian
Bellingham


> On Sep 25, 2018, at 9:16 AM, Christine Southwick <clsouth at uw.edu> wrote:

>

> Marcia,

>

> In all probability, the female is teaching her hatch-year offspring how to glean suet.

>

> I have watched this happen at feeders at two different houses. One time, a female was teaching two youngsters; the female youngster "got it" about the third time of food exchange, and could do it on her own. The young male hadn't mastered it yet, when I finally had to leave.

>

> Christine Southwick

> clsouthwick at q.com