The Clown Princes of Suet

I have watched many birds work at our suet baskets over the years, and the one species that routinely provides the most entertaining spectacle is the American Robin. These thrushes are frequent visitors to the suet every day of the year, but don't seem to have profited from practice. For a Robin, getting a comfortable position on the suet basket is entirely a matter of luck. Sometimes one achieves a perch on top and works the suet below its feet. More often Robins get a foot or two on the grillwork and flail away with one or both wings to hold their balance. The stuff must taste amazingly good to them, for almost as soon as a Robin goes through its crazy acrobatics for one bite, it returns for another, and another. You have to love them! (Note to Birdcammers: this is a fun bird to watch in Video Mode.)