We live in a relatively quiet, older neighbourhood. It’s the kind with large yards and a few trees, not a lot of traffic, no curbs on the roads – there are even one or two of us who still have gravel driveways.
Anyway, partly because of this peacefulness we have a wide variety of birds. I put peanuts out for the blue jays on occasion, just often enough to encourage their visits. And if they make enough noise, I’ll bring them out some just to shut them up. The reason I don’t leave them out more often is because the nuts attract the squirrels and I don’t want a repeat of what I went through with one squirrel in particular a few years ago.
That squirrel was a scruffy individual that I felt sorry enough for that I’d leave peanuts out for him. But then he started getting greedy and impatient and he’d climb the screen on the deck door – putting holes in it I might add – because he wanted his peanuts. So I stopped feeding everyone.
When the coyotes set up house in the neighbourhood last summer, birds were about the only other creatures we saw. But they moved on so this year we’ve had many of our other friends reappear.
I already told you about the proliferation of mice last week, but the black and grey squirrels have returned as well. We also have a bunny living under our deck, and a chipmunk who seems to have a hidey hole in the hedge somewhere.
I have a soft spot for chipmunks. They’re just so darned cute! And this one doesn’t seem particularly afraid of me. He was out on the deck this morning teasing the cats by running back and forth, and didn’t shy away when I opened the sliding door to toss him a peanut. I may have tossed him a few peanuts and then a blue jay landed in the tree that overhangs the deck to demand his fair share, so I got some more peanuts and then a dish of birdseed.
Once the peanuts were gone I expected a mess all over the table I put the seed on because the jays like to root through the bowl for the sunflower seeds and they make quite the mess. But to my surprise, one of the jays stood by patiently while the chipmunk stuffed his little cheeks full of the seed first.
Well, of course such good manners deserved a reward, so I put out more peanuts for the blue jays and that’s when the squirrels showed up to chase everyone else away. *sigh*
Now, here’s the amazing thing. The chipmunk put in an appearance while we were having dinner on the patio, so I got him a couple of peanuts. The grandbaby was just thrilled with how close he came. Then after dinner she started singing “Once Upon A Dream” and we noticed the chipmunk seemed fascinated. So we told her to sing to him and she did. He crept closer and closer, to within about a foot. Then a couple of birds landed in the tree over our deck.
It’s official. The grandbaby is a Disney princess. LOL
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