Red-bellied woodpecker

[Abndoc]

I live in Somerset, just curious to why i have a red-bellied woodpecker feeding on my birdfeeder everyday around 3pm. Shouldn't these birds be off pecking on the trees. I know nothing about birds so don't laugh. Is this a bad sign, should I be putting some special out for it.

thanks

[DonBo]

Any Woodpecker at the feeder is a good sign, any time of the day. A suet feeder will bring in a few different varieties of woodpeckers, they all love them.

[Dave S]

+1 on the suet cakes. Woodpeckers love 'em as do chickadees and Nuthatches. Dark eyed Juncos also like to pick up seeds that are dropped by the others.

[eyeguy 54]

red bellied at my feeder almost daily. it takes one seed to a tree and eats it then back for another.

[WDH]

Any and all kinds of nuts along with suet. I like to make my own suet.

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 cups quick oats

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup lard (no substitutes)

1 cup white/wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup nuts

Also at times I add mealworms and crickits left over from my summer feeding of blue birds and Purple Martins. This is a winter only suet. All woodpeckers love this mix over the Commercial suet.

[Slab_Supper]

Any of you guys ever had trouble with the woodpeckers pounding your siding? I put out suet last winter and they started pecking holes in my cedar siding! Not to thrilled about that. I don't think I had bugs in the siding as I didn't see any...

[WDH]

10 to 1 their not looking for food on your cedar siding, their using your siding to let all other woodpeckers in the area know that this is their nesting ground and that they will defend it.

Make some woodpecker Bongos. Make 3-4 of them anywhere from 3, 3.5 to 4 foot long and hang them on trees around your yard.

To make a bongo you need two 8 feet of 1-inch x 4-inch.

the two sides and front will be 3 foot the back 4 foot all your doing is making a hollow log for them to drum on.

[eyeguy 54]

I say they are looking for insects this time of the year. The downys are finding bugs in mine. Google "woodpeckers and cedar siding" to find a cure if they are real bad.