A customer named Alma wrote to me with a question I don’t get very often.
She had a Hermit Thrush that had settled into her yard. The bird used the birdbath daily, struggled with a suet cage, and ignored the feeder altogether. Alma wanted to know if there was anything she could offer that would actually work.
Hermit Thrushes aren’t feeder birds in the usual sense. They forage quietly, often on the ground, and they’re selective about what they eat, especially in winter.
I suggested two simple things:
Continue offering suet during cold weather.
Pay attention to what the bird actually chooses when food is available.
Alma followed that advice and later wrote back to say the suet cakes were a hit. She chopped them into small pieces, placed them in the feeder, and even offered a little extra when the bird came close to the house.
Then she noticed something interesting.
When she offered our Seeds, Nuts & Fruit blend, the Hermit Thrush consistently picked out the small suet nuggets and left the rest behind.
What Alma noticed changed how I think about winter feeding.
In winter, birds don’t eat evenly. They reach for fat first. Then fruit and nuts. Seed comes later, if at all. That order matters more than we often realize.
That observation is what led us to create the Winter Select Specialty Blend.
It’s built around what birds tend to prioritize when cold weather limits natural food sources: suet nuggets for fat, fruit to replace winter berries, nuts for sustained energy, and black oil sunflower to keep the blend broadly appealing and easy to eat.
It works well in feeders and can also be offered lightly on the ground for birds that feed more quietly or avoid crowded spaces.
We made a small seasonal run of this blend as a winter test. Once it’s gone, that’s it for the season.
If you enjoy paying attention to what’s actually happening in your yard and adjusting accordingly, you can find the Winter Select Specialty Blend here.
Sometimes the birds tell us exactly what they need. We just have to notice.