Building cages around all food sources at the bird feeder did slow down the Grackles.  I imagine the juvenile, Red-bellied Woodpecker singing the Prison Blues.  You can see him stretching out his neck (and his long tongue) to reach the suet deep within the prison walls.  The tiny Downy Woodpecker, on the other hand, quickly learned to scurry underneath the bars to happily eat her fill.

It's far from the ideal bird restaurant.  But, but as you will see in the feature video, the birds adapted quite well.  No one is going to sleep hungry!