Bird Seed & Suet

Every so often someone will call the store all atwitter about the state of his bird feeder. Where have all my birdies gone, he asks? Careful investigation reveals that, in a fit of desperation, he's recently bought an inexpensive bag of seed mix at the local supermarket. Well, as in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to wild birdseed. At For the Birds, we carry nothing but the best mixes and straight sunflower, safflower, cracked corn and other clean, premium seeds with no fillers. Herewith, a primer on who eats what and why.

The process of feeding and observing birds is a terrific family hobby and a great opportunity to teach kids about the importance of backyard ecology Kids Stuff Many manufacturers put cheap fillers in their mixes to keep the cost of the product down. Problem is, the birds won't eat it. While they may call it "deluxe blend" or "songbird delight" and claim that it will attract the likes of Cardinals, finches and grosbeaks, don't believe it. To tell the difference, just look on the back of the package. If the Ingredients listing contains milo, oats, grain products, or a majority of corn and millet, don't buy it. Our North Eastern's Finest products are especially formulated to attract the greatest number and variety of songbirds because they contain only the best seeds that birds love. Here are some of the yummy options. Sanctuary Select Sanctuary Select is he ultimate of bird seed blends. It attracts the widest variety of songbirds because there's something for everybody in it, with a concentration of sunflower seeds and peanut pieces. Feeder: Best served in platform or hopper style feeders such as those made by Wood Country and Woodlink. May also be used in tube feeders. Attracts: Cardinals, chickadees, finches, Nuthatches, Titmice, Mourning Doves, woodpeckers. Contains: Black Oil Sunflower, White Proso Millet, Peanut Hearts and Pieces, Safflower, Striped Sunflower, Canary seed, Thistle (niger), Tree Nuts, Dried Fruit (Raisins or Cherries), Grit (to aid digestion). Cardinal Blend This mix is specifically formulated to provide the seeds Cardinals like most, including safflower seed. The sunflower seeds and hearts are also attractive to other songbirds. Feeder: Hopper or platform feeder. Attracts: Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, Grosbeaks and woodpeckers. Contains: Black Oil Sunflower, Safflower, Sunflower Hearts. Finch Blend This finch mix contains the small seeds that are desired by and suited for finches and other smaller seed eating birds. It is a more economical choice than using straight thistle (niger) seed, although the ground sunflower that it contains may of greater interest to squirrels. Feeder: Feeders commonly known as "thistle" or "finch" feeders have small openings which are specifically suited for dispensing seed to finches which have smaller bills. Thistle socks and wire mesh feeders also work well with our Finch Blend. Attracts: American Goldfinches, House Finches, Purple Finches, Chickadees. Contains: Fine Sunflower Heart Chips, Golden Finch Millet, Canary seed, Thistle. Woodpecker & Chickadee Blend This mix contains the sunflower and peanuts that woodpeckers and chickadees can't resist. Feeder: Tube-style feeder such as those from Aspects or Droll Yankees or large-capacity feeders for clinging birds like the Kfeeder Carousel or the Mandarin feeder. Attracts: Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied and Red-headed woodpeckers, chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice, grosbeaks. Contains: Black Oil Sunflower, Peanut Hearts and Pieces, Sunflower Hearts, Tree Nuts, Striped Sunflower. Black Oil Sunflower All of the smaller songbirds love black oil sunflower seeds whose thin shells is easier for them to crack. Black oil sunflower is also said to have a higher nutritional value than striped sunflower. Feeder: Tube-style feeder or large capacity feeder for small birds. Attracts: All Songbirds. Contains: Black Oil Sunflower. Sunflower Heart Chips Sunflower chips are sunflower seeds which are cracked after having had the shells stripped from them. Fiches, with their smaller beaks, love sunflower chips as do most other sunflower eating birds. Because there are no shells, there is no mess and no waste. Feeder: Any feeder may be used to serve sunflower chips, although caution must be given to the fact that they will deteriorate faster once out of the shell. Attracts: All sunflower-loving birds. Contains: Hulled, cracked sunflower seed. Safflower Seed, Striped Sunflower, Cracked Corn and Peanut Halves are also available in several sizes, as well as Thistle Seed, in 20 lb. Bags and our handy recyclable, easy-to-pour jugs. We supply them for free. Bring them back and we'll give you 25 cents for recycling! Bird Manna These premium suet cakes are heaven for woodpeckers, Chickadees and Nuthatches. Made from rendered beef fat, they contain the finest ingredients including real fruit and peanut butter, thistle seed and a hearty helping of sunflower seeds. No inexpensive fillers or flavor pellets are ever used. Maine Manna suet comes in convenient 12 ounce cakes and 28 ounce bells which are ready to hang from a mesh net. Coated wire cake holders in both sizes are also available. Maine Manna products come in a variety of flavors, including peanut butter, blueberry, cran-orange and Original Manna. These Downys are helping themselves from this squirrel-resistant Duncraft double suet cage. Suet Galore Putting out a separate suet feeder provides a place for woodpeckers, Chickadees and Nuthatches to eat, and homeowners to observe, undisturbed. Suet provides energy in times of winter and during nesting periods. A suet feeder with a tail prop such as this one from WoodCountry makes it easier for woodpeckers to peck.