Different suet, different birds? (1 Viewer)

[Rouge]

We are mostly first time bird feeding people (GTorontoArea). We are enjoying using the Brome Squirrel Buster Suet Feeder. For us to be able to see the birds I have mounted it off our Family Room window. We do get the occasional Woodpecker but it appears they are often "scared off" by so many Chickadees and Nuthatches.

The feeder allows for two suet cakes and currently it is stocked with MILL CREEK Fruit and Nut and MILL CREEK Peanut Premium.

(Initially, on one side I had loaded the MILL CREEK Pure Premium Suet but for the time it was up it got little action).

I guess I am wondering if different suet will attract different varieties of birds. Or more pointedly is there a MILL CREEK suet that you could recommend that might not be so appealing to Chickadees and Nuthatches but bring in some more interesting, colourful birds?

 

[KC Foggin]

In this time of year, all the birds are cold and hungry and they are likely to eat anything they can get their beaks on.

 

[KC Foggin]

BTW,
Hi there and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum

We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like

 

[Rouge]

For our location I think the birds may not be as desperate as might usually be the case as in past years as we are experiencing much warmer temps and less snow this winter.

(But I would guess that this is a common inquiry ie how does one attract "interesting" birds during the winter)

 

[PYRTLE]

Here in the UK we can choose from a selection of suet "cakes" or pellets with added ingredients - insects /mealworms/ berries and peanut nibs. In my back garden these are fed both in hanging feeders and a ground feeder, the later which attracts a different group of birds to feed.....blackbirds, robins, starlings and winter thrushes but also crows and pigeons.
Not all regular garden birds enjoy suet, unless as KC suggests, they're extremely hungry.
A variety of foodstuffs and feeders will bring in a greater number of species, if you're not already doing this.
Good luck.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum! I am sure that you will find lots to interest you here and I hope that you enjoy your visits.

Like Pat, I feed a variety of things: suet fat balls, mixed seed, peanuts, niger seed, chopped fruit and peanut butter which appeals to ground feeders as well as those who like feeders. The more variety you offer, the more likely you are to attract different species. Good luck!

 

[Rouge]

We did have a Squirrel Buster seed feeder in the same location as is now the suet one but the mess of seed shells that resulted on the deck was just too much. We have limited spots to place these hanging feeders and so I had to relocate it quite far away...too far to get a good view of the birds that frequent it. I would like to have placed it on a pole in the centre of the backyard grass lawn but having done this in a past year I noticed the many "weeds" that were difficult to get rid of., that arose in the spring because of the fallen seeds.