Squirrel discovers bird feeder (video evidence!)

[Becky]

We have a bird feeder in our garden hanging on a long wire from a tree branch... theoretically to prevent squirrels from getting to it. Well we seem to have a squirrel who has thought a way around this 'minor inconvenience'!!

Here is their first attempt:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151622586543537

Here is their second attempt:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151622604053537

So... looks like we need to get ourselves a squirrel proof bird feeder!!

 

[Babble64]

Yup, they are sneaky little boogers! I have a video somewhere of one dropping from a branch onto our feeder. Just like yours he did it over and over till he landed and caught. Sigh. I don't want my bird seed going to the squirrels unless it falls to the ground. They are not only "pigs" about it, but they are also destructive to most feeders. So...we use a double shepherds crook, with a plastic squirrel baffle under it. It's not completely fool-proof. If it slides to low or the pole bends to far (putting the feeder close to the ground.) they can still get at it, but for the most part they can't get at the feeders.....they have to be content with eating what's spilled on the ground.

The thing is, even though the squirrels can be annoying I admire their tenacity and cleverness.

 

[ChanellG]

LOL, this is one of the reasons I am reluctant to hang up a bird feeder in the yard. I had one a long time ago and between the wind and the rain the seed ended up on the ground and the ants started collecting it. What they didn't take away started to sprout... I haven't had a bird feeder since.

I've thought of trying again, but...

 

[Lilley1]

As annoying as they are, I still love squirrels! They can be very funny. Great video, too!

I don't think there are too many squirrel proof bird feeders out there. When I buy bird seed for the birds, I also buy the squirrels raw peanuts. It turned out that a blue jay decided to steal all the peanuts.

Found the peanuts

Grabbed a peanut

Taking off with the peanut

He flew into the tree and was back seconds later. I love watching wildlife.

 

[Babble64]

I love the birds too much NOT to put up with the squirrels (and the chipmunks, and the woodchucks.....) Of course right now we have black birds galore! (It's been a very fruitful season for the starlings...sigh!) But we also have downy, hairy, red bellied and pileated woodpeckers, blue jays (which can be annoying, but are fun), cardinals, gold finches, chipping sparrows, chickadees, rose breasted grosbeaks and occasionally Baltimore orioles.

Becky...are you getting any BIRDS at your feeder, or just the silly squirrel?

 

[Becky]

I think the squirrel is definitely deterring the birds, there seem to be a lot fewer birds since the squirrel started its new trick. We had quite a variety of birds before - great tits (he he!), blue tits, nuthatches, and even a greater spotted wood pecker. I really like watching them on the feeder so I'd like to come up with a solution. The tree is the obvious place to put the feeder and it means I can watch it from the kitchen window, so maybe I'll try a different kind of feeder. I've seen ones with a cage around them that small birds can get through but the squirrel can't - anyone here got any experience with them?

http://www.wilko.com/wild-bird/wilk...VBMST=&VBMTC=dda49fa0fd36451a15c15059fd3440b1

I've read mixed reviews on these things...

 

[Babble64]

I've never tried one of those feeders. Something to be aware of, however, is that, even though the grey squirrel wouldn't actually be able to get at the seed through the feeder, if they can still get ON the feeder they can knock the seed out to the ground to eat it. I've watched enough squirrels over the years to know they can and will do this....so you're still out food (they're likely to keep going till it's empty) and you still have the bird-harassment problem. (Squirrels beat out most birds in the "pecking order" ON the feeder, although here they all seem to be able to eat what's spilled on the ground amicably, if the squirrels are on the feeder a lot I think it will still scare a lot of birds away.) While that might be fine for ground-feeding birds, most likely not all the ones you mentioned are ground feeders...and most birds that we have are either one or the other, not both.

Do you have any trees that you can hand the feeder farther out from the trunk? There's a 5-7-9 rule out there and, since I can't remember it exactly I just looked it up. This link has a lot of info about squirrel problems. (and unfortunately it shows a RED squirrel INSIDE one of the feeders you mentioned. Since I have both red and grey squirrels here I guess it's possible you do too.

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Birds/Fall/Our-Best-Squirrel-Buster-Tips.

Good luck! It's an ongoing battle, sometimes, to outsmart wildlife! (LOL....and I have to laugh at myself for pitting my intellect against a squirrel's...especially when I lose!)

 

[Becky]

Looks like even the most inventive solutions can fail!!

That's a good point about the feeder, Babble. I'm using a peanut feeder so there is less mess, but the 'caged' feeder still might not put off the squirrel. I might see about putting out something just for the squirrel that is easier to get to - hopefully it will leave the bird feeder alone then. I've seen videos of obstacle courses that people have made for squirrels - they are pretty clever at figuring things out!

 

[Babble64]

This is too fun! Please keep updating as you try different things. I have to say, much as I DO NOT want squirrels on my bird feeders, I love their cleverness, their tenacity and the ability to absorb all sorts of negative situations to get what they want. The funny thing is...when they are in the road they seem so very stupid!

 

[IcyBC]

Whoa..I like those videos and I have to agree that squirrels can get through many obstacles just to get to the seeds. They are very determine creatures and get what they want. Here is a picture of a squirrel that I got.