The Birds of Winter in the mid-Atlantic

Are you looking to store your extras in your freezer or would you like to sell a few off? (I'd buy one... or two)

I'll ask about suet the next time we go to the Mt Airy butcher, too. I don't want to mess with a few scraps, but it would be worth rendering a bigger batch. My dad used to get big chunks (free) and stuff them into a mesh bag (the Santa Rosa shipping ones would work) without rendering. Works great in winter... in summer, suet goes rancid too quickly.

There is a line of stores called "Wild Birds Unlimited"
We have a couple around Baltimore--but there is one in Frederick, Jill.
Have you ever been there? They do carry their own line of
quality bird seed.
They used to be right here at White marsh--but moved somewhere else.

"Our suets and no-melt suets contain high-quality ingredients and make
every trip to the feeder count."

Wild Birds Unlimited
Frederick, Maryland
Address: 7820 Wormans Mill Road
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 360-9910

There are lots of locations in VA.

I called the one here in Timmonium (410-561-1215) and asked if they carry
pure suet cakes. She said they have one called "simply suet" for $2.99.
I don't think it is what you are talking about, Sally. There was a "bark butter cake" one.$4.99.

Here is a line of their products.
http://shop.wbu.com/c/bird-suet?pp=12&sort_selection=name&pg=1

Sally---
I still have that one cake of pure suet you gave me once.
It was when I got that upside down feeder--which never Needed a ladder...
Maybe I should give it another chance? Somewhere lower that I can reach..

The suet is in my freezer. Should use it up..
If it still does not work--you can have the feeder.

G.

Wanted to add that I use the plastic mesh bags that onions come in
to hang a suet cake on the trunk of my big maple. G.

Each day when I put out or restock the seven feeding stations around my yard, most all of the seeds are gone except for the safflower. Must be an acquiired taste eh Muddy?

As far as insect eating birds needing sources of 'fat' in winter, I've never done suet or peanut butter, but I do put out the fat I trim from meats like ham and other roasts, and ladle off the fat layer when I cook soup bones etc. and put it out on a small platform or my picnic table. I figure that it is cold enough outside in winter that I don't have to cook it down. Blue Jays made off with inch by inch pieces of ham rind yesterday. Is this a bad practice?

Does the salt in hams affect the birds? It can be pretty high...
Of course--Virginia birds are tough, eh?

Like--we, usually, do not put out salted peanuts--nor mix them in suet?

Just wondering...G.

I don't know if it's just a local thing or if it's a wide spread thing, but our local Agway has a Bird Feeders Club you sign up for. They discount all birder supplies and I think that includes specials and sales. It's a bit out of the way for us, so we don't get there often. We do go there if we can't find something like a good quality thistle sock. We also get our stock tank heaters there for the pond. The last 2 years the pond heaters just didn't do the job. After a cold blast we'd go out to find the pond heater sitting in a puddle of water on top of the ice. They must have been designed for a really small pond. :-} LOL If ponds can't breath (as in release methane) every living thing in it can die.

I will be calling my local Wild Birds store and ask. If it's pure, 2.99 is great. I doubt it though.

I put out 'fat trimmings' from the butcher one year- nothing ate it. I put out fat drippings- nothing ate it and it ran down the trunk when weather warmed.

Rendering my own suet is #199 of a list of about 200 things I could be doing.. grosses me out.

Ric, after going through 3 pond heaters that ceased to work (fried, crapped out, etc.) after a season or less, I took a very good look at the online reviews and bought Laguna brand heaters.
I also bought an aerator, which supposedly could keep the pond from freezing over even if no heaters are used.

Do you have fish? If not, would you like some goldfish? My big goldfish failed to eat all of their babies, so I have 14 overwintering inside the house and several babies in the pond.

Thanks for the offer but we only use one pond to overwinter any critters. It's only about 5' across and 3' deep. The birds love it and with the large water iris roots where they can roost to drink, it works fine for them. The other water features get a couple of goldfish every year to keep them sketter free, whether for the deep pond or the dime store.
I'm surprised how many frogs overwinter there. In our yard alone we've had Northern Spring Peeper, Northern Leopard Frog, Green Frog, Eastern American Toad, and once we found a Wood Frog in a pile of old wood debris we were going to clean up. The clean up waited till well into the next spring so the habitat was intact all winter. Since we don't use a lot of chemicals in our pool I often have to net egg masses in the AM and move them to one of the little ponds before starting the filter.

I used to get frogs, but haven't seen any since building my new pond. Baby goldfish sometimes get stuck in my filter. I tried using extra filter pads but that didn't keep them all out. This year I'm going to try covering the gaps with some kind of fine net.

We had an old pond heater that kept our pond open for years. When it finally died I replaced it with a more energy efficient type and it just didn't do the job. If we got a lot of rain or heavy snow it would freeze over. Last summer I purchased a new de-icer, and it keeps the whole area ice free. It isn't called a pond heater it is called a de-icer and I am not entirely sure what the difference is but it works great.

