Where Did My Squirrels Go?

 In April, I was complaining in this blog about one of the squirrels eating my spider plant. My husband came in the other day and asked me, "Have you seen our squirrels lately? I don't think I have seen them in a few days."

Thinking about it, I know it has been almost a week since I have seen any. We have three that regularly hang out in our yard, eating sunflower seeds from our feeder. I can see that one might get picked off by a predator, but three at once? Unlikely. The dogs still charge out the back door and look up in the tree where the squirrels hang out, but have been regularly disappointed. I miss watching the antics of the squirrels and the dogs.

I am hoping one of the neighbors didn't decide to poison the squirrels, since poisoned animals often end up prey of birds of prey, killing them as well. 

Of course, if the neighbors did kill the squirrels, others will move in at some point. In the meantime, the sunflower seed is lasting longer.

Good birding!

Summer Bird Feeding

 

Carolina chickadee

Most people don't feed birds (other than hummingbirds) in the summer, but I do. I get it. There is plenty of food available for the birds in the summer and quality bird food isn't cheap. But it's not about the birds, it's about me. I enjoy seeing the birds and having some food available brings the birds to me.

I do reduce the amount of food I provide. In the winter, I have 6 - 10 feeders out, depending upon the weather. In the summer, it's 2 - 4. 

To the left, you can see a Carolina chickadee at one of the feeders. If I have to choose just one feeder, it would be black oil sunflower in a wire tube feeder like this. Black oil sunflower is less expensive than most feed mixes and is enjoyed by almost all songbirds. In addition to chickadees, this feeder attracts cardinals, blue jays, house finches, common grackles, as well as house sparrows and starlings. I don't get many starlings, so it isn't a big deal for me. This feeder also attracts squirrels. You can see the feeders is bent up. That is courtesy of the squirrels. But the squirrels are fun also, and they aren't stealing food out of the birds' mouths, so it's all good.  I fill this feeder once a day in the summer. When its gone for the day, it's gone. The little moochers can go forage after that.

Peanuts for woodpeckers

My other favorite feeder is a heavier metal feeder that I fill with shelled peanuts. The chickadees also like this one, but I have it out mainly for the woodpeckers. I have downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, and occasionally, ladder-backed woodpeckers that visit the feeder every day. Blue jays, wrens, and starlings also are fond of this feeder. Shelled peanuts are expensive, but I use much less of this feed. What you see remaining in this feeder will last at least a week. Probably two. The squirrels don't bother this feeder--no idea why as they do like peanuts. Perhaps it's because this feeder is harder to get the peanuts out of and the feeder is much sturdier, making it harder to get open to pillage as they do the sunflower feeder.

I do throw a handful or two of mixed seed on the ground, more because it is amusing to watch the dogs go crazy than the birds it attracts (My husband calls this me "feeding the chickens" because of the way they go nuts.) Ground feeding does attract doves and great-tailed grackles and occasionally, a robin. The blue jays and cardinals also find this easier than pulling the sunflower seeds through wire mesh.

With temperatures holding around 100 degrees for weeks now, water is much more important than food. We'll talk about that another time

Good birding!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Well, our annual winter storm has arrived. Heavy sleet started at around nightfall last night. This turned to snow overnight with some heavy winds. Cold, cold, cold!


I went out this morning to knock the ice off the bird feeders and to spread some seed on the ground for the juncos and other ground feeding birds (see photo, left.)



The birds didn't even wait for me to go back inside before coming out for the food. It will be a challenge for them today to keep warm. The squirrels are also braving the wind for the sunflower seeds.




You may not be able to see through the fence, the spotted towhee who showed up even before light to look for a handout. Since I don't have to go anywhere, I can spend the day watching the birds in my yard. I might also start working on my March 7 presentation at River Bend Nature Center on bird migration. (In between working on "real work" stuff.)

How much better can life be?


Good birding!

National Squirrel Appreciation Day

In honor of the day, I am using my squirrel mug for my morning tea.

When I wrote my I Love Squirrels some time back, I didn't realize there is a National Squirrel Appreciation Day. January 21 is the day. The National Wildlife Federation has some hints for celebrating the day and helping children appreciate them.

Many animals eat squirrels (where I grew up, that included a lot of people, although I haven't ever tried squirrel myself.) That's part of the reason that although fox squirrels (the species common in our area) can live 18 years, their average life span is much shorter. Most squirrels do not live to reach their first birthday. If they survive that long, then they can expect to reach 4 - 5 years of age in the wild.

Squirrels in our area have two breeding seasons and baby squirrels are being born now. Why any animal outdoors at this time of year would have babies to support is beyond me--this is also the time of year that in some parts of the country food is pretty scarce. Of course, looking at the squirrels who visit my feeders every day, you wouldn't suspect that--they are chubby.

Birders have mixed opinions on squirrels. Obviously, I enjoy their antics. Although we have lots of squirrels in our area, Texas Parks and Wildlife sees some problems for the little guys, especially in east Texas. For those who like squirrels, the paper has plans for squirrel dens.

For today at least, why not put out some food and enjoy the antics of the squirrels in your yard?

Good birding!

-

Brrrrrr!

My blood is thinning out since moving to Texas. I am cold! And today it felt like the temperature dropped during the day.

The birds and the squirrels are cold too. I have had a full house at the feeders today while everyone tries to top off for the night. I had 4 squirrels at once this morning and have had dozens of birds eating their heads off pretty much the entire day. We're at the edge of a winter storm moving this way. It appears all we will get it the added cold and none of the snow and ice, but it appears the birds aren't taking any chances.

Most of the birds have been white-winged doves and house sparrows, but I have seen the cardinals, blue jays, spotted towhees, juncos, house finches, Inca doves and chickadees as well.

Good birding!