@LunarSea I looked at your photo and thought, that looks a lot like a juvenile loon. I had to look it up to learn it is, indeed, the same bird. I live in what's known as 'the lakes region' and we have many loons nesting on our lakes in summer. The Loon Preservation Committee has been instrumental in getting legislation passed to ban the use of lead fishing tackle in the US, which the loons ingest and it usually is fatal. I'm sorry to hear the one in your photo has died. They are magnificent birds, and each loss is profoundly felt.
Interesting you should mention that @CrankyYankee. Redesmere is fished all year round so it's possible this young loon did ingest some weights. Split-shot was made lead-less in the UK many years ago but the bigger weights are probably still lead so it's definitely possible. It's such a shame that it chose this particular lake to settle for the winter as this area has many similar sized water bodies that are not fished.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Thanks for your advice, @Fairygirl and @Lyn. I have accordingly removed that block of lard from the bird-feeder, melted some of it, mixed with bird-seeds in an appropriate container. Not much success so far, I'll wait and see.
Meanwhile, the fat balls with seeds are still a great success, as seen on this pic and video taken this afternoon.
The honey will be fine for you to eat - it keeps forever. Or you could cook with it. I wouldn't include it in bird food, personally. Peanuts don't have all that long a shelf life though; I'd give it a sniff, and if it smells ok, put a bit out for the birds and see what they make of it. If they don't like the look of it you'll know to throw it away. (You can buy peanut butter specifically for wildlife so if it hasn't gone off I'd make use of it.)
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Is it crunchy peanut butter? Hopefully not salted... If crunchy, a lump on a saucer or something might work; the jar might be difficult for the birds to access. If it's smooth PB, you could try mixing it with something like breadcrumbs to make it less sticky, perhaps.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
My windfall apples have been a massive hit this year. I might regret not clearing them when the grass is a mushy mess in Spring, but for now the birds have a little larder to keep them going. I still do some fat balls and seed mix though as the little birds don’t tend to ground feed and prefer the safety of the trees.
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Interesting you should mention that @CrankyYankee. Redesmere is fished all year round so it's possible this young loon did ingest some weights. Split-shot was made lead-less in the UK many years ago but the bigger weights are probably still lead so it's definitely possible. It's such a shame that it chose this particular lake to settle for the winter as this area has many similar sized water bodies that are not fished.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Should I use these for the birds and if so how? Any advice much appreciated.
Would you just put a lump of the peanut butter out on a container or hang the jar up horizontally (if I can)?