I'm still exploring suet options: last Sunday was a good day at the latest version suet feeder. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is standing on a suet cage or maybe a branch, but eating out of the old pine cone which had suet/peanut butter mix. This is the first time I've seen the Red-belly on the suet feeder - usually it feeds on the hopper or the ground. The Downy Woodpecker is also standing on the upper suet cage, but eating out of that same cage which contains a C&S Almond Treat suet block. The Red-breasted Nuthatch likes the bottom cage, which I think has a C&S Nutty Treat, or something similar. I have another single hanging suet cage on the rose arch with C&S Insect Treat in it. Downies, wrens, titmice and chickadees like this one, maybe because it's well-hidden in the rose canes (which is why I don't have a good photo of it). I'm trying to avoid mixing up my own suet glop, particularly because I don't have a convenient source of rendered suet. The raw suet hasn't been more popular than the store-bought. Claire

Yuck. I thought swarming ants were the same as flying ants. Maybe there are multiple varieties. They used to come to one corner of our garage, but the exterminator discouraged that behavior. Time to buy sugar ant traps - one good warm rain and they pop in. Look who made the front page of our local paper when looking for more bird food. Not my house. Good looking fellow. And after hearing the hawks flying low for a number of days carrying branches over our house, I saw her fly into the nest to sit on her babies-to-be. This is as close as I can get 2 yards away without bothering her. That's her tail. Must be the red-shouldered hawk. Red-tail hawk flying over our house. Here is a red-shouldered hawk out back scanning for food. Red-shouldered in our yard grocery shopping. Also in our yard checking her grocery list-to-be. A bit of a rest in a maple. Jane (edited to reflect correct bird ID)

Donna- I haven't caught much of anything but I think the oil might be too thin or that I don't have that much rose midge yet. I'm going to try coating them with vaseline instead. I don't think too many insects could escape that sticky mess. They do look pretty though :-) I'm trying vaporvacs method with the plastic bags and thinking of spraying or coating this too with oil, not vaseline, (that would take forever!) so if any larvae land on the plastic they won't be able to wiggle their way to the edge and into the soil. Just slowly pecking away at it between the rain, the heat and the curve-balls life throws at you. Hopefully I'll be done before winter! Carol- I do rinse my bird baths once in a while. I did see some goldfinches in my triple fountain once and that has a bubbler at the top. Sharon

Hi Pat, No, I also have a tube feeder with BOSS and safflower. Woodpeckers, bluejays, assorted sparrows, cardinals, goldfinches, et al, like the Lyric - and go through 4 lbs a day. The chickadees, nuthatches, titmouses, house finches seem to go more often to the safflower/BOSS feeder. The Lyric has seeds and nuts for all beak sizes. I am a non-discriminating birder. I feed crows, starlings, crackles, anybody that shows up here gets a meal and a drink. Having said that, their seasonal activities affect what I put out and when. I put the safflower and BOSS out originally to discourage the large flock of house sparrows which dominated the feeder and bath in the spring breeding season, to the exclusion of all others. I will stop the Lyric in the early spring when more natural food becomes available and breeding season brings every HS for miles. In summer, I use safflower/BOSS only when there are plenty of bugs and fruit available. A picture is worth...my feeding area this morning: RB Woodpecker, Juncos, Mourning Dove, Bluejay, Titmouse The Mourning Doves rock everything when they land so there is enough spillage for the ground feeders like the Juncos. I also switch the Lyric to add a suet cake for the winter sometimes, too. (going to have to make a decision about bird name capitalization...or not, lol. ) Jane