A Battle of Wits

There isn't much to blog about in these days of the Covid19 pandemic.  Our life is pretty simple.  We have a routine that is about the same everyday.  I'm not complaining, but it would be nice to see our family more often.  We have already cancelled Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I am sad about that, but it's for the good of everyone.  

Today I decided to put out my pumpkin bird feeder.  I cut the top off a pumpkin and a circle out of the bottom.  I placed it on my Baltimore Oriole jelly feeder and filled the pumpkin with sunflower seeds.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2019/10/a-little-pumpkin-birdfeeder.html I haven't had any bird feeders out since discovering we had a bear in the neighborhood at the end of July.  We heard it was still around, but we haven't seen any signs.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2020/07/an-unexpected-visitora-bear.html

The rest of our feeders will stay down until later.  We hired someone to cut trees and clear out some brush in areas that are overgrown.  They will need to get some equipment in and the feeders would be in the way.  When he finishes maybe the bear will be in hibernation and we can reinstall the feeders.

I no sooner hung the little pumpkin feeder outside and the chickadees were there before I stepped away.  They are tame and brave little birds.  

 Soon a white breasted Nuthatch appeared followed by cardinals, bluejays and woodpeckers .  

 

 

I watched for a while feeling good that the birds forgave me for not feeding them for quite some time.  I left for a while and when I returned, there was a squirrel sitting squarely on top of the pumpkin feeder filling its mouth as fast as he could.  I couldn't imagine how he got up there because this feeder is at least eight feet away from anything.  I opened the window and told him to get away from there.  The squirrel looked at me as if to say, oh darn and ran away.  I watched and within minutes, I saw him come back.  He jumped onto the bird bath and in one leap landed on the pumpkin feeder.  This time I went outside, chased him away again and took down the bird bath.  It had to be done anyway because it looks like tonight will be our first freeze of the season.  

 

 When I got back inside, I looked out.  The squirrel couldn't figure out what had happened.  Just moments before he could easily jump from the bird bath but now it was so far away.  He tried several times but always fell short.  Then he went to the bottom of the pole and looked up.  I see he isn't the first animal to try climbing that pole.  All the paint is scraped off.  In fact, the entire bird feeder is in a sad state of repair.  It needs paint and rebuilding for sure.

He actually tried that approach a few times but there were obstacles in the way.  

He tried from every angle.  He even went out on a limb and tried from a nearby pine tree but no such luck.

Everything is quiet now.  The birds are feasting, and the squirrel is thinking about his next move.  It's a battle of wits, but at this time I have the upper hand.  I have a hedge clipper that can take out any branches he might think are a possibility.  Unless he drops from the sky, I think my little pumpkin feeder is safe.