Do you see
All is not normal at the feeder?
See the little paw just below the roof.
Well, I suppose it is normal here
where birds and squirrels and raccoons
breakfast at the feeders regularly.
With his tummy squished between glass and roof
he still eats!
He's a red squirrel and they're small.
Visitors often mistake them for chipmunks.
The large grey squirrels have not yet arrived
in our neck of the woods.
If we lived in town we would have another bird feed raider.
Some deer there have learnt to get their long tongues
into bird feeders
and scoop out the seeds.
Those who haven't mastered that skill yet
then nibble at whatever falls to the ground.
I have three cats so I can't put out bird feeders (one of my cats is a vicious hunter) so it's nice to see other people's photos.
ReplyDeleteSo funny! I have red squirrels too. I love them!! They are so quick. At Christmas we put a lighted artificial tree on the porch in front of the patio window. It was so funny to watch these little guys sit between the branches and eat what they swiped from the feeder. (The Chickadees loved that tree too).
ReplyDeletean invader but oh so sweet.
ReplyDeleteWe also have red squirrels although everyone calls them "boomers"--not sure where the nickname originated. I had no idea they were red squirrels until I was an adult! :D They are very territorial and will chase even the larger gray squirres away from food sources. Don't let their size and their innocent demeanor fool you, they are a force to be reckoned with. I have seen them sit on tree branches and taunt a dog by flipping their tail, attack cats and blue jays, and have had them chatter at me like they wanted to carry on a conversation. They are very precocious critters.
ReplyDeleteWe've seen a red squirrel swearing (no other interpretation for the noises we heard!) because the feeder was empty. They're not at all retiring!
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to have red squirrels. I've never seen one - they left the South of Britain many moons ago
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are very inventive when it comes to their nibbles. We don't keep a feeder out - but they still come into the yard and raid it for anything that might tickle their tongue. Cheeky little critters!
ReplyDeletei suppose red squirrels have a need to eat in winter the same as birds, easy problem to resolve - change the name of the feeder.
ReplyDeleteHope he doesn't eat too much and get stuck in the doorway like Pooh!
ReplyDeleteWe have squirrels of all types and chipmunks too. Last summer we even had a groundhog visit and I live in the city so I was a bit shocked to see him poking around under the bird feeders. I thought a first he was an extra large squirrel:)
ReplyDeleteHA! Love that first photo... I love red squirells, and gray ones, too. The reds have been racing around the hemlocks near the new studio. I watched a pair going crazy and one fell about ten feet to the ground. The deer haven't learned THAT trick yet around here!
ReplyDelete