Birds are Back!

Did I ever update the bird feeder story? Well my dad, not to be defeated by rodents (because he is a man and they are . . . rodents), went back to the hardware store and bought steal cable. So yeah, there is no way those squirrels will be getting the bird seed out of his bird feeder anytime soon. He even said that he was prepared to sit out there with he shotgun and kill any squirrels that came near it! He didn't really though, which is good because I don't think it would have helped the bird situation at all.

This morning, as I was letting my dog out into the yard, I saw two birds in the yard. Dad was right. If you put in a feeder, they will come. The great part was, they weren't on the bird feeder. They were on the ground, peeking at where the squirrels had dumped the seeds a few weeks ago. That made me smile.

For the record. I have tried to take pictures of a squirrel to go along with one of these updates, but it has been weeks since I have seen one. Do they migrate? Maybe they have gotten tired of Gryffindor chasing them.

The Feeding of Birds

Bird on a Swing, by Katy 2008

So my dad has fixed the "squirrel proof" bird feeder. It is back, hanging in the tree in our back yard. I couldn't help but notice that it was missing something. Birdseed. I asked Dad about it and he was happy to explain the whole thing to me. You see, he couldn't bare the thought of spending $20 on the feeder only to have it taken out of commission 2 days later by a gang of deviant squirrels and one lost bolt. So he took the feeder to the hardware store where a clerk helped him find the bolt that he needed to fix it. He then got a new rope. He says the new one is stronger. (I'm not really clear on why that matters because the failure in his rig the first time had nothing to do with the rope, and everything to do with squirrels equipped with wrenches.) Once home, Dad fixed the feeder and used his new super rope to hang it in a tree. As he explained all this he turned to gaze at it out the window, clearly proud of how cleaver he is. "So why didn't you put food in it?" (I thought that was the question I had asked.) He looked at me in that "you just don't get it kind of way" and said, "So the squirrels won't get it!"


Yeah, don't worry. I don't get it either. Why have a feeder with no food? Is the goal to trick birds into landing in our backyard? Maybe when they are flying around they will spot the feeder from the sky and decided to make a pit stop at our place, landing before they realize that there is nothing there for them. If you really want to see birds, all you have to do is go down the street to the stop light. I always see birds over there. We have the wires in our yard, all we need now is some second hand traffic signals. Before you know it, we'll have a whole colony of birds pooping on us while we swing or play catch in the yard.

UPDATE: When I got home this evening I found the birdfeeder lying on the ground. Dead. It looks like the squirrels were not fooled by dad's idea to not fill the feeder up with seeds. They cut the super strength string and took the feeder apart, again. From the looks of things, there were seeds in the feeder after all.

Squirrels Unite!

A's birdhouse

My daughter put together a birdhouse a year or so ago, and last month she talked my dad into hanging it up in our back yard. Like everything, she had very specific instructions for him. "It has to be hanging on the branch of tree. Use some rope or a chain. Then we need bird seed for it."

My dad obliged, but he decided that putting bird seed in it wasn't the best of ideas. Instead he bought a "squirrel proof" bird feeder to hang next to it. Apparently the term "squirrel proof" was over exaggerated because before the end of the week Alex and I came home and found it in fine condition, laying on the ground, the seeds gone. It looked like they had lowered the thing gently to the ground, undone the bolt that held the top on, carried the seeds off and then replaced the top. The only problem was that, whoever was in charge of holding the screw didn't do a good job. It seems they had lost it. Probably a young boy squirrel who set it down while he attempted to brake his latest hacky sack record, and then lost track of where he had put it. Still, the lid had been propped up on the feeder. I guess they were hoping we wouldn't notice the missing part.

My dad was mad. "How could they?" he asked. Not in a "I can't believe squirrels are that industrious tone. More in an "How dare they" kind of way. I don't get it. I have heard stories of people fussing about squirrels taking the food they indented for birds and how upset they were. Why? Why is it fun to give birds free food and not squirrels. Maybe if we had squirrels feeders they wouldn't feel the need to crawl into our attics.

Personally, I like the rodents a lot better than their feather counter parts. For one, I have never found squirrel poop on my newly washed car. For another... they much more social. I have a feeling that with the rise of "squirrel proof" feeders, a group of the smartest squirrels pulled their resources and started a think tank. They have devised and elaborate underground facility where prototypes of these feeders are analysed and tested for any and all weaknesses. The information is then compiled, and easy to read diagrams are drawn up. The information is passed on to all squirrel communities who subscribe to the service. There is probably a membership fee of 10 acorns a month, or 100 acorns a year. I say good for them! They are using smart, organized tactics to get the point across that squirrels need food too!

UPDATE: Since posting the above I have found that there are people (on the Internet) who are firm believers in what they call "Squirrel Hazing." Ever wonder why that squirrel decided to fun across the street just as you drove by? Or stole your bird feeder out of your tree? The answer my friends is that they are young squirrels trying to be excepted in the 'in crowd.' Like the hazing that goes on in frats and sororities, these squirrels dare to do the ridiculous to prove that they are worthy of the appreciation of the mindless. I would rage on them more, but they are squirrels after all. I'm not sure I buy the hazing idea. I would say its an idea conceived by frat boys, but I don't think they think that much. Still, I do think it is all part of an elaborate game of truth or dare.