Thwarting Grackles

Every bird feeder confronts occasional pests.  Obviously this includes our friends the squirrels but also birds like Blue Jays, Common Grackles, and Red Winged Blackbirds.  All of them have vexed me from time to time.  This month I have been forced to match wits with a pair of grackles.  They've taken a shine to the suet feeders and with their prodigious appetites can clean out a cake in no time.  I've decided to fight back with my squirrel-proof cages.  Two of the suet feeders are shielded from the pests and the small birds can still get in.  Many have experience with these cages already.  Unfortunately the blue birds and catbirds are locked out right now but I've left one suet feeder cage-free to see what happens.  At least two cakes will be off limits to the grackles!  We shall see if this strategy helps at all.