I've ventured into the world of wild bird feeders, now that the salmonella issue seems to have receded.
The most intriguing part is watching the evolving pecking order in the back yard. I've moved the feeder around a few times, since my initial set up was waaaay too squirrel-friendly. The very first day, I sat on a work call and watched a fat rodent, bushy tail switching, scarf down half the contents of the feeder.
Little birds with a nest in an old vent in the building next door swooped down from time to time, either to grab a snack or try to chase away bigger blue birds. The blue birds are loud and snippy, and sometimes fly close to the feeder to try and knock extra stuff out of it, that they then retrieve off the ground.
A crow has stopped by on occasion, much too big but still optimistic about scraps. And a reddish bird, but it wasn't very interested and flew off after just a moment or two. I even saw a bunny back there one morning.
My second attempt to re-hang the feeder deterred the squirrel for only a few tries. I laughed until I wept, watching it scramble from branch to branch, reaching and stretching and contorting and finally--success.
My most recent attempt seems so far to be squirrel proof. It comes by several times a day to re-investigate the feeder placement, try to find new branches to lean in from, falling and scrambling and sitting, glaring, tail twitching. Thus far, I'm victorious.
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