This is my suet feeder which is right outside my window. It contains a pure white suet cake (tree-rats don’t like it) and is inserted under the roof. A black metal grate holds the cake underneath and allows only the birds that can hang upside down (woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches) to feed on it.
After battling tree rats, starlings, and grackles who ate my cakes in record time, installing this feeder was the perfect solution.
Now I am rewarded with the visit of some special downy woodpeckers everyday. O how blessed I am!
I always get excited when the male comes by because I recognize the red spot on his head. He is very handsome.
I do worry about their safety sometimes. Being upside down can put you in a disadvantaged position, don’t you think? And with many birds in my neighborhood comes many hawks as well. Why does the downy woodpecker constantly make a noise when he eats? “PEEP, PEEP, PEEP….” Over and over they call. Isn’t this giving away your location?!?
Has anyone else found this to be strange?
Let's Paint Nature! 
I have been thinking about getting one of these styles of feeders for awhile now. It is encouraging to know that you have seen woodpeckers everyday. I think they are beautiful birds. Thanks for the journal sketch and the info.
Yes, you should get one….woodpeckers galore. They never really cared about my regular seed feeder so I didn’t know I had so many in my area! The white suit will stop the squirrels that will try to rip your feeder apart (monsters). I can only get the pure white suit at a local bird specialty store or on-line.
Good Luck!!!
Love the sketch and the information. I struggled with tree rats, too. I did not know about the base style feeder. 🙂
Thanks! It’s the pure white suit they don’t like. Even if you have the feeder and put regular suit in there, they will destroy it like the little evil creatures they are…hahaha.
Interesting feeder. I am not familiar with that type so I have learned something this morning. It’s easy to understand why the ‘tree rats’ wouldn’t like it! 🙂
As to the peeping and eating, I haven’t a clue. There are several of the smaller birds that exhibit that trait. Especially nuthatches I’ve noticed. Perhaps they are just expressing their joy and being able to fill their little bellies another day…. 😕
Yes, now that I think of it, nuthatches are pretty loud little things. They too give away their location all the time.
I’m glad I can feed their tiny bellies 😉