Squirrels Really Are Coordinated!

For 18 years, my family lived in a neighborhood where there were no squirrels. When we moved 11 years ago, I started out hating the squirrels in the neighborhood. They dug out plants in my pots, and took bites of my tomatoes. I wanted to do everything I could to discourage them from being in my yard, and was disgusted that a neighbor lady had a feeder for them. They would bring the corn she gave them to our yard and leave it around.

When we started feeding birds, the squirrels thought the food was for them. Larry tried putting out a corn feeder for them, and puts dried (whole wheat or mixed grain) bread in a spot birds or squirrels can get to. I have gone to feeding the birds safflower, but Larry still had some food he called, "premium" that he put in a feeder, and they still eat what bird food they can get. I have noticed they haven't dug as much this year, but think they ate some of my tomatoes. I have grown to tolerate them, and have gotten to enjoy taking photos of them.

We just put the bird feeders out today, so maybe next week, there will be some bird photos for Camera Critters, hosted by Misty Dawn. I did scare a dove near the spilled sunflower seeds today. I will apologize ahead of time to those tired of squirrel photos, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more of them next week.

This tree is in the front yard of the neighbors whose back yard I garden in. It gets full of blooms in the summer, and I'm thinking they are white. I had great fun a few days ago, taking photos of several squirrels eating the seed pods in the tree. I think I have 3 of them in these. I took a couple videos. My camera sure does have a great zoom! If you look closely, you'll see teeth in one of the photos.

Squirrel 1:

Squirrel 2:

See the teeth?

Not sure which 2:

Squirrel 3:

Look how high it is!:

To see more critters, click on the Camera Critters link in my sidebar.

Wrens and Wild Squirrels for Camera Critters

Coming home from ladybug inspection across the street the other day, I noticed a house wren taking up residence in our bird house Larry hung on a shepherd's hook.  I'm not sure if he expected occupants, or if it was for decoration.  We really need to learn more about the proper placement for homes for critters.  I did look it up after taking pics, but couldn't find out if this home is going to be safe wobbling about in the wind.  I imagine they'd abandon it if we moved it to a safer place.  Any information would be appreciated.  I have a friend who lives on an acreage and puts out homes for blue birds.  She does not like wrens, but when we lived at our first home, which was on 3 lots, I enjoyed the wrens.  They would come watch me garden.

What I have pics of here, was something that was ongoing.  The bird kept putting things in for a nest, looking out, and then flying off for more.

While I was across the street with the ladybugs, I noticed a lot of squirrels around, both there and at home.  They sure were frisky, and one came toward me like it was going to charge me.  I stood up, and it scampered to the closest tree, then tried to have a staring contest with me.  I've had that happen a time or 2 at home, too.  I tell you, these squirrels are too tame for my comfort!  Later in the day, I saw a bird perched on the trellis.  When I opened the front door to take some photos, a squirrel dashed across the porch, less than 3 feet from me!  Then, one by one, 3 or 4 more dashed through the bushes where the snakes had been, and ran, either across the porch, or did a side step and went across the front of it.  It looked like either a crazy race or some kind of chasing game.  They were so fast, I couldn't get decent pictures of them.  I had to include at least one, though.  This was after they ran across our front to the neighbors, then scattered, some to the street, some back into our yard.  I counted at least 8.  Usually, I see 2 at a time at the most.  Oh, dear!

To see more critters or link yours, go to Camera Critters.

Critters-Squirrels

I accidentally started writing before posting my pics, and haven't figured out if there is a way to cut and paste while writing a post, so be sure to scroll down to read about my feelings about squirrels, and find the link to Nancy's blog where you'll discover more blogs about wildlife in the garden.  All of the pics on this post were taken today.

The first three photos are of the squirrel that is all one color in the back yard.  They were taken through the window in the back door.

I walked to the front yard in the street, and when I saw the squirrel with the light colored tummy, I went and sat on the neighbor's porch, and used my zoom to get these pics.  The squirrel looked at me, and decided I wasn't getting up to bug her, so she went ahead and ate off the corn in the feeder.  Isn't that quite the look?

Nancy, at Gardening Gone Wild, has been hosting Garden Bloggers' Design Workshops on a variety of topics. Since I have only been blogging since October, and all of my iphotos were lost when switching computers a year or so ago, I haven't joined in on them. The current one is called, "Wildlife in the Garden." She has some great questions for garden bloggers to think about and answer. I have some posts that I've labeled, "Wildlife in the Corner Garden" in my sidebar, where you can click to see what I've already posted. The bottom posts there are more directly about wildlife.  Here is a link to the first one, called, "Wildlife in the City", which you can click on if you don't want to scroll down the others I've put there.  I also have butterflies and such posted in the sidebar.

I am still exploring how to live with the critters, and want to answer some of Nancy's questions and ask some of my own. After exporting a whole bunch of photos this afternoon, I decided to make this a several parter, and as you can see, I focussed on squirrels today. 

When I first posted about squirrels, I was unhappy with a neighbor for feeding corn to them. I considered them enemies, because they dig up flowers in my pots and in the ground.  They eat a few bites out of the tomatoes just as they have ripened, and then toss them around.  When my neighbor friends and I strung popcorn one winter day, to feed the birds, I refused to put mine out, because I figured the squirrels would eat it.

Shortly after I told Larry I wondered if the squirrels would dig less if we fed them, he went ahead and started putting bread crumbs and such out for them.  He also got a corn feeder in hopes they wouldn't eat so much food from the bird feeders.  Time will tell about the digging. They've already dug out some of my onions, unless it was birds or a cat.

I think I asked this before, but if you want to add your experiences with squirrels or strategies for dealing with them, post a comment.