PERPLEXING PEANUT BUTTER

A couple months ago I made a bird-feeding peanut butter log by cutting a 3” branch about 12” long and drilling one inch holes into it at random intervals. I drilled a 3/8 hole through it near the top and hung it with a wire tie. I filled the 1” holes with gobs of creamy peanut butter and...the birds wouldn't touch it.

I changed peanut butter brands and...still nothing. Curious, when I have had lots of peanut butter log feeders over the years. I believed that piece of branch was from an Ash tree and I liked the remaining bark as good for the birds to cling to. Then I began to wonder if the beetle toxins that killed our ash trees could be repelling the birds.

I found a maple log of the right size in an old wood pile, made a new offering and presto! A female downy woodpecker arrived, paused momentarily to check for predators then hopped through the squirrel-repelling wire cage and munched some lunch.