Local Wildlife!

So to entertain Pico while I am at work, I have been trying to lure some more wildlife into my patio area. I started with some dried cobs of corn that the bag in the store assured me squirrels loved to nibble on. I put out about 6 cobs on the patio and waited to see what would happen. The squirrels came and were really cute, sitting there nibbling at the corn. The cobs of corn were too big for them to run off with the entire cobs, so the squirrels came and went.



Next morning, the cobs were GONE! So I put some more out the next day, and that evening Pico was stationed at the screen door staring intently out into the darkness. Flashlight in hand, I went to investigate and found 3 racoons making off with the corn cobs!

Since that didn't work all that well, and a racoon would make minced meat out of little Pico, I thought a bird feeder mounted high enough that the racoons can't get at it would be the next best thing!

I installed a really nice little bird feeder on my patio door. I had some difficulties trying to figure out where to put the birdfeeder, since if I put it too far to the left, I wouldn't be able to open the screen door (the bird feeder attaches with those little suction cups. As well the squirrels would be able to climb the side and get at the bird feed. So nicely centered seemed to be the plan.



Little did I know that the squirrels are very very talented. I spent one afternoon watching the squirrel launch him/herself from both sides (climbing up the frame of the window and up the screen door) at the birdfeeder, hanging upside down and stealing a bit of birdfeed then falling to the ground. And getting up to do it all over again. Pico was enjoying (?) the show, very much interested in the ongoings. She launched herself multiple times at the squirrels, and bounced off the glass many times. I feel for her little nose, it must be very sore, but it was very very entertaining to watch.


Next morning, I find the birdfeeder on the ground. The squirrels have managed to figure out how to release the suction cups, and have consistantly knocked the birdfeeder down every day I put it up.

Last night, I was woken up by a crash, worried that Pico had had something fall on her, I rushed downstairs only to see something outside the patio window, and the birdfeeder on the ground beside it. Grabing a flashlight to see if I could scare what I thought were racoons away (I have had racoons eat the corn I left out for the squirrels), I was confronted with a humongous rat like thing!



Scary thing! Turns out it's an opossum, my very first time seeing one, and I got to see it from less than 6 inches away through a pane of glass. Very cool. Not so cool that it ate all the bird seed I left out.

So now I'm not sure what to do, I can't put a birdfeeder on the window (squirrels have figured out how to get at it), a bird feeder sort of on a ped is not good (squirrels AND racoons AND opossums), hanging from the tree (squirrels)...

I did manage to get some little birds to come to the patio to pick at the bits of seed that the rest of the wildlife missed. Maybe I should just give up on the feeders and sprinkle bird feed all over the patio for a more freeform feeding of ALL the wildlife in my backyard.