| This is my fourth month living in my new home. When I moved in I saw that my predecessor had left me a bird feeder. I was excited! I went right out and bought bird seed, making sure I picked a bag with lots of black oily sunflower seeds showing through. That’s what Google says to do. I filled the feeder up with seeds and waited. It only took two days and the feeder was empty. I did not see a lot of birds but, obviously, the poor flighted creatures were hungry, right? I filled the feeder full to the top this time. Within hours I saw her – my new nemesis, Mama Squirrel! Her body showed signs of nursing. My now, almost empty AGAIN feeder betrayed signs of well-fed baby squirrels. Whatever you may call them, kits, kittens or pups – I could imagine them with a full bag of my precious seed making a lovely edible nest for them. My poor birdfeeder did not survive the war. Mama S insisted on getting every last seed, which meant chewing the plastic around the holes, making the feeder unusable. Back to Mr. Google. Apparently, squirrels do not like Cayenne Pepper. Apparently, birds love Cayenne Pepper. I confirmed this at the Wild Birds Unlimited store. But I did not trust Mama S. I spent extra on a new feeder that, with four ounces of pressure, drops at the perch level covering the seed holes. Because I spent on the feeder, I cheated and went to the Dollar Store, buying a Cayenne spice bottle. Peppering the seed and shaking it up, I added the mixture to my new anti-Mama Squirrel feeder. No more squirrel! I do not feel guilty. She got enough seed to supply her family through the winter. Also, there are loads of acorns and pine cones around. I still see her come by, checking for “clean” seeds, but that ain’t happening. I am now seeing lots and lots of birds. There are Gold Finches, Sparrows, and my new favorite: Cardinals. The male Cardinals are red and black. All of them have this great triangle haircut that would make any punk rocker jealous, no hair gel required. After them, the ground eaters show to help clean up any loose seeds. I have seen Blackbirds, Doves, Pigeons, more Sparrows, and an occasional Crow stopping by to see what all the fuss is about, and our resident duck, who, I think, finally moved on to meet his buddies somewhere southward. I will start to learn more about my flighty friends and their names, I am sure. I am also trying to learn names of the residents here where I reside. There are about 220, and I have learned about 15. I have a way to go, but many of the residents are practically invisible. Many of them are perfectly happy to be in their individual apartments, getting visits from their families, and being invisible. I think they are like Mama Squirrel. She works very hard filling up her larder and will hide away for the winter. So many of them have worked their jobs and raised their families and now, in the winter of their lives, are perfectly happy in their nests, away from the harshness of the world. I, personally, want to be a bird. It is my namesake after all. (It is hard to get away from a name like Robin.) I do like my quiet time but, mostly, I want to see the world and touch the lives of others, positively, in any small way I can. I pray that my age can be used to impart wisdom to the kits and pups and baby chicks. I hope I have the energy to stand beside my peers as they maneuver the murky waters of aging. I want to keep learning and to encourage others to keep learning. But, I will figure out how to do this without having to eat Cayenne-infused bird seed. On that, Mama S and I agree. |
6 responses to “My Nemesis – The Squirrel”
Sounds like fun watching your menagerie of feathered friends.
Happy birding, Robin!
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Another interesting saga in the life of our resident wanderer. very fun to learn about birds 🦅 and wildlife in the east. I bet Mama squirrel and her brood are doing fine.
Another interesting saga in the life of our resident wanderer. very fun to learn about birds 🦅 and wildlife in the east. I bet Mama squirrel and her brood are doing fine.
Good call on the squirrel proof feeder. If you want to get serious about birding, invest in a good pair of binoculars and a field guide, the Sibley is the best.