Oh, I needed that laugh! Yes, one bird finds seed and then proceeds to yank out his cell phone and call all the other birds in the area. Soon, every bird within twenty miles is out on the lawn. Flocks from the next state are just hitting cruising altitude and will arrive sometime tomorrow. Go ahead and try to scare them off. They outnumber you. Ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock classic? Move slowly and do not carry grain-based food items... Really, you'll be just fine. You dropped millions of seeds, the birds can't possibly consume more than several tens of thousands--or less than 1%. The scratching and pecking also helps settle the seed in contact with soil and cover it, increasing germination of those seeds near the one(s) consumed. Bird poo contains great fertilizer, so there's another added benefit.

Tony, I'm with you. I have never had any luck with suet of any type or recipe in Florida. I DO think you are more likely to succeed with it in cooler weather because the birds need a much higher energy type food then. And also because many types of suet cakes and mixtures spoil quickly in the heat. But even in winter, my woodpeckers prefer to eat sunflower seeds directly from the tray feeder, and they ALL ignore the suet. I do buy the big SEED cakes (BirdOla, etc) that just look like lots of seeds, peanuts and fruit somehow molded into a large square. You probably know what I mean...there's no suet that you can see, just the seeds & fruit bits. I put that in a wire holder designed just for it, and the goldfinches will eat from that, until it gets too small for their short beaks to reach it through the wire. They still drop shells and a little bit of seed under the feeder, but they can't fling it all over while looking for something they like, so it's much less messy. My goldfinches finally showed up about 3 weeks ago, and I've had as many as 30 in the yard at once. There are at least 4 that are almost completely yellow and black now. Just gorgeous. I haven't seen any buntings or grosbeaks this year, though. And the chipping sparrows left right when the goldfinches showed up. But I'm happy...I have my cardinals back, my white-winged doves are here, and my goldfinches. My seed-eating catbird and my seed-eating Myrtle warbler both left, after stuffing themselves for several weeks. (They obviously didn't get the memo telling them they prefer insects and fruit.) I'm really happy now that the squirrels can't seem to reach the feeders any more. (Still knocking wood, though.) Try one of the big seed cakes and see if you like it! Marcia

Hi all, I built a Suet log and started making suet mixtures in December 06, and it's been going strong since! The Suet Log attracts such a wide variety of birds, I cannot believe how successfully it works. I have Eastern Bluebirds that visit daily, since peanut butter suet is a favorite of theirs. They are beautiful to watch. The Suet log is made with Red pine (Pinus resinosa) log, bark, and perches. It has a natural rustic look. But you can use any wood! Bark and perches help the birds feed at the log. They can cling to the bark or perch and eat the suet. Many people hang their log from a tree branch or hanger, but my log is pole-mounted about six feet up with a squirrel/raccoon baffle. I drilled a hole about 3-4 inches deep straight up the bottom of the log, so that it slides over the pole. It is a very secure installation. Highly recommended! I drilled holes for the suet and glued perches underneath some of the holes, and branches around the top of the log, kind of like an "umbrella" effect. The birds absolutely love to hang out on the perches and branches. Sometimes I will have 4 or 5 species eating or hanging out. Even the finches, who do not eat the suet at all, like to hang out on the branches. The only drawback is that over time, the perches and branches DO break or come loose, and some maintenance is necessary. But the basic log itself, has remained solid and intact through 4 seasons in all weather, and the birds really don't care if a perch is broken! The Suet mixture I make with rendered suet ("Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unlimited), crunchy peanut butter, corn meal, ww flour, ground up oats, and crushed peanuts/other nuts as basic ingredients, approx 1/2 fat, 1/2 dried ingredients. I've also added currants (these are small raisins that don't need to be chopped), leftover dried cat food, ground up dried & baked eggshells, etc. They love it all! Here are photos of the feeding station, and the finished suet mixture. Also some pretty visitors that come to the log! My feeding station - includes the Suet log, 2 small Black oil sunflower feeders, and couple water features: This is what the suet mixture looks like when finished: The small flock of Bluebirds, who are regular visitors:

konrad: Thanks. I've noticed quite a few red-tails sitting in trees on the side of Route 1 in Chester County, PA (Route 1 is a 4-lane lightly used road here). The hawks stare into the grass median, and when they see something, they are quite focused on their prey. In fact, I had to slow down to miss one that was flying into the median. Claire: I remember reading a post here about bluebirds going to a window to ask for food. That was when I first started watching the birds. Well, I thought it was someone's imagination--until I realized it wasn't. There was a time when a mother mockingbird kept screaming at me until I chased a cat from near her nest. When I was feeding the birds regularly, the white-throats, upon seeing me, would jump up from the brush, land in the bushes, and sing to me. Probably the most amusing was when the male and female red-bellied woodpeckers--whom I always call red and rosie--landed in a tree on the side of the house and started shouting at me. I looked at the feeder with mixed nuts and saw it was empty. Once I filled it with their mixed nuts (they like the white ones and always search for them), they left me alone and ate their nuts. Here is something you may wish to try with mockingbirds. While in the yard, I may discover a mockingbird nest by observing the parents repeatedly going towards the same general area. The parents will first land on a nearby branch and look at me. This is where I must obey their rule. When the parent looks at me, I must turn away from the parent. I usually turn my back to them. Then, the parent heads for the nest and I hear the happy chirp of the chicks being fed. I don't know if this is a learned mockingbird trait or if it is instinct. However, the parent will fly away unless I look away while they go to the nest. I've been obeying their rule for years now.