Birds are really putting on a show this morning. Both of the Pileated woodpeckers were here. All the other woodpeckers come here, too. Plenty of Cardinals, Blue Jays, Black Capped Chickadees, Junco, and lots of LBB's

So nice to see them all come eat- from the cozy indoors

I just ordered ten pure suets. They come to 3.30 each after including shipping and insurance. Wild Bird Center of Severna Park wanted 5.49 each. I imagine the cost of suet has gone up with the cost of beef in general, even if it's considered something of a waste product?

Holly - LBB = Little Black Bird?? The difference between pond heaters and de-icers is the amount of heat they produce.

I don't know, Sally, but mine are going to keep getting the cheaper suet !

Sally, what the local butcher throws out I wouldn't want to render outdoors.LOL Many times he takes the best tallow, grinds it, and freezes in 20# sleeves. Most people who have deer sausage, sticks, and burger made use beef tallow and do not use deer tallow to lessen the gamey taste. I should see if he every gets rid of any old stuff.
Things that make you go...HMmmm Being ground like burger should make it easier to render.

LBB=little brown bird LOL

I think we've had every woodpecker in the Pa. list at the suet feeder today, as well as a number of flickers.

Muddy you were close, Little Brown Birds
From what I understand pond heaters heat the water, de-icers just keep the ice from building up. Beyond that I am not too sure on the pros and cons of either but I do really like the de-icer I got this year. Also the fish seem more active or maybe it is just that the whole pond is ice free and before even with the old pond heater there was only a section clear.

call me "Pure Suet Sal" Sorry for being so annoying about my pure suet.

Muddy, how many suet blocks do you go through? I'm going to sound like a pure suet nutcase. But goldangit, the flavored one I bought at Lowes for $3 or something, got destroyed in a week! squirrels. I did NOT see hordes of birds flocking to it. Even now, the downy is at the last of the pure suet that has been nibbled on for weeks and weeks ever since cold began, instead of the seeded treat whosits that I just put out today.

I promise to stop now.

LOL Sally, never annoying always informative.

Well--My birds will have to make do with eating seed off the ground
for a week or so--as the 3-tube feeder is all broke at the moment.

Yesterday--I went out and filled all the tubes and got mu step stool to hang it back up.
Either the feeder hit something--or I mis-steped--but we both cane crashing to the
patio floor. I am OK---no damage! WHEW!!!!!!! The feeder is in pieces
and all the seed spilled out on the floor.
The birds and squirrels have been having a ball!

HAH! Thy don't know that this is the way they will be eating for a while.....

I just googled this feeder. Of course--it is much improved by now.
I got mine at HD around 2001. Back then--they were $39.98.

Here is what is being offered nowadays. It IS possible that the brass-colored parts
are now metal--so the price is up. Mine were all just gray plastic.
Bit--it looked exactly like this.

Price--Between $65-$73. G.

Here is what Amazon is offering.....Don't think the "brass' is metal!
Just brass-colored plastic.
**************************************************************

Perky-Pet 7103-2 Copper Finish Triple Tube Bird Feeder
by Perky-Pet

Price: $62.99 & FREE Shipping. Details
You Save: $9.20 (13%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Tuesday, Jan. 20? Order within 30 hrs 29 mins and choose
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Large-capacity bird feeder with 3 independent seed tubes to attract different birds
12 flip feeding ports adjust to serve mixed or thistle seed in each tube
Removable, quick-release plastic seed tray catches seeds to prevent waste
Integrated dome-shaped baffle foils squirrels and protects seeds from weather
Holds 10 pounds of seed; built-in seed funnel for easier filling

27 new from $56.30 6 used from $50.90

Holy cow Gita thanks heavens you weren't hurt

Yes, Very lucky Gita, so glad you weren't injured.

Believe me--falling is one of my biggest fears as I usually hit knees first.
This simply CANNOT happen--but,of course. it has happened a few times.
Just don't know how much damage could be caused on knee replacements????
What if I break the knee cap--or dislocaate something! AAAARRRGGHHHHHHH!!!!

A year ago, walking to my car after work (in the rain) I slipped and fell
on my left knee on GUESS WHAT?--Those wide, yellow lines they paint on a diagonal,
in front of the HD "apron"---Sort of--NO parking zone.

Those yellow lines, when wet, are VERY slippery.but--they are painted on
concrete in stripes. Who would think of that just walking to their car????
A short, but strong. man was walking behind me and he walked up and picked me up (!!!)
under my arms. I am NO featherweight!

So--I am EXTREMELY CAREFUL where obstacles could be.

Those heavy, curling rubber hoses we use outside to waater everything
have a mind of their own! They loop and twist all the time...
Fell hard last summer when my leg stepped inside a loop and I took the next step.

Usually, these falls lead to a lot of swelling and bruising and pain. Nothing more serious.
YUP! Right on my left knee!

I WILL tell you, one of the main reasons for all these "accidents" are my tri-focal,
blended lenses. These simply take away a lot of peripheral vision as well as awareness
of what is around me--next to me--below me--or to the left or right of me.
I need to turn my head to see these things--so they just happen

Glad i am the "hardy" type....G.

I'm glad you weren't hurt, Gita.

