Backyard Success!

[Spâtha]

We had 4 Cooper's Hawk living in the neighborhood for a long, long while and many of the usual birds, Cardinals, Robins, Finches and others were either scared away or fell victim to one of the predators.

I had not seen the hawks since before Thanksgiving... so I decided to see if I could entice more 'visitors' to the back yard.

Had several little 'chippies' and some doves, but nothing else at the feeders.
So I decided to put out some suet above one of the feeders and low and behold 2 days later...
Mr Red Headed Woodpecker!

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/highdesert/WoodPecker.jpg

[Dr. Madd]

Cool. It's always good to see Birds. I have one living in a mud nest in my Carport. Don't know what Kind.

[Topiary Lady]

That is a great picture, Spatha! What a beautiful bird!

[RightisRightLeftisWrong]

Good catch, and a pretty bird.

[scarymary]

After seeing that picture, Spatha has inspired me to go buy some new bird feeders. Last year I had a gold finch feeder from which the finches hang upside down to feed from. It was amazing to watch. Last night I bought a tubular feeder for larger birds and one of those suet feeders. I just went into town to buy some more gold finch feed and some wild bird feed. Hope I get some hits on them after the rain subsides.

[Spâtha]

You can buy suet in the store or you can make your own.

Here's the recipe for homemade suet:
1 cup lard
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups of oats
2 cups of yellow cornmeal
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup bird seed(chix scratch)
1/3 cup of washed/dried/crushed very well egg shells

Melt the lard in a sauce pan.
Add peanut butter and stir till melted.
Add the rest of the ingredients.

Line your pan or deep cookie sheet with waxed paper. I use a pan that will give me suet at the thickness of my feeders(about 1" +). You can measure your feeders and use the correct pan so the suet will fit firmly in your feeder.

Spread the suet mixture evenly in the pan at the thickness you need for your feeder and place the pan in the freezer for at least an hour.

Take the pan out of the freezer and cut the suet in squares to roughly fit your feeder. Place the suet squares in plastic bags and return to the freezer.

Use as needed.:icon_mrgr

[Dr. Madd]

THat's pretty neat, Spatha.