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Jan 8, 2019 11:29:40   #
joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois
 
Red-bellied Woodpecker on a suet feeder. Put out some of their favorite food and they will come. The rest is up to you.


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Jan 8, 2019 11:48:10   #
suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ
 
What is a suet feeder? The feeder that suet cakes fit in or something else? I do have a couple of woodpeckers- saw a Flickr this morning trying to get to the suet nuggets. And I have seen a Ladder Back but not lately. I only have a couple of small desert trees that don't seem to attract them. They hang out in the large cottonwoods down by the river.

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Jan 8, 2019 12:29:13   #
joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois
 
suntouched wrote:
What is a suet feeder? The feeder that suet cakes fit in or something else? I do have a couple of woodpeckers- saw a Flickr this morning trying to get to the suet nuggets. And I have seen a Ladder Back but not lately. I only have a couple of small desert trees that don't seem to attract them. They hang out in the large cottonwoods down by the river.


I'm glad you asked.

I make my own suet feeders by using short lengths (1'-2') of stout limbs roughly 3"-5" thick and drill 1/2"-3/4" diameter holes by 1-1/2" deep. Don't make the holes too shallow or large as the other birds with shorter beaks will hog all the suet.

I pack the holes with non-greasy peanut suet, and hang the feeder from a Shepard's crook, sometimes several together. I attach sections of branches above the feeder for birds to perch.

I'm shooting from a blind most of the time at a distance of 15'-25'. This distance is ideal for 300 to 400mm lenses. I prefer high pixel count cameras which allow for extra reach by cropping for smaller birds. Fast and accurate focus is almost essential, although most current cameras can handle this.

I've been doing this for many years although this method is not original and don't remember where the idea came from.

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Jan 8, 2019 12:54:01   #
vicksart Loc: Novato, CA -earthquake country
 
We've been getting Acorn WPs at our feeder. This beautiful shot has given me an idea for getting more natural shots. Thanks for sharing another excellent shot.

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Jan 8, 2019 13:09:20   #
suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ
 
Thanks for the information. Sounds easy enough. I am going out to the desert today to look for downed cactus limbs and misc branches to put together for casual perches. My feeders are hung from shepherds hooks in front of large bushes that the birds like to hide in. I can photograph from an open window in the kitchen (screen removed) or sit quietly in the yard.

joer wrote:
I'm glad you asked.

I make my own suet feeders by using short lengths (1'-2') of stout limbs roughly 3"-5" thick and drill 1/2"-3/4" diameter holes by 1-1/2" deep. Don't make the holes too shallow or large as the other birds with shorter beaks will hog all the suet.

I pack the holes with non-greasy peanut suet, and hang the feeder from a Shepard's crook, sometimes several together. I attach sections of branches above the feeder for birds to perch.

I'm shooting from a blind most of the time at a distance of 15'-25'. This distance is ideal for 300 to 400mm lenses. I prefer high pixel count cameras which allow for extra reach by cropping for smaller birds. Fast and accurate focus is almost essential, although most current cameras can handle this.

I've been doing this for many years although this method is not original and don't remember where the idea came from.
I'm glad you asked. br br I make my own suet fee... (show quote)

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Jan 8, 2019 14:53:21   #
joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois
 
suntouched wrote:
Thanks for the information. Sounds easy enough. I am going out to the desert today to look for downed cactus limbs and misc branches to put together for casual perches. My feeders are hung from shepherds hooks in front of large bushes that the birds like to hide in. I can photograph from an open window in the kitchen (screen removed) or sit quietly in the yard.


Best of luck.

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Jan 9, 2019 06:20:04   #
J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio
 
joer wrote:
Red-bellied Woodpecker on a suet feeder. Put out some of their favorite food and they will come. The rest is up to you.

Nice shot Joe.

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Jan 9, 2019 10:00:20   #
Marg Loc: Canadian transplanted to NW Alabama
 
Great shot, Joe!

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Jan 9, 2019 10:13:12   #
agillot
 
Walmart has them .

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Jan 9, 2019 10:32:56   #
phv Loc: Goleta, California
 
Beautiful capture!

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Jan 9, 2019 22:18:06   #
Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia
 
Excellent, Joe!

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Jan 10, 2019 00:22:13   #
Einreb92 Loc: Philadelphia
 
Excellent shot, Joe. Do you make your own suet?

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Jan 10, 2019 08:49:30   #
CGpilot
 
Peanut butter smeared on the bark of a tree will also work for a more natural setting. Also. Wild Birds Unlimited has a product specifically designed for wild birds, called Butter Bark. It also comes in a paste form that can be spread directly on tree bark, or in other hanging feeders, that the birds love.

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Jan 10, 2019 08:52:36   #
suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ
 
Living in Az I would be afraid that peanut butter/ equiv would also attract ants and other bugs. Lord knows we already have enough of those without calling them in lol

CGpilot wrote:
Peanut butter smeared on the bark of a tree will also work for a more natural setting. Also. Wild Birds Unlimited has a product specifically designed for wild birds, called Butter Bark. It also comes in a paste form that can be spread directly on tree bark, or in other hanging feeders, that the birds love.

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Jan 10, 2019 15:01:31   #
joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois
 
CGpilot wrote:
Peanut butter smeared on the bark of a tree will also work for a more natural setting. Also. Wild Birds Unlimited has a product specifically designed for wild birds, called Butter Bark. It also comes in a paste form that can be spread directly on tree bark, or in other hanging feeders, that the birds love.


I tried this several years ago and it was a disaster. The oil from the peanut butter absorbed in to bark. Squirrels quickly found the peanut butter and ate it including the bark. As far as I could tell not a single bird got any of it.

It took several seasons for the trees to recover.

Very bad advice in my opinion.

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