Image 1a is our our bird feeders and shows the back of a woodpecker as he collects peanuts from the feeder with the rusty top. This feeder has less peanuts in it than the other feeder. To the right of the feeders is a branch with a split in it.

Image 2a. The woodpecker has taken a peanut, jammed it in the split in the branch and is pecking/eating it. He repeats the process a number of times. Quite clever. In engineering terms he's created a fixture ( an item that holds something whilst it's worked on).

The other point of the images is the level of peanuts in the two feeders. They are both filled at the same time, with the same amount from the same sack of peanuts. The rusty top feeder is always depleted first. Swapping their positions under the little roof makes no difference. Has anyone any idea's why the birds prefer that feeder?

Besides the woodpecker other birds using the feeders are great tits, blue tits, long tailed tits, a solitary coal tit, the odd dunnock, a pair of black caps in spring, and a robin.

The photo's were taken last year but same situation today.

Joe