A Little Extra Bird Seed

  Since all of the properties to our west are being clear-cut to make room for more houses, the critters have no place to go.  No one ever thinks of that when they build (or buy) their new houses.  Hundreds of critters are displaced or die.  Many, many are crushed beneath the large tractors that do the clearing and many, many others flee their homes leaving behind their babies.   They have no choice.  It is saddening and I know it is just a matter of time before we, like the critters, are pushed out of our home.  

  Back to the critters, though, as they are what is important, at the moment.  The poor little things have not only lost their homes but have also lost their "hunting grounds".  Even those that we think of as non-predatory are suffering.   My brother and I have taken to putting out extra seed for the birds and table-scraps for whatever will eat them.   For a while, I was bothered that the squirrels would eat the sunflower seeds and chase the birds from the seed bench.  Then I realized that fat, happy squirrels do not raid the peach and plum trees of their fruit!  Fat and happy squirrels are being fed trice daily now!  

  I have come to the same conclusion that Pop did, so many years ago.  If critters raid the gardens, you just have to plant a bit more the next year.  They have to eat, too.  Although Pop often hunted and fished for food, he never once needlessly killed a critter.  The man had a kind heart.  I am glad that I learned from the best!  Help them...don't hate them.

The Blossom Munchers

   Barring that infamous "Easter Freeze" that was Mom's warning when Pop wanted to plant the fields too early, I am assuming spring has sprung.  In the past couple of weeks everything has burst forth with lovely blooms.  The pear trees are snow white with loveliness.   This should, by every account, mean a bountiful harvest of pears.   Should but never has.  Plenty of pears are set on the trees but as soon as they get marble sized, the squirrels start gnawing their way through the entire crop.  Nothing...NOTHING...stops those rascals.  I was so in hopes that our resident hawks would take a liking to squirrel meat instead of dove meat but, so far, that has not happened.  I am about to think that squirrel stew is going to be the "new" meat for the meat-eaters in this household. 

  Not only do the critters steal the fruit, now they are munching the blossoms.  Yep, that is a thing nowadays.  Never before have I heard of anything eating pear blossoms but I watched as several of the fluffy-tailed rats bounded into the trees and started stripping the branches.  They cannot even wait until the fruit is formed!   I would fully understand if it had been a harsh winter but that is not the case.  We had one...ONE...hard freeze so there is still plenty for the critters to eat without attacking the fruit blossoms. 

  The overabundance of squirrels is due to the fact that just to the west of my brother's place, the new neighbors have stripped almost every tree from the once wooded acreage.  It sadden me to see the many huge, several-hundred-year old live oak trees felled.  Now, nothing is there.  The place is barren.  It is saddening, to say the least.  Obviously, no one has any respect for nature.  So, I inherit all the critters that have been misplaced by the "progress"...blossom munching squirrels included. 

Greedy Critters

   While I love to watch most critters around the Bayou, squirrels have got to be the nuttiest.   (Yes, that was intended.)  These fluffy tailed rodents are ridiculous.  The female goes about all summer in a tizzy as she builds a nest, has the young, repairs the nest, has another bunch of young, repairs the nest again and stores enough nuts to feed an army.  The male chases the female.  Basically, that is all he does.  She does the work, he does nothing.  

  During the winter months, squirrels' appetites become quite intense.  They eat anything...hickory nuts, acorns, sunflower seeds, flower bulbs and stale Christmas cookies.  (I actually found a gray squirrel eyeing the shell wind chimes the other day!)  It is those hickory nuts that cause me to ponder.  Have you ever tried to shell a hickory nut?  It is nigh on impossible to get a morsel larger than a grain of rice out of the nut and that is after smacking it with a hammer.  Yet, a squirrel can gnaw a tiny hole in the end of the nut and empty the contents completely.  Of course, gnawing that tiny hole leaves about ten pounds of hickory nut shreds under the tree.  (I have yet to figure out how one squirrel with one nut can create such a mess.)

  Years ago, Pop told me that it is not the gray squirrels that gnaw the hickory nuts in that fashion but rather the flying squirrels.  That makes the enigma even more confusing as flying squirrels are extremely tiny.  You would think that such a difficult chore would be left to the larger critters.  Who knows?? I am not out much at night when the flying squirrels take their outings.  

