Backyard Menagerie

Had an unusual morning today.  I fed peanuts to the squirrels and sunflower seeds to all who were interested.  The squirrels are getting very brave and coming closer to my home from time to time. 

On my first morning in this house a deer, more specifically a doe, was snoozing in my back yard.  She seemed very comfortable and huge.  She was way in the back and when I stepped outside (when I first saw her) she stayed very still.  Eventually she meandered off, but was in no great hurry.  So I don't think she was afraid.  Sadly I've never seen her again.  I do hope I will someday though.

The first week or two was mostly squirrels, a few black birds and a few blue jays.  But as it became a regular event and more food appeared especially at the back of the yard where they feel safe more and more began showing up.

Today I counted 10 squirrels (since I can't really tell them apart I try to count when they are all on the ground at the same time).  That seems to be the
residential group.  They chase other interloping squirrels away.  They grab the peanuts and run with them up the trees and eat them or maybe hide them.  Today and yesterday though they were burying them.  They must know that winter is coming.

I have a husband and wife pair of cardinals who come for the sunflowers seeds. They are shy so I put the seeds way in the back of the yard to give them some feeling of safety and privacy. They are frequently together and very beautiful. They have a sweet little chirp.

I also have some very noisy blue jays.  They are beautiful too.  They love the peanuts and swoop down and grab one almost while still in motion and head up to the trees to eat them.  They sometimes harass the squirrels and the chipmunks.  They squawk loudly  and in the beginning there were only 2 that I saw, but their numbers have increased to 5 or 6.  A few look small ones - maybe juveniles.  They sort of float down for the pickup sometimes and then zoom off with a peanut in the beak.

Which brings me to the next group.  As far as I can tell there are 3 little chipmunks in my backyard.  None of them seem able to sing though.  They are timid and the squirrels like to chase them away.  They never get close enough to hurt any of them.  The chipmunks are so cute and they have figured out ways to cross the yard undercover, darting from leafy plant to leafy plant.  So I put the peanuts under the large hosta plants.  The little guys are one up on the squirrels because they can put the peanut into the pouches on the sides of their mouths.  Squirrels seem able to carry only one at a time. It's cute to see them try to figure out a way to get 2 in there, but it never works. The chipmunks are a little like the hamsters my daughter had when she was young, but they all have the same markings: reddish color and white stripe down the back stopping at the tail.  The only differences I have been able to perceive are size and tails.  One looks smaller than the other 2 although he does seem to be growing, one has a very bushy, squirrel-like tail and one has a bushy, but short tail.  It looks as though it may have been injured at some point. Today the chipmunks ran past me (very close for them) about 2 feet from where I was on the landing of the back stairs. He ran across the bottom stair.  With only 2 stairs from the ground to the landing that seemed very close, and very exciting.  I stood there very still and threw peanuts between sightings of the chipmunks.  They hung around for what seemed like a long time running across the stairs each time they passed. I think they knew that the squirrels would avoid the stairs while I was standing there.

Then a few days ago a group of morning doves joined the breakfast club in my backyard. There were about 7 or 8 a few were small and looked like young birds.  They seemed to like the sunflower seeds, but I think I should look for something in a little bit smaller size.  Maybe I'll check online to see what they like best. They are very polite birds:  quiet, keeping a distance from the other feeders, and showing up after the others have left.  They spook easily if I even look out the window (not opening it mind you).

Lastly I also have a group of crows, very noisy crows that go after everything they find on the ground or in the garden ( a very small garden with only about 5 items growing in it).  They seem to squawk all at the same time in a
cacophony of calls and yells. The first few times it happened I had to run and see if something was happening, but there was nothing - just noisy birds.

Only one thing seems to be a bit of a problem.  A stray cat has found my yard and seems honed in on the chipmunks.  So far he hasn't caught any but he knows where they feed and sits and waits for them.  If I tap on the window he leaves pretty much for the rest of the day. He seems wild or feral to me.  If I could get close enough I would feed him.  I love cats and have 3 indoor only cats that allow me to be their live-in servant. I think if I fed him maybe he'd leave the chipmunks alone.  He's not fast enough or big enough for the squirrels or birds. His main interest does seem to be the chipmonks. So far though they have outsmarted him (with a little help from me)

Stay tuned for more backyard animal adventures.