I noticed a couple of days ago that the suet feeder in the garden was empty. But I was busy, and there were no downy woodpeckers hanging around, and I didn’t see the flicker, so I continued with my busy-ness.
This morning, I had a minute to simply stand with my tea and watch the bluejays working to get their share of the peanuts off the patio. They simply divebomb down around the squirrels, and then swoop away fast. Or sometimes they’ll pick up 2 or 3 nuts before making that final selection.
So again I noticed the empty suet feeder, and took the appropriate steps to fill it with hot pepper suet. The birds aren’t bothered by the heat, and it keeps the squirrels away. Though one squirrel tried it for several days when I first began to use the hot stuff. No one else has tried it since – so I no longer need to use lard or vaseline on the pole to keep them away.
I was barely back in the house when the first downy landed on the feeder. A male, with the red dot on the top of his head. They are small. The flickers are much bigger – woodpeckers, except that they can also land on the ground.
I figure the little guy was watching. I promise to refill the feeder much faster in the future – knowing how closely he’s paying attention.