A short while ago I saw a peanut butter feeder made from a thin log. The idea being to attract Woodpeckers. As I recently cut down a small tree which was far from healthy I had some bits of branch to try out. Choosing a reasonable thickness of branch I cut off a length, drilled a hole through near the top to put a wire for hanging, then drilled three large holes which I could fill with peanut butter.
I am using peanut butter marketed for feeding to birds, it not having the added salt which is found in the varieties for human consumption. At first I wondered whether the butter would be soft enough to manipulate as the jars are meant to be put up horizontally and the peanut butter is fairly solid. As it turned out it was easy to scrape out with a round ended knife and pack in the holes in the log.
After a short trial with the log hanging on a hook I soon found out that Starlings could stand on the top and reach down so I hastily adder a 'roof' to the log. This does not stop them but makes it much harder work as they have to cling to the vertical wood and don't stay very long.
This is a very short first visit (slowed down to half speed) by a Blue Tit so it looks as though the log will attract some visitors.
Here's hoping for a few visits from the Woodpecker which occasionally visits the garden.
