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(More customer reviews)I have to say that this is a very appealing feeder for a number of reasons. I have been using this particular model for some time now...only one of them. We have a very large woodpecker population along with Jays and other birds who delight in suet feeders. Most of my feeders are of the front loading, heavy wire type which are also extremely effective. This one is a bit different though.
The design allows easier access for the longer tailed members of the woodpecker clan such as the pileated woodpeckers we have here and the northern flickers and indeed the red-bellied woodpeckers. Small birds such as the hairy woodpecker and its little cousin, the downy woodpecker along with various nuthatches, creepers , titmice and chickadees find easy access also.
Now there are plusses and minuses to using this feeder. One, it is easy to load (it is a top loader. Two, it allows access for the birds from both sides. Three, the long panel dropping down from the suet holder gives good support (tail) to even the large pileated. four, this is very ecco-friendly! It is made from recycled material. Five, it is extremely durable, weathers well and is stoutly made and six, the birds love it...which when all is said and done is the most important thing.
There are small problems with the feeder though. First, since it is a top loader, and unfortunately does not come with a locking device, it is vulnerable to `critter raids." The slick finish on this makes if difficult for some birds to hang on to. Because it has a long tail prop on it, it can really be whipped about in the wind; the higher the wind, the more flopping about. When you hang this thing up be sure you do so quite securely.
I place my feeder out in the woods, a goodly way from the house (although I can still see it) and higher on the threes than normal. I do this mainly for the pileated woodpeckers as they are shy things and are more hesitant about coming in close. I also choose to place mine in a rather shaded area as the suet last much longer in the hot summer time...although this is seldom a problem as the stuff is usually consumed long before it goes bad.
I have used some very good super glue stuff I have and have glued three small wooden slats to the tail board. This cures the problem with a lack of grip for the birds. I also use a bit of wire at each end of the loading cover which, while not 100 percent fool proof, does cut down on the `critter raids' quite a bit.
It should be noted that this company now offers this same feeder with the capacity of holding not one but two suet cakes. It is of the same useful design...just holds more which is nice because when you have multiple suet feeders it becomes a bit of a chore constantly refilling them.
It should also be noted that due to the material these are made from, they are an absolute snap to clean. (Gets up on his tree stump): I cannot over emphases the importance of keeping all feeders clean! Bacteria, molds and all kinds of grunkies gather at all feeders and many of them are quite harmful to birds. Routine cleaning; frequent cleaning of all feeders of any sort should be at the top of your birding chore list! If you have suet cakes that are not being used up in a reasonable amount of time, toss them and replace...hey, they don't cost all that much and moldy or tainted feed can cause real harm.
This is a good, well built and easy to use product. In our case, at our place, the birds love this thing. I plan to add at least three additional feeders of this brand (I think I will go with the double cake ones), before this winter sets it. I will not stop using my wire feeders; the ones in close to the house, but simply add this type of feeder to my stations.
It should also be noted that these things are made in the United States which makes them even more appealing to me.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Click Here to see more reviews about: Birdschoice Recycled Single Cake Tail Prop Suet with Hanging Cable
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