A squirrel's booty...or bounty...depending on your lingo

For some reason, squirrels are either regarded as adorably cute, or huge pests. I lean to the adorably cute persuasion. As Nellie and I were walking the other day, I noticed a squirrel carrying something almost bigger than she was. Upon closer inspection, it was a gourd. Naturally I whipped out the phone to record. The following is the squirrel violently twitching her tail to tell us to back off from her prize. Which we did. 

Later that evening, we noticed that she had made a good feast out of her prize. The remains:

I confess to feeding the squirrels around my house, and a couple will even come within a couple of feet to get a prized walnut. While it is very sweet, it is also dangerous behavior because wild should stay wild. I'm just a sucker for their begging. Please don't tell the squirrel police!

It's an attack of the B-52s

With the new bird feeder and bird bath mentioned in an earlier post, I was a little worried there would be no customers. I should've known better.

By having an official bird feeder off the ground (the idea was to discourage predators), I thought it would also be good for keeping squirrels away from the sunflower seeds to give other critters a chance at getting some. Within 5 minutes of setting it up and filling it with mixed seeds, the squirrels figured out a way to raid the stash. So much for outwitting them. 

Band-tailed Pigeons have been coming to the critter station for years now. They are very large and I've nicknamed them the B-52s because they swoop in like bombers. They are so much fun to watch and there is a group of nearly 30 birds that come regularly. They know what time to arrive and if I'm late, they express their displeasure more politely than the blue jays and crows, but they let me know their disappointment. Interestingly, when I am on time, they don't bother to leave a tip. But then, neither do the blue jays, crows, doves, squirrels, assorted warblers and sparrows, and any other species dropping by. Let's just say my restaurant is a non-profit operation.

Well I needn't have worried about them not figuring out there is a second feeding area. On Tuesday I was able to catch this wonderful sight:

Gifts from people to my critters

I know I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating. I get the best stuff free from curb cast-offs and neighbors who thoughtfully offer things before they toss them. My next door neighbor has very generously given me multiple plant pots and has now broken the record for wonderful things: an incredible bird bath. That gift allowed me to finish up a project I've had in mind since another amazing find (free of course) -- a free-standing bird feeder in the most divine deep red.

A bit of a story about that find. Next Door has provided a whole bunch of insight into how neighbors think, what fights they want to pick, and how they react to things. Always interesting. But I digress. The app also has a treasure trove of great stuff. I've scored fresh lemons and kumquats, big decorative rocks, and the best find, the bird feeder and matching planter bowl. It had been posted for roughly 5 minutes and I was out the door. I was just getting out of my car when I noticed another car driving up to the curb. A woman hopped out and asked if she could give me a hand with wrangling the heavy pottery into the car. As she was carrying the heavy end, I asked her if she was after the same thing and of course the answer was yes. So, given there were two of the planters, I offered her one (which upended the grand plan in my mind for them, but oh well). She said yes and we parted as good neighbors should.

OK, back to the project. So yesterday, in sweltering heat, it seemed like the perfect time to set up the new feeder/bath combo in my critter area. I've been wanting to get the bird seed off the ground for some time. The idea is to discourage predators and allow birds to feed without squirrel interference as well. I confess, it's always fun to see the huge pigeons and crows trying to fend off the squirrels, but they should be allowed to feed in peace (if not harmony).

 

Two funnies

So I finished scraping out the drawer/shelf I've been working on preparatory to decoupaging the interior with a different theme. After cleaning it out, I left it to dry and came out to find a present from one of the numerous squirrels I feed. Can you spot the walnut?

My little Sassy, who has been increasingly endearing and loving since her experience in the hospital, has also been exhibiting stranger and stranger behaviors. Nothing alarming - just strange. This is how she decided to nap:

I rest my case.

Saddened and confused

This morning I made a sad discovery as I was doing some light chores outside. And the worst part is I have no idea how I didn't see it before. There was a beautiful pale Siamese looking cat wedged between a large flower pot and the back of an old iron chair it sits on. At first I thought she was sleeping, though that would be a very odd place. As I approached, not even an ear twitched, so I reached and touched her. Rigor had already set in -- clearly dead. Of course I immediately start hyperventilating with all the possibilities. After posting on Next Door, the guardian was discovered so at least she knows and doesn't have to wonder. This happening on top of all the angst Ninja is currently putting us through has been taxing.

Ah yes, Ninja. We know that she is broody and we can't find her current nest with what must be a sizeable clutch of eggs by now. So what's the harm? First and foremost, broody hens won't leave the nest for hours and hours a day. Normally they are busy scratching for food and taking their dust baths and generally being perky the majority of the day. When they are broody they don't eat enough. They can lose as much as 25% of their body weight. That is not good in a laying hen. She doesn't know that those are not babies in the making and will never hatch. Only by finding the nest  and clearing it of eggs does it trigger, at least for a bit, her normal routine.

Of course, this is our third go-round with her determination to be broody, and this time we are truly stumped where she has set up shop. She could even have taken up residence in someone else's yard for all we know. She has been coming to eat for about 10 minutes a day, but that's not enough to sustain her health. So naturally I have to keep a constant eye out for her, worry she's not getting enough to eat, wishing I could get her to trust us, and so on and so on and so on.

