A Perceived Enemy

Let me start by saying that I know that this will not be the most favorite blog entry that I produce.  Furthermore, I will venture to say that if there are any die-hard bird lovers out there reading this, that I will probably be thought of as a charlatan in the birding world and if someone could, I would be forced to stop blogging about birds altogether.  But the time has come for someone to stand up and say what many are thinking, but are afraid to say.  Now understand, I'm ready for the onslaught of hate mail and derisive comments that are bound to come my way.  In fact, I welcome them.  As someone once said, "Negative attention is still attention."  With all that being said, I will now tell you how I feel about a very sensitive subject.  "I like squirrels!!"  With that being said, I will now try and back my comment with some hard facts and concrete observations, based on many years of birding and attempting to fight the demon that is squirrel.

About ten years ago, my wife told me of a bird feeder that she had once created.  It was a two foot by two foot square piece of wood, stuck atop a 4x4 and anchored into the ground.  Every morning, without fail, she would put any and all foods that she didn't use or her family didn't eat the day before, (apple peals, leftovers, stale bread, for example), out on the feeder.  She assures me that the next morning the feeder was clean and empty.  Now I know what many of you are thinking.  What about rats and raccoons and opossums?  Well, I'm sure that there were those types of visitors on and around the area, but they didn't cause any problems.  In fact, the rats attracted owls and after a short period of time the owls were regulating, as in nature, the amount of rats in the area.  The raccoons and opossums did their part to clean up any and all food that the birds didn't eat.  Now I'm not saying that that is a proper way to feed birds, but it did teach me something about nature.  Nothing goes to waste.

Fast forward ten years and we have now adopted the same philosophy here, using a minimalistic approach.  We still throw out leftovers, feeding the raccoons and opossums, along with a few feral cats.  As for birdseed we make a special mixture of millet, large striped sunflower seeds, small black sunflower seeds and thistle seed, (niger).  We also add shredded coconut and shelled and unshelled peanuts, along with raisins.  The two platform feeders that I built are both three foot by three foot square, lightly polyurethaned, on eight foot tall 4x4's buried two feet into the ground.  These feeders are filled daily with our special mixture of seed.  There is no baffle on the feeder, nor is there any attempt to stop ANY creature, avian or otherwise from eating on the feeder.

Squirrels visit daily also.   Currently we have three squirrels that frequent the feeders, but never at the same time.  They have a hierarchy amongst themselves and they never break their own rules.  They are polite, orderly and organized.  If another squirrel comes into the area, he/she is driven away and is relegated to another area such as in the front of the apartments rather than where the feeders are in the back.  There is always enough food for birds and squirrels alike.  There is no fighting, (save an occasional Mourning Dove squabble), on the feeders.

Our squirrels also monitor the goings-on in the copse, chattering and issuing a loud warning should something be amiss.  The birds and the squirrels co-exist harmoniously.  We seen Painted Buntings, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Carolina Wrens and even various Warblers on the feeders eating at the same time as a squirrel.

So, at the risk of causing a great rift in the cosmos, I ask that you take a second look at the squirrel, not as a nuisance, but rather another of God's creatures attempting to eek out an existence.

Here are some more facts that you will probably not like, but need to hear.

1)  Baby squirrels learn EVERYTHING that their parents have learned and teach it to their young, along with anything that they've learned in their lives.  So outsmarting them is virtually impossible.
2)  There have been many studies done and there are NO "squirrel-proof" bird feeders.  Some do limit the amount of seeds they have access to, but there are NONE that are 100% "squirrel-proof!"  Get over it!

And finally....

3)  If you give squirrels a chance and change your bird feeding habits, (we are supposedly the top of the food chain), then we can co-exist with squirrels, learning from them, laughing at their antics and loving them for the witty and comical creatures that they are.