Because woodpeckers feed less at the seed feeders than other species, the nearby suet feeder is a way to enjoy viewing more woodpeckers and with far greater frequency. Woodpeckers eat far more suet year round than the other birds. Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Nut Hatch, Starlings and Blue Jays were also taking the suet as part of their diet. Other birds like to take an occasional bite of suet. I soon realized that the framing of the pergola allows more woodpeckers to queue up for their turn at the suet. This roughness aids them in clinging to the surface. Our pergola happens to beconstructed of rough cut lumber. But I subsequently read that woodpeckers love a nearby large tree (as close as 2-3 feet) to hop around on because they feel more secure around the feeder. I chose the pergola for suspending the suet feeder because of the location. While I was following the woodpecker I had walked directly into a rock border surrounding one of the hosta display beds! Why A Pergola? I soon found myself face down on the pea stone driveway with some good scrapes and bruises to remind me of my folly. Since I had long ago determined that I am unable to walk and chew gum, I do not know why I thought I could walk to my truck and simultaneously track a woodpecker in the trees. I was on my way to the truck parked under the locust tree. One day in early spring I was walking past the suet feeder, I visually followed a woodpecker as it flew up into a honey locust. And they were climbing/hopping around the feeder, on the bracing of the pergola.Įven though I have always seen Downy Woodpeckers around my feeders I found I could observe them more on the suet. But now they were lingering on the suet feeder. They had always been fairly frequent feeders at the sunflower feeders. It took several days before I began to see Downy Woodpeckers feeding on the suet. For a long time now, I have had 3 Black Oil Sunflower seed feeders and 1 Thistle seed feeder hanging 20 ft away under a large paper white clump birch. I hung it off a corner of the pergola so that I could see it from a nearby door. For a mere $1.29/lb, I have had an incredible payback in viewing pleasure. I decided to pick up suet, on my next food shopping trip, and give it a try. Late last winter I found an unused suet feeder while cleaning my workshop.
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