Lest you think I've just gone batty over the chicken, think again. I'm constantly fuming when my favorite little squirrel doesn't show up at the door to personally take her walnut from my hand; I fret when my favorite dove couple don't grace my backyard; I spend 10 minutes searching for the two blue jay couples who should be swooping down for peanuts; and I count the crows and big pigeons to make sure none are missing from the group. I know, I know. Get a life!

Successes

It seems I'm usually writing about projects in progress or projects in my dreams. Well, there are finished bits around the yard, so don't think I'm simply incapable of finishing anything. Though --- truth to tell, there is always the prospect of endless tweaking - a little detail here - a bit added or removed over there. Though friends kindly refer to my work mode as "organic," Attention Deficit Disorder would probably be more accurately descriptive.

So let's look at some successes. I did manage to get the pile of broken concrete sorted and installed by the edge of the footpath, along with a large portion of the brick pile. With dollops of black river rock in between the pavers, it's a successful start. The challenge is to figure out what to do with the rest of what I've got. The biggest concern is the curve in the footpath (not shown) as that happens to fall at a critical section that needs to be sturdy enough for the yard waste bin rolling over it. No doubt something will come to me...I just hope it doesn't take another ten years to materialize.

Many people walking by comment on my side yard, which is set up for the local critters to enjoy. Years ago, what little lawn remained was torn out and mulched with free, I repeat, free, wood chip mulch from the tree company. They are only too happy to dump their chips at your house rather than pay to dump them. Anyhow, the side yard is our buffer to a busy street. Since it is somewhat private because of the large hedge, squirrels, banded pigeons, crows, songbirds, doves, the odd coyote or two, and any other critter who happens to need water, nuts or seed is welcome. The bed frame was hanging out in our back yard for a long time. It seemed so obvious that it needed to be a vegetable bed (get it?) that it was put together in one day. The joke is that nary a vegetable has yet to grow there. Maybe this coming year? The table at the foot of the bed was also hanging out unproductively in the back yard, so naturally it was pressed into service to complete the vignette.

It seems that just when I need something, I manage to find it on the street waiting for trash pick up. The bird feeder is hanging from a birdcage stand someone was throwing away. The bird bath is on a discarded plant stand and the pot with seed in it is on a stray garden stool. Seriously, if you're into recycling at all, just walk a dog around your neighborhood and you'll find the most amazing things to work with. 

The banded pigeon is one of my favorite visitors and I've noticed some amazing things about them. At first we only had the one and unlike the garden variety city pigeon, they are very large and heavy. After a few weeks, more of them came and now we have 20 - 30 at a time. One arrives first and scopes out the place. Then, as if they all got a text that it was safe, the others come in looking like a B-52 bomber squadron. They are so heavy you can almost hear the Crape Myrtle groan as they land on its delicate branches. They hold their own against cheeky squirrels and commanding crows. It all makes for happy viewing out the kitchen window. Frankly, it's more uplifting than the morning news and makes a great start to the day. That and coffee.

So there are a few of the successes that will still get tweaked and fussed with, but are really done and everything is working. At least the critter population is happy.

Finished at Last, Finished at Last - Almost

I thought the last corner of the front yard was going to defeat me. It certainly set out to. The thatch was a snarled tangle of devilish tendrils deeper than any other patch. I got enough rocks out of the soil to cover a 2 square foot area an inch deep (finished off the top dressing of a Bird of Paradise nicely). The ground was harder than any other section and for some reason the slight breeze wafted the dust up into my eyes - no matter which side I chose to attack from. With hips and legs creaking and aching, all I wanted to do was hang up the tools for the day and walk away. I was also determined to finish before the reported rain for today. Rain was part of the grand scheme to get the soil workable for the next step. If that last pesky section wasn't done, then the next phase would be held up. So kneeling and pounding away, just as the last rays of the sun dimmed, I stood in triumph. Done at last! Well...except for the little bit I missed in the middle. But the little bit is not essential to the grand scheme for the architectural piece, so I'm calling it done. Yes, I'll go back to the the other one of these days. 

Information sheet on the ground cover - click to enlarge

Now lest one think this past week of no posting has been idle, I will report that a generous neighbor, who was taking out big sections of her ground cover, Dymondia margaretae, offered what she dug up. The last time she offered, I dutifully planted (about a week later) and the squirrels liked it for nut storage. Not surprisingly, it didn't take kindly to being left in a bag too long, planted in large clumps and then being harassed by squirrels. Yes, it died off. So this time, pick-up was prompt, the next afternoon spent on hands and knees made a nice border around the bottle border and a rock grouping along the walkway to the front door, and all was well. Neighbors and dog walkers commented - nicely - on the new addition. And for one entire day, it did look fah-bu-lous dahling. And then the temperature dropped. And some critter (I'm gonna go with squirrel) found a section in a corner to dig up. I refuse to give up hope, however. Though this is NOT the right time of year to plant, and my squirrels are a rowdy bunch, I will continue to plead and cajole to make it grow. Frankly, as of today, it looks a bit like a pig's breakfast, but if it can just hold on for the next two months, the temperatures will return to balmy in the evenings, and some of it may take off, be fruitful and multiply.