FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] FW: Homemade suet on logs

["Raincrow" <raincrow@xxxxxxxxxx>]

My old Knoxville house had 2 large maples about 15 feet from the front windows. 
We used to trowel our Birdy Butter right onto the tree bark at chest height, 
which kept them off the ground so they were less of a target for enterprising 
kitties. The only down side was that it left permanent greasy stains on the 
tree bark.
I'm battling very aggressive raccoons at my Kingston house so to keep them from 
feeding near the house, I don't use the tree method. I now hang a homemade 
feeder (14" length of roughed up 2x4 with numerous 1" diam x 1/2" deep holes to 
hold the birdy butter) off a shepherd's hook. I'm using a variant of Martha 
Sargent's PB/lard/flour/cornmeal/oatmeal/sugar suet mix and am doing 
land-office business, plus I can bring the feeder in at night to discourage the 
coons (who stand up, growl, bark, and feint as if they intend to advance on me 
when I ask them to leave the porch; unacceptable!).

Happy birddays to you.

Liz Singley
Kington, TN



------- Original Message -------
From : oligobird@xxxxxxxxxxx[mailto:oligobird@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent : 11/7/2007 6:15:45 PM
To : tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc : 
Subject : FW: [TN-Bird] Homemade suet on logs

While in Texas last winter, we made a stop at the famous DeWitt garden. Aft=
er seeing many great birds, including three Brown Jay, we observed one of t=
heir feeder setups. Kay asked me to salvage some old dead logs in the yard =
when we got back. Then she followed the DeWitt recipe (5 lbs plain white co=
rnmeal, 4 cups peanut butter, 4 cups melted lard - not Crisco. Melt the lar=
d and pour it onto the other stuff and mix well.) We spread this mixture in=
to crevices on the loosely stacked logs, with one upright log in the middle=
. When we go out in the morning, there is a chorus of demands for the suet,=
loudest being the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and others like the Downy Woodpe=
ckers flutter around close by. Kay has observed 16 species making use of t=
his feature: Northern Cardinal, Rufous-sided Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, Blue=
Jay, White-throated Sparrow, Hairy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina C=
hickadee, Common Grackle, American Crow, Red-headed Woodpecker, White-breas=
ted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped =
Warbler, Northern Flicker. Maybe not all were eating the suet, but they wer=
e certainly making use of things associated with it, at least. We are sure =
the racoons clean up the left-overs. Ralph and Kay Brinkhurst, Lebanon, Wil=
son Co.
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

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Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
Cleveland, OH
-------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________

Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

ARCHIVES
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EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
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Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif 
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com 

_____________________________________________________________





=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                  EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________