If you have never hung up a suet block for your bird friends, let me encourage you to do so.
I have a tube feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds, which are high in carbohydrates and fats. However, these seeds lack some vital nutrients and suet is a good compliment to keep my birds healthy. So I also hang a block of peanut suet in a plastic cage. Birds that favor insects are especially attracted to suet and it is a good source of protein.
My suet has recently attracted a golden-fronted woodpecker and several house finches. I have to make sure I bring it in at night since my resident raccoons also salivate for suet.
The blocks cost about a buck at my local hardware store and they seem like a bargain to me. I understand some folks make their own suet from cornmeal and lard, but that does not appeal to me.
My son recently gave me a block of spicy-hot suet, the idea being it would be fine with birds but not for squirrels. It seemed to work and I never saw squirrels eating it.
I look forward to trying some suet with embedded berries and am curious as to what birds that will attract. I am mindful, of course, that some foods are not suitable for birds – ostriches have died from eating avocados. But blueberry suet should be a winner – I hope.