  The squirrels of all types are running low on "supplies" already this winter.  The tropical systems that came through knocked down the nuts before they were filled so food is scarce.  Lately more are gnawing on twigs and are begging for handouts.  They raid the birdfeeders as soon as the seed is available.  This causes problems for the songbirds so now I have started including table scraps to the bounty.  Apple cores, squash seeds and any other tidbits are put out for the critters in hopes that they will share.  Not likely as those squirrels are a greedy sort but I have to do something to protect those wind chimes and flower bulbs!

Just a Little Miffed!

  This morning as I was out walking, I could hear quite the racket going on back by the front door.  Begrudgingly, I headed back that way to investigate noise since I had left the door unlocked.  Not many folks are coming to the Bayou but it was better for me to see who was knocking.  So, I shortened my hike time and walked up behind the greenhouse.  From here, there is a full view of the front door and no one was there.  What I heard was a battle between five squirrels!  The rascals had raided the birdseed but were not willing to share.  The greedy, little things had started squabbling among themselves and the fuss took itself into the arbor that surrounds the french doors.  The "knocking" was literally their hard heads boinking on the glass window panes as they fought.  My goodness!  They did not even notice that I was in their midst for a few moments.  I clapped my hand loudly and all five scampered away...three up the oak tree, one up the black gum tree and one insisted on racing all the way down the hill to the pier.  (Silly squirrel)  Well, that job was done!  Now back to my hike.  

  The path led me back down behind the greenhouse but under that black gum tree.  The once terrified squirrel was now feeling rather feisty as it was sitting high up in the safety of the tree.  That rascal started barking at me!  He obviously did not appreciate having his bar brawl broken up.  Oh, what am I going to do with these tree-climbing, birdseed-thieving, glorified rats!  I can only imagine the damage they are going to do to the garden.

 

Gray Squirrels...Fiends or Friends?

  Every squirrel I know has a bad reputation.  Perhaps it is just those that live around the Bayou but here, they are thieving, destructive little critters.  They swipe the fruit from the trees, steal my tomatoes before they are ripe and can gnaw their way through just about any surface.  More than once has Son had to repair the roof, siding and doors just because a squirrel has decided our house is its house.  And don't think they are not sneaky enough to try entry in the middle of the night!  Son and I were out on the rooftop at 2am because one persistent rascal was ripping the siding off the upstairs walls!  Bird feeders, gardens, kitchens...none of these are safe.  We have had our battles in each case.  Squirrels...the evil ones of the rodent family.  Well, rats are not nice either...nor are shrews!  Shrews are downright wicked!  They are quite feisty!

  Now that it is settled that squirrels can do a lot of damage, I want to repair the damage done to their reputation by the previous statements.  Squirrels are not complete fiends bent on driving humans mad with their antics.  In fact, some squirrels are helpful!  Yes, you read that right and, yes, that did come from me.  Squirrels can be helpful!  Just today, an example of their good deeds came to light. I was overjoyed to be the recipient of their kindness!  Oh, lucky me!

  While I was out doing a bit of yard work, it occurred to me that I should gather a few "fire sticks" (as my sweet granddaughter calls them) or twigs.  We are to have a bit of cold weather here for the next few days and the old woodstoves will need stoking.  Twigs are a great fire starter and in the enclosed iron stoves, they last a good while.  It is my custom to gather a handful or two on each outing so it is not a big chore to get them when needed.  I found just what I needed in the lane.  There are several large squirrels' nests in the hickory trees that line the lane and beneath those, there were dozens of fire sticks.  It seems that the ideal size to gnaw a twig for use in nest-building is also the perfect size for my woodstoves.   It took only a few moments to gather a nice bundle of the 14 to 15 inch sticks.  Squirrels are great at measuring and gnawing the limbs but, apparently, not so great at holding on to each one they cut.  The lane was filled with lovely fire sticks...or nesting supplies...whichever.  So, a big shout out to the gray squirrels that live down the lane!  Your help is greatly appreciated and your status has gone up a few points in my book.  (At least, until you steal my plums come this spring.)