OK, thanks but I'm having a hard time getting them to come to the feeder with shelled peanuts inside! I'm not sure why the birds don't like it, but they mostly bypass the peanut feeder to get to the "clingers only" feeder next to it filled with BOSS. I get nuthatches, woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice but no one has really taken to it yet. Even the jays only came once & they ate the peanuts that had fallen on the ground, ignoring the feeder.

Woops! I should have also mentioned that, in addition to the reddish "millet", there's a significant portion which is similar in color to white millet. It's more of a "golden yellow" instead of the traditional cream color. In other words, it's a tad darker than the white. Any idea what this is? Hope this doesn't confuse. Thanks again.

Black oil sunflower is a great all-around attractant for many different types of birds, but it can also get you some unwanted visitors if they're in your area. You could try just putting out some safflower seed. Starlings and grackles MAY shy away from it, but the doves will still eat it. However, you'll attract native songbirds like cardinals, grosbeaks, house finches, and chickadees. Your results may vary, though. I've successfully thwarted the starlings-and sparrows to a lesser degree-as I took down my suet feeder. They won't eat my safflower either. Other people have reported that their starlings will readily eat safflower in addition to whatever else is put out. You also might want to try putting out some thistle seed in an upside down feeder to attract goldfinches.

Actually, salt kills birds. A neighbor fed salted popcorn to his fantail pigeons and they all died. Anything bad for humans is amplified in birds, hence the former use of canaries in coal mine shafts to test for poisonous gases