The League of Thieves: Steadfast Squirrels

You will probably remember the sad story I shared a few weeks ago about my husband Marty's frustration with the hoards of hungry squirrels pillaging his brand new wild bird feeder. He so dearly loves watching the many species of beautiful birds that inhabit our neighborhood from his office window, armed with binoculars. He enjoys listening to the songbirds chirping to one another, broadcasting that the Singer's pantry is open for business. So I thought a timely update would be appropriate. Especially given Marty's persistence and dedication to these birds. After unsuccessfully trying a new-fangled contraption advertised to thwart the little furry rascals, he carefully investigated many products, and purchased what he considered to be the perfect solution; advertised as a "tried and true" squirrel-proof bird feeder. For days he paced the floors waiting for the package to arrive. After what seemed like an eternity, UPS finally delivered the feeder. Steadying his excitedly shaking hands, Marty carefully assembled the new feeder and installed it outside his office window. He then sat back waiting for the news to spread via avian-net that the new birdie "bistro" was open for business. Sure enough several gorgeous Cardinals with their flashy red feathers came to perch on the mechanism set by a spring to only permit birds to feed. The birds avidly fed to their heart's content, flying away after getting their fill, and being replaced with a slew of new Cardinals stopping by for a meal. He thought, "Gotcha you little furry buggers!" For almost half an hour the feeder was devoid of squirrels, and then . . . If anyone tells me that squirrels are stupid, my protestations will be loud and clear. This species of rodent obviously has an astronomical I.Q. It took this group of marauders less than an hour to analyze the mechanism and how to defeat it. Even though the feeder was supposedly protected by a plastic dome hovering over it, and its appearance was certainly not traditional, we were besieged with leaping squirrels chasing the smaller birds away. And let me tell you that those cute little furry beasties have voracious appetites. So once again Marty is depressed. Sure, someone is enjoying our bounty, but feeding squirrels was never a part of his game plan. The last time I saw my husband, he was once again in search of that perfect bird feeder. Stay tuned for a future progress report. My hat is off to my husband for his dedication. I bet the birds are thankful as well. Photo via.