The tray can be nothing more than a board nailed on top of a short pole. Cracked corn and mixed bird seed should be used to stock the ground feeder. There are several good reasons for using a ground feeder. Many birds prefer feeding on or near the ground. These include cardinals, juncos, and towhees.
Seed scattered over a large area allows entire flocks of birds to feed at one time.
The seed on the ground may divert squirrels and larger birds away from your sunflower feeder. Woodpeckers, bluebirds, and nuthatches are among the suet eaters. Suet should be fed only in the colder months since it melts in hot weather. Suet cakes are produced commercially, and are a lot less trouble than making your own. A small log with holes bored in it also makes a good suet container.