FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Fw: Martha's Super Suet Recipe

["Anna Varney" <arvarney@xxxxxxx>]

It seems that Martha's Super Suet is making its way everywhere this year.   

This forwarded message is to a co-worker at my company's headquarters in 
Michigan.  Every morning we discuss different aspects of company 
operations...then we talk about birds.    

I forgot to list Brown Creeper as a regular visitor.   

Anna Varney
Summertown, TN   

----- Original Message -----
From: Anna Varney
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 5:23 PM
To: bmoore@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Martha's Super Suet Recipe

Yup, that's the name of this stuff.  Here is the recipe as I found it on 
TN-Birds--this is a listserv of anything bird related in TN.  Martha is Bob 
Sargeant's wife.  Bob is a nationally renowned hummingbird expert from Alabama.

1 C crunchy peanut butter (regular is ok)
2 C oats-quick or regular
2 C cornmeal (not mix-just plain)
1 C lard or shortening (I use shortening)
1 C white flour
1/3 C sugar

Melt lard and peanut butter in the microwave or over low heat.  Stir in 
remaining ingredients and pour into square freezer containers about 1-1/2" 
thick to fit into your suet basket.  Store in freezer or fridge until needed 
(just about all the time 'round here).  This will not melt and run in the 
summer and is a great source of protein for your birds as well as their parents.

When I make this (about once a week in the winter) I double or triple.  I used 
to do the freezer containers, but not anymore.  The best way I found is to melt 
the shortening and p. butter in a LARGE microwave safe plastic bowl.  Mix the 
dry ingredients separately then add the dry to the fats.  Keep this big bowl of 
goodies in the fridge and then scoop out what you want to.  I take the bowl 
outside with me and fill up two baskets, throw some on the ground, mash some 
into the side of a tree.  Before adding the dry stuff you can dip pinecones 
into it and then hang the cones out for the birds.  Bluebirds appreciate a 
handful of raisins to the mix.  Can also mix in any nuts--so long as they are 
not overly salted.  You can even rinse the salt off the nuts before adding.

Birds seen feeding on this mix:  

Eastern Bluebird
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
We have Pileateds (woody-woodpecker inspiration--but I've never seen them feed 
on this here)

Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Dark-eyed Junco--this is a ground feeding bird that will actually perch on the 
basket and feed

Field Sparrow--another ground feeder that will cling to the basket--will bring 
their young after fledging, park the young on a branch nearby and will feed 
them this stuff

Northern Cardinal--when its on the ground only.
House Finches
Purple Finches
Northern Mockingbird--occasionally--I think that they are after the raisins
Carolina Wren

Summer Tanager--I've seen this once

Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Grey Squirrel, Raccoon.  

I've taken to hanging the basket from a nail driven into a tree and then 
wrapping wire all the way around the trunk and securing the basket with the 
wire to the tree.  I don't know how many times I found the basket on the ground 
and I've had them disappear completely--only to be found months later in the 
woods.  I had one that I lost about a year ago finally make its way back to the 
ground--we found it about 50' up a tree on a branch.

Good luck
Anna

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