Sally, you're not being the least bit annoying!

Squirrels can be a pain. I hung one of my long suet feeders horizontally last year and covered one side so they couldn't eat from it. I use hot-pepper suet in the squirrel-accessible feeders, and the squirrels don't touch it. My problem now are the starlings that swoop in every few days. They love suet, especially the suet I mix with PB. I put the feeders they can use inside as soon as I see them.

I put 2 suet cakes in my starling-proof feeder on January 8th, and they barely have dents in them because only small birds can go in. This place is selling similar feeders for a pretty good price http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=9089+10468+20773+21979&pcatid=21979

I've never seen this squirrel solution before, but it looks brilliant and probably would be easy to duplicate: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=9089+10468+20781+25814&pcatid=25814

I'm relieved to hear I haven't overdone the pure suet rant (rave).

You're not even close.

Glad your okay G!! Those glasses sound like they're pretty hard to see out of.

One of the reasons I did away with bi-focals while working, was I ran stairs and climbed all the time. I learned to just take my glasses off to read.
With the number of woodpeckers we get, we can go through a cake of suet in 1 1/2 to 2 days most times. I watch for sales and usually pay anywhere from $.78 to $.93 each, when I'm lucky. I may buy 2-3 cases at once. One year I was at Ace and their premium seed mix was on sale for $6.98. I came home with 6 or 8 bags. Holly thought I'd lost it, but it was $2 off per bag. I always try to make sure I don't have any left over at the end of the heavy feeding season. Thistle, on the other hand, I only buy in smaller quantities to ensure freshness.

jeff--Yes! One has to get used to these kind of glasses--as you always
have to turn your head to see anything correctly.
I've had them for years now. Still find them difficult at times....

Ric--if you have an Ollie's anywhere near you, their asst. Suet cakes are always
89 or 99 cents per. I think HD's are $1.19--have to check.

I don't care for Ace's seed--as it is so full of Milo. Just adds weight--not quality.
Maybe the birds like it...not sure...I mix everything together...

Gita, I'm relieved you weren't hurt badly! You might need to consider switching to less sexy bifocals despite their visible line. Depth perception and peripheral vision are good to have!!

Wegmans had a good selection of feeders that looked similar, Gita... will try to check prices & get pics this week. I'm getting to the Y regularly again, so that's my default grocery -- it;s across town but close by the YMCA.

I don't think any bird likes the milo. Southern States sells bags of unmixed white millet. I went there Friday & stocked up! Safflower, millet, BOS, nyger, peanut hearts (cheaper than whole peanuts), and cracked corn. I didn't shell out extra for "woodpecker delight" as our downys seem to have decided the construction hammering is too much to contend with,

The glasses I have now are, probably, the 5th pair of the same prescription.
So--I am used to them--and there is no 'sexy" reason behind it.
When anyone first gets these blended tri-focals--they REALLY have to get used to the,.

Having to wear the ones with the line all day was just too bothersome.
It is not like I only put the glasses on when I read--I wear them 24/7 (minus sleep time).

I just need to slow down a bit--so I can take in all that is around me. I rush too much....

I can also NOT wear these glasses when I am out and gardening as I do not need
them for distance. I much prefer not to have them on outside as they amplify the brightness.
BUT--I need them for close-up and arm's length focusing.
So--I wear them all day.

I miss the Southern States we used to have in Vienna; that was such a great store for just about anything.

I had 5 bluebirds in my yard today! I had to go out and shoo away the starlings a couple of times so they could eat. Unfortunately, the bluebirds haven't yet figured out that they can fit inside the caged suet feeder. The starlings can't, so I'm hoping the bluebirds figure it out.

12 bluejays swooped in for peanuts this morning, and they were very hungry. Boy do peanuts fly out of the feeder when they come dive-bombing in. I'm using more peanut hearts than I used to; they're definitely cheaper than whole peanuts.

Pretty sure Southern States is open on Saturday, so plan to swing by before the seed swap... or just let me know what you want and I'll pick up for you.

Thanks for the offer, Critter, but what I really miss is having a Southern States an easy 2 mile drive from my house. I only have to drive 5 miles for a Home Depot, but the traffic is unpredictable.

Oh, I understand. Just figured you would want to know it is an option on seed swap day.

The Cardinals are hanging out on the Beauty Berry Bush, probably getting a snack before the worst of the weather set in.

That reminds me--I better get back to gluing the 3-tube feeder back together...
It will be a slow thing--as everything I glue--has to set for 24hrs.
I am using the Epoxy glue with the 2 syringes you have to mix together...

I think this is the 4th time I am gluing various parts of this feeder back together,,,
This time the breaks were bad....the tubes are all knocked off the base--
the flanged top is in 3 pieces--and all such.

It will be OK! It WILL be OK! I have faith!!! G.

What lucky Cardinals! That's a great photo, Holly.

Have fun with that, Gita.

Cardinals are about the only birds that forage on our Beauty Berries. An exception is a lone mockingbird that is part of our usual winter crowd, but it has not made an appearance yet this season. We're a little concerned about it.