Man versus Squirrel (2)

The neighbours probably think I'm mad, and will start to look away nervously, I fancy, when they meet me in the street.  Clapping hands and throwing sticks seem no longer to have any impact on our squirrels, so I have taken to creeping up on them (I can usually make it to within about two or three feet), and then shouting or growling very loudly.  It certainly alarms them and they beat a hasty retreat, but I expect it's alarming my neighbours too.

The squirrels have decided to broaden their diet.  They were happily eating sunflower seeds and leaving the other things I put out, but since I moved the nyger seed to hang from a post by the back hedge - a safer and easier spot for the squirrels - at least one squirrel has happily switched to that.  I only hung it there because this was the one feeder the squirrels always ignored!

I have moved all my feeders round, and it's been interesting to see the impact of this.  The nut feeder is now on the side of the feeding station closest to the house, rather than the side closest to the wood.  So far as I'm aware, the great spotted woodpecker has not visited since I moved it . . . I wonder whether it will start back once it's used to the changed positions?  We had enormous numbers of finches today, with the great oak to the back of next door full of them, all very noisy.  They are mostly chaffinches and goldfinches, plus a few siskins and the odd greenfinch.  We get bullfinches, too, but they go their own way and don't flock with the others.  Twice recently we've been blessed with redpolls, but only Ann has seen them, they're never there when I'm looking out!

Back to the squirrels.  Tomorrow I'll buy a squirrel feeder, and stock it with maize, and see how they go for that.  I'm not unhappy about feeding them, it's just that the birds keep away when the squirrels are about. Mind you, the other day a blue tit flew rapidly across to the feeding station, having - I think - completely failed to notice the squirrel that was hanging there grabbing the sunflower seed, and the squirrel was sufficiently surprised by this direct approach to make a dash for the trees.  So direct action by the birds could probably see the squirrels off, but the thought of that raises disturbing images worthy of Hitchcock.