We have some goings-on happening here at my feeders. I've been trying to capture the moments on camera but my efforts have failed to date. So, I decided I'd better share them anyway and not wait.
It all started because of the squirrels. The naughty squirrels were just taking over my feeders, eating everything, knocking them off their hooks, generally being little juvenile deliquents with tails.
So, I moved some feeders around and tried some new things. I don't have the money to invest in tons of squirrel deterrent systems right now so my main measure has been to get rid of the feeders they can use as their own personal tilt-a-whirl snackbars. The chickadees are none too amused however.
At the same time, I got a new hummingbird feeder that hangs on my bedroom window. I've been thrilled because a male Allen's Hummingbird has found it and uses it daily. Beautiful creature.
At my kitchen window, I used to have about 3 feeders with sunflower seed (see the picture) and now only have a hummer feeder.
So, the antics. At the front window, there is one very confused chickadee who has decided that if put something out, it must be good. He is working hard at trying to get good food out of the hummingbird feeder. He sits on the feeder and pecks at the flowers. "Am I a chickadee? Am I a hummer? Am I a woodpecker? Who knows, get out here and put out some new seed!"
At the backwindow, the chickadees can't BELIEVE there is no sunflower seed out there (hey, the squirrels' seed habit was getting expensive) and they have often cluster on the hummingbird feeder staring in at me. Today, my little female Anna's Hummingbird (who has been with me all winter) came to feed and there were 4 'dees on her feeder. She was MOST annoyed. She didn't seem to mind sharing but did mind the fact that there was no room for her. She chased them off and settled in for a nice feed.
We are sure enjoying the birds around here! Silly things!
It all started because of the squirrels. The naughty squirrels were just taking over my feeders, eating everything, knocking them off their hooks, generally being little juvenile deliquents with tails.
So, I moved some feeders around and tried some new things. I don't have the money to invest in tons of squirrel deterrent systems right now so my main measure has been to get rid of the feeders they can use as their own personal tilt-a-whirl snackbars. The chickadees are none too amused however.
At the same time, I got a new hummingbird feeder that hangs on my bedroom window. I've been thrilled because a male Allen's Hummingbird has found it and uses it daily. Beautiful creature.
At my kitchen window, I used to have about 3 feeders with sunflower seed (see the picture) and now only have a hummer feeder.
So, the antics. At the front window, there is one very confused chickadee who has decided that if put something out, it must be good. He is working hard at trying to get good food out of the hummingbird feeder. He sits on the feeder and pecks at the flowers. "Am I a chickadee? Am I a hummer? Am I a woodpecker? Who knows, get out here and put out some new seed!"
At the backwindow, the chickadees can't BELIEVE there is no sunflower seed out there (hey, the squirrels' seed habit was getting expensive) and they have often cluster on the hummingbird feeder staring in at me. Today, my little female Anna's Hummingbird (who has been with me all winter) came to feed and there were 4 'dees on her feeder. She was MOST annoyed. She didn't seem to mind sharing but did mind the fact that there was no room for her. She chased them off and settled in for a nice feed.
We are sure enjoying the birds around here! Silly things!
I am having the same problem. I love the little Douglas squirrels and they are not greedy at the feeders but I have drawn at least five fat grey squirrels and they can empty a feeder in a few hours. I have let them go empty for two days and in the next day or two I have some new feeders going up that the squirrels can't use. Wish me luck.
Posted by: jane | Saturday, 15 April 2006 at 08:12 PM
Oh, I do. Good luck! I love squirrels -- they are adorable but they are so greedy. And, if they ATE it all, I wouldn't mind but they go bury it places and forget about it. I can't wait to see all the sunflowers sprouting everywhere this summer! :)
Posted by: Liza Lee Miller | Saturday, 15 April 2006 at 09:57 PM
Squirrels really are a pest -- my parents got their electrical wiring fried when a squirrel chewed through the wiring. Half the house lost power, the other half the house got the full house's worth screaming through it -- anything they had plugged on that circuit was gone...
I found this(1) which looked pretty reasonable, and maybe you could collect a couple over time. I also found this(2) which looks like it'd be a LOT of fun to watch, but is too pricey...
(1)http://tinyurl.com/rxjc2
(2)http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?pid=3671
Posted by: BEG | Sunday, 16 April 2006 at 12:18 PM