FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Gourmet Woodpecker

["Al Warfield" <warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Monday I observed some interesting behaviour on our deck. We have a stick 
with holes filled with crunchy peanut butter hanging near a window that some of 
the birds like a lot, including Downy woodpeckers. One woodpecker went there 
and took a nice glob, then went to a nearby tree with the big glob still 
hanging from his bill, after which he went straight to a suet log that has 
regular bought suet in the holes - the type with corn in it. He poked his bill 
right in and started eating the suet. I could swear he was trying to add peanut 
butter flavor to the suet.

We had to stop using John's suet mix in the suet logs, which are about 2-1/2 
inches in diameter, because it attracted starlings. They very quickly devour 
all of that mixture, but hardly bother with the pre-packed suet, while the 
woodpeckers and other birds will go to either. They all seem to like peanut 
butter better, either plain or in John's mixture.  The peanut butter sticks are 
only about 3/4 inches in diameter and the starlings can't perch on them easily.

Al Warfield