Squirrels are my arch-enemy.  I’m a bird person.  I have bird feeders in my yard which I fill will all kinds of tasty treats for the birds  (my dog likes them too).  I have cardinals, a variety of wrens and finches, chickadees, titmouse, doves, jays, robins, towhees and lots more visiting daily.  They love to come to my feeder and I love to watch them.  

Squirrels love my feeders too.  They come in a pack; there were 4 this morning dining from one feeder.  The birds were talking from their perches in the branches nearby while they waited their turn.  A quick turn of my backdoor knob and the squirrels were off; so was my dog hoping to catch one and teach it a lesson.  “Don’t come into my yard,” would be what she’d say if she could talk.  She’s a Lab and Lab’s love to chase squirrels. 

Oh, I could spend at least $50 on a squirrel guard-type thing for the feeder.  I’ve put on home-made versions of them and these squirrels have decided to jump over them or leap straight from the ground to hang on the bottom of the feeder and then climb up.  We also have so many trees around here that there is virtually no place to put the feeders where a squirrel can’t jump from a tree branch or the roof of my house. 

Anyway, no matter how much the squirrels bother me with regards to the bird feeders I have been watching them with interest.  I have many drawings of them in my nature journal and I’ve been snatching a few photos of them, too.  Here are my favorites: 

Squirrel in a planter

Hungry squirrel

A good little climber

Gotcha squirrel!

 I’ll try a dedicated squirrel feeder this fall.  Maybe they’ll leave the bird food to the birds.