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Suet or not to Suet? (S.California) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter LisaQK
- Start date
mdudley
Well-known member
Hi, it's in the 90's here in Southern California, and I was wondering if I should bother with hanging suet? (I have the no-melt variety) What birds will it attract in these parts? Any tips or success stories from local birders?
Thanks in advance!
It is my understanding that one should not feed suet when it is warm as it can go rancid. I have not heard of no-melt. What are the ingredients? Sounds like they have mixed it with wax or something, and if that is the case I would hesitate to feed it at any temperature.
Marshall
LisaQK
Active member
Thanks Marshall! I put out the suet block from Wild Birds Unlimited, alongside the seed, and no one has really taken to it except for a few nibbles. It should not go rancid for a while, but i think u are right that warm weather doesn't exactly make them want to chow down either. Maybe now that it's cooler they may think about it? Thank u for your thoughts, have a great weekend!
LisaQK
Active member
That's great to hear. I have a no-melt from WBU, but I've been hesistant to open it since the first block was not a hit. I'll try it again when it gets cool. Thanks for the input as always!
I use "High-energy Suet" from Lowes which I buy by the case since it goes so fast. It gets a little soft at temperatures above 70 or so but the birds don't seem to mind and it's never gone rancid on me. The main customers for most of the fall and winter are starlings, flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, kinglets & yellow-rumps but just about everything feeds on it occasionally, particularly during cold snaps: quail, scrub-jays, chickadees, White-crowned Sparrows, finches, House Sparrows.
LisaQK
Active member
Hi Fugl,
Thanks for the info... how do you set it up? Is it suspended in a suet cage or do you have it on a platform for perching for the big birds? I'm curious because you mentioned quail and scrubjays- i would LOVE it if my quails actually ate my suet. Maybe I should give it another go since you've had so much success.
Hi Fugl,
Thanks for the info... how do you set it up? Is it suspended in a suet cage or do you have it on a platform for perching for the big birds? I'm curious because you mentioned quail and scrubjays- i would LOVE it if my quails actually ate my suet. Maybe I should give it another go since you've had so much success.
I use a suet cage suspended from the branches of a small salt cedar.
I've only seen the quail go for suet in the early morning under extreme conditions--very cold & 100% snow cover--before I've had a chance to throw out seed for them. They flutter up & perch on the cage; it's obviously ackward for them to feed in this way & as soon as there's seed on the ground they stop.
I saw the scrub-jays at the suet just a few days ago. The Lowes suet cakes aren't pure fat but have small black sunflower seeds embedded in them (& also what looks like corn meal) & it's the seeds that I think the jays were going after though it's hard to be sure about this. As with the quail, the suet cakes appeared to be a food of last resort for the jays. As soon as I tossed out some sunflower seeds on the ground, the jays lost interest in the suet (and, of course, what jays really like is peanuts-in-the-shell for which they'll abandon all other foods in a shot).
LisaQK
Active member
So I definitely use suet now! I use the Naturally Nuts suet from Wild Birds Unlimited, and I have had some surprising takers! White Crown Sparrows, (any sparrows really), and even a Common Yellow-throat! I love feeding them the stuff, but I have to leave it at ground level. They won't come to the feeders. I also toss out some dried mealworms for the towhee and wrens. My little backyard is becoming quite the bird habitat.
I used C&S Products High Energy Delight suet which came in a 8 pack I bought from Menards for like $6-$7 this past summer. Hung up high next to the other feeders I got mostly House Sparrows to it. But the Finches and other birds probably stayed away because they had dedicated feeders that were less busy.
Hung close to the ground I got alot of more interesting birds to it including aggressive baby Starlings and even a few Robins along with the Sparrows. One cake would last 2 days and never had a problem in 100+ degree summer days or from rain.
Right now I just put up my feeders again after a 2 month break and the birds have not found them yet. I am using Wildlife Sciences High Energy Suet that comes in a 10 pack. Not sure how the birds will like it once they find it though.
It was really amazing to see a Robin attack the Suet feeder, who would of thought?
Hung close to the ground I got alot of more interesting birds to it including aggressive baby Starlings and even a few Robins along with the Sparrows. One cake would last 2 days and never had a problem in 100+ degree summer days or from rain.
Right now I just put up my feeders again after a 2 month break and the birds have not found them yet. I am using Wildlife Sciences High Energy Suet that comes in a 10 pack. Not sure how the birds will like it once they find it though.
It was really amazing to see a Robin attack the Suet feeder, who would of thought?
