Thanks, Mr. Squirrel, for the corn
No hint needed, but here is the culprit responsible. The squirrel that buried the corn kernel in this pot did not get back soon enough to retrieve it before germination. We thought, what the heck, let’s see how well corn grows with the petunias. Pot stability may be an issue the taller the stalk gets.
We have been putting ears of field corn out on a couple of trees in the backyard. It has been fun watching the squirrels working the corn. They of course knock kernels off the cob, and some are consumed right away. However, most of the kernels were buried, most within about a 30′ radius around the trees.
This little guy was digging up corn kernels today. There has been over an inch and a half of rain in the last 24 hours. Digging up the kernels resulted in very muddy snacks for sure. It was fun watching him dig a kernel up, wipe the mud off and eat. We have enjoyed seeing squirrels burying corn, today we saw this one returning to and excavating a treat or two.
Immature robin, about 6 feet away
Today was a good day to sit out side. Sher and I were enjoying our own little wildlife show. The feeder had a near constant flow of finches and sparrows. What seeds that fell on the ground below the feeder became a buffet for doves, cowbirds, Cardinals and Redwings. Young squirrels were romping around. We heard the tell-tale rat-ta-ta-tat of at least two woodpeckers. Then came mature and immature robins. One young one hopped close to me.
And then he saw me
It is so relaxing sitting outside on a beautiful day. Sher and I have our binoculars, books, drinks, critters to watch, and most importantly, each other. We’re already discussing where we want to go this winter, but for now we’re grateful that we can stay safe in our home base.
I was enjoying sitting outside with a cup of coffee in the backyard this morning. Beautiful sunny day, temps approaching 80, and a lot of birds to watch at the feeder.
Then this young squirrel decided to join the birds in the yard. He hopped around for quite a while, and was still there when I went in. In the foreground is the Black Cherry sapling that we got from the DNR giveaway trees program. We are fortunate to have a nice yard where we can watch the wildlife and have space for gardening.
Remember to keep doing the things that keep you safe!
No COVID-19 stuff, just a picture I was lucky enough to snap several years ago. It has been one of my favorite nature photos ever since. Hope you like it.
Yesterday during our “get out of the house for a change of scenery” adventure we somehow got on the subject of squirrels and feeding them. One thing led to another and we decided that we’d get some ear corn and mount it on backyard trees. Our son went into the Rural King store and got us a bag of ear corn.
We put one ear of corn each on two different trees in our backyard. When I first got up this morning neither ear had been touched. Then a second check a little later revealed that one of the ears was now completely devoid of kernels. The squirrel had moved to the second ear, which was on the tree closer to the house. It was grabbing a kernel and then burying it close to the tree. About every fourth kernel buried he would stop and eat one! The squirrel is, as I write this, continuing to take the kernels off this second corn cob. Fun to watch, but now I have to decide how much corn to put out.
Oh, we also got a bird feeder. No action there yet. We’ll let you know…..
Stay safe and healthy friends!
Here’s another pic from the archives because, well, you know why…
Usually squirrels have bushier tails than this guy. He is still pretty cute, however.
Squirrels are cute little critters that are fun to watch as they scurry around. They do, however, play havoc on bird feeders! We caught this fellow snagging sunflower seeds out of the pretty bird feeder in our family’s backyard in Austin.
Driving around Snohomish, Washington our truck (and other vehicles on the street) did a good job of cracking open the nuts that had fallen from a tree. You could clearly hear the “popping” sound as the tires cracked the shells .
This cute pointy eared guy took advantage of the nuts!
