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Squirrels

I have finally invested in a squirrel baffle as they were cleaning out the seed feeder in no time at all. The feeders were placed for best viewing from the living room window but of course that was an easy jump from the fence. The first alternative position wasn't much better but the third location finally worked although I might now keep the bins by the armchair rather than reply of naked eye viewing.

Once they had discovered that they couldn't run straight up the pole a squirrel proceeded to study the feeder from every angle, including a branch at the edge of the garden before deciding that there was no way up. Mostly the squirrels are now taking the buts that the birds drop they do try the occasional leap. The baffle is designed to tilt and they just slide off again. From the way, at different times, it is tilted at different angles they have made a number of attempts although I have only observed one.

What the baffle has shown up is the sheer volume of food that the finches drop when they take seed. The number of starlings has diminished in recent weeks and the goldfinches are by far the predominant bird in the garden at the moment. Blue and great tits are also coming to the feeders and I have seen the occasional chaffinch and on Saturday morning a solitary cock bullfinch in the bushes at the bottom of the garden. Even without the squirrels depredations the food is going quite rapidly in the back garden but, curiously, hardly anything is being taken from the fat bar in the front.
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