Fur and feathers
Posted 07-05-2021 at 05:33 PM by rodentraiser
I wasn't going to post so soon again, but the alternative is to work on the chopping block or the mailbox and I'm too lazy to do either today.
I found out one witness to the cougar sighting was a five-year-old boy. So I was not inclined to take it seriously. But then I found out the other sighting, made the same day, was from a woman who has lived up here 20+ years and definitely knows the difference between a cougar and a bobcat. She saw the cougar in the morning when she was jogging and threw a rock at it.
I'm wishing the cougar luck on the deer population. My contractor brought over some of those tall, narrow trees and asked if I would water them during the heatwave we had (it only got to 115 here lol). So naturally the deer thought I put out a buffet. I wrapped netting around the trees; the deer just stretched their necks. So more netting was wrapped higher and the deer are not happy with me now.
But I have other friends now that are coming to visit.
I got a bag of birdseed because it said the juncos liked that and I got a bag of little black sunflower seeds because that's what the chickadees are supposed to eat. So naturally the chickadees (Cheeky brought a friend) spend all their time eating the birdseed and the junco gobbles up the sunflower seeds - when he can get to them before the squirrel does.
This squirrel is one of our native red squirrels. Their habitat is being taken over by larger gray squirrels, unfortunately not in this area yet. The red squirrels are a little more aggressive than gray ones. I've seen one grab the tail of a jay that swiped the squirrel's peanut, so this morning it was no surprise to me to see Reddy Kilowatt chasing the chickadees away from the seed I threw out last night.
So I've been refereeing most of the day today. And Reddy has gone from barely sticking his nose out from under the steps to practically sitting in my lap in the space of just a couple hours. I've also been sitting here watching him destroy my flower garden.
I had throw out some dirt and then bought those seeded rolls, trying to grow a long bed of wildflowers in front of my trailer. Reddy has been digging holes and planting the sunflower seeds he doesn't eat all all along the seedlings. Guess I'm raising sunflowers this year instead of wildflowers.
I just now had to yell at him because he was chasing the junco round and round. Call it a hunch, though, I think I've met my match. It's hard to feel superior to a creature that's the size of my foot and has more energy and can run faster, farther, and longer than I can.
I'd be happy to make the acquaintance of the chipmunk that came by earlier, but Reddy chased him away, too.
But you know, for companionship right now, I don't think I could beat a couple chickadees, a junco, a squirrel, and a chipmunk. If nothing else, it's certainly entertaining.
I found out one witness to the cougar sighting was a five-year-old boy. So I was not inclined to take it seriously. But then I found out the other sighting, made the same day, was from a woman who has lived up here 20+ years and definitely knows the difference between a cougar and a bobcat. She saw the cougar in the morning when she was jogging and threw a rock at it.
I'm wishing the cougar luck on the deer population. My contractor brought over some of those tall, narrow trees and asked if I would water them during the heatwave we had (it only got to 115 here lol). So naturally the deer thought I put out a buffet. I wrapped netting around the trees; the deer just stretched their necks. So more netting was wrapped higher and the deer are not happy with me now.
But I have other friends now that are coming to visit.
I got a bag of birdseed because it said the juncos liked that and I got a bag of little black sunflower seeds because that's what the chickadees are supposed to eat. So naturally the chickadees (Cheeky brought a friend) spend all their time eating the birdseed and the junco gobbles up the sunflower seeds - when he can get to them before the squirrel does.
This squirrel is one of our native red squirrels. Their habitat is being taken over by larger gray squirrels, unfortunately not in this area yet. The red squirrels are a little more aggressive than gray ones. I've seen one grab the tail of a jay that swiped the squirrel's peanut, so this morning it was no surprise to me to see Reddy Kilowatt chasing the chickadees away from the seed I threw out last night.
So I've been refereeing most of the day today. And Reddy has gone from barely sticking his nose out from under the steps to practically sitting in my lap in the space of just a couple hours. I've also been sitting here watching him destroy my flower garden.
I had throw out some dirt and then bought those seeded rolls, trying to grow a long bed of wildflowers in front of my trailer. Reddy has been digging holes and planting the sunflower seeds he doesn't eat all all along the seedlings. Guess I'm raising sunflowers this year instead of wildflowers.
I just now had to yell at him because he was chasing the junco round and round. Call it a hunch, though, I think I've met my match. It's hard to feel superior to a creature that's the size of my foot and has more energy and can run faster, farther, and longer than I can.
I'd be happy to make the acquaintance of the chipmunk that came by earlier, but Reddy chased him away, too.
But you know, for companionship right now, I don't think I could beat a couple chickadees, a junco, a squirrel, and a chipmunk. If nothing else, it's certainly entertaining.
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