Have pity!! They need to eat in the summer too

 

Downy Woodpecker




Hairy Woodpecker

Almost all woodpeckers are here in north Texas all year long – winter and summer. In a pinch they’ll eat things you put out for other birds – like sunflower seeds. However, they much prefer peanuts and suet…all year long. Look for a kind of suet that won’t melt in the Texas sun (unless it gets above about 110°). Or you can make a crunchy peanut butter sandwich for them; it fits perfectly in most suet feeders. Of course, insects in the bark of unhealthy trees is a favorite natural food.  Doing nothing during warm months is problematic, because a hungry woodpecker isn’t a pretty sight.

 

Discouraging Pigeons.    To discourage Pigeons (more accurately, “Rock Doves”), avoid feeding on the ground or on large tray feeders (a few may still be able to get onto some hopper feeders, but not many). The worst thing is to simply dump birdseed on the ground. This attracts them, along with pesky House Sparrows and rats. The very best plan is to increase the number of trees and shrubs, since Pigeons don’t fly well and prefer to be in open areas like parking lots and big lawns.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton,.