Sunday, February 1, 2015

Birds at the feeders

I am very happy with my new suet bird feeder.  Last year I had fought with raccoons repeatedly who kept detaching my suet wire cages and dragging them into the woods to pull them apart and steal the food.  This year this new suet feeder caught my eye.  I like that it holds suet on two sides and the roof keeps the food somewhat drier.   It is heavier and bulkier so hopefully the raccoons will have trouble carrying it away.  The woodpeckers love it and many other birds as well as Cardinals and Carolina Wrens

Male Cardinal making sure he is safe before eating


Carolina Wren as happy as it can be

Downy Woodpecker having a feast
The one problem I see with this feeder is that the roof is too low for a larger woodpeckers as the Red-bellied woodpeckers who always have to eat with the neck to one side to avoid the roof. It doesn't provide them for an ergonomic position while eating..so I believe I will have to improvise something to raise to roof a bit.
Red-bellied woodpecker at the old suet cage feeder in 2014


Red-bellied woodpecker at the new suet feeder in 2015

See my point? 
 The larger woodpeckers are so loud at the feeder that my opportunities to take pictures are many.  I can hear them before I see them. What a magnificent bird so close to my windows!
Sharing with  Saturday's Critters  blog where magnificent pictures of birds are being shared.