I've been using the Pennington Pride Songbird Nut & Fruit Blend for about a month now, and my backyard has turned into a lively avian café. The first thing I noticed was how quickly the birds took to it—within hours of filling my hopper feeder, I had chickadees, finches, and even a pair of cardinals making regular visits.

The mix is packed with real fruit pieces and sunflower seeds that create an audible crunch when the birds dig in. I love watching them pick through the blend—the smaller birds like to toss aside sunflower shells (which does create some cleanup), while the doves happily clean up the fallen bits below.

What surprised me most was seeing new species I'd never spotted before. Last week, a brilliant indigo bunting appeared—my first ever sighting! The Bird-Kote vitamin enrichment seems to work too; I've noticed particularly vibrant plumage on my regular visitors this season.

The 10-lb bag lasts about two weeks with my current traffic (word gets around in bird world!). While it's pricier than basic mixes, the quality shows in both bird enthusiasm and reduced waste—they actually eat most of it rather than just scattering filler seeds.

Pro tip: Store this in an airtight container after opening. The thin packaging doesn't stand up well to curious squirrels if left outside!