Jerry Baker's What's Growin' On?

I’ve been waking up the past few mornings to the not-so-soothing sound of a woodpecker having an early breakfast in the tree outside my bedroom window. My first thought was that I sure hope he goes away. But then I got to thinking about my Grandma Putt, and how she liked to put up nest boxes for woodpeckers—even though most of the time a squirrel claimed possession before the ol’ hammerheads had a chance to check it out.

I’ve tried attracting a mating pair of woodpeckers to my yard with birdhouses myself, but these birds are so adept at whacking out their own homes that there’s really no reason.

So this summer, I’m going to roll out the welcome mat with this Come ‘n’ Get It Woodpecker Welcome recipe. The nutty, corny mix will delight the rhythmic rappers, and hopefully, keep ‘em coming back for more! Here’s how to make it:

Tear 1 loaf of any kind of bread into pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of chopped suet or fat scraps, 1 cup of cracked corn, and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Mix and mold firmly with your hands to fill two wire suet cages. Then hang the cages somewhere far enough from your bedroom window so you can sleep, yet close enough so you can watch all the fulfilled action.

For even more terrific taste treats that are irresistible to your favorite fine-feathered friends, check out my Backyard Bird Feeding Bonanza, FREE for 21 days! It’s got more than 90 DIY recipes that’ll tempt the taste buds of over 100 different varieties of birds.