baiting woodpeckers

[jcurtis]

Hi,
I have heard somewhere that a combination of pastry mix and sute is good for attracting woodpeckers is this right, if so whats the recipe/process to make?

Cheers

[Jim Ford]

We get fat balls from Wilkinsons and the great spotted woodpeckers love them.

Jim

[GTH]

Same as Jim.....we have fat balls and they visit most days. Before we had squirrels, the woodpeckers would go for peanuts, however since buying squirrel proof feeders they now enjoy the fat feeder which isn`t squirrel proof.

I hope this helps you....best of luck

Geoff

[Stinky Bob]

Yep peanuts and fat balls also they take some peanut butter rolled in seeds as well (smeared into holes of a log).

[Melus]

At work I push a mixture of melted Beef Dripping mixed with ordinary bird seed onto the bark of ancient oaks and the peckers love it

[BillyPilgrim]

Peanuts and peanut butter pushed into the bark of a tree worked very well for me. Of course it has to be a place what they already know about or can see other birds feeding.

[Tringa]

I have heard drilling holes in a piece of dead branch and forcing peanuts into the holes and then hanging up the branch attracts woodpeckers. I have tried it and it works, but no better than an ordinary peanut feeder or a fat ball feeder or mealworms.

I think it is all down to luck and weather. We hear GSWs often, see them flying now and again but they have only come to the feeders fairly rarely, until the recent cold weather when we had them two or three times a day.

[Picidae]

GSW will readily come to a standard well sited peanut feeder. I wouldn't try and attempt them into your garden if you have Tit boxes, as they will readily predate those too unless you have proper predator guards across the holes!

If it's for photo opportunities, your nearest local nature reserve will probably have GSW visiting feeders that you can reserve at close quarters from a hide. (Provided the reserve has GSW habitat anyway of course!)

[Melus]

Originally Posted by Picidae

GSW will readily come to a standard well sited peanut feeder. I wouldn't try and attempt them into your garden if you have Tit boxes, as they will readily predate those too unless you have proper predator guards across the holes!)

A very good point

[jcurtis]

Thanks for all of your comments.
I have used fatcakes and peanuts inserted into dead wood before and as yet have had no luck.
The reason I asked about pastry mix and sute was I had read about it else where and that it lasted longer and didnt show up on the WPs bill when photographing.