Raw chicken, boneless cooked chicken, bologna, and big pieces of suet disappeared over the last couple nights as the bobcat made tracks entering and exiting from under the front deck. He followed a pattern but not at a time when I could see him.
Wanting at least some of the suet to remain for the birds, I tied it down. Moments later, the first female pileated woodpecker I’ve seen for months showed up with the male, and he let her have first dibs. She’s the one in the picture, identified by the mustache streak that extends back from the lower beak being black rather than red.
 Chickadee |
 Blue jay |
 White-breasted nuthatch |
The first bird of the morning was this chickadee. Then, the stream of birds wanting raw peanuts or sunflower seed hearts began—blue jays, chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches and this white-breasted nuthatch; along with hairy, downy, and the red-bellied woodpecker also appreciating the suet.
In the morning, we’ll see if the suet survived the jaws and tugging of the bobcat during the night.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center