Do You Train Your Squirrels?
My Kindergarten Class
Since I moved into my home nine years ago, I’ve had squirrels. My property backs up to a wooded area that borders several properties so I’ve had my fair share. When I started birding seven years ago I decided that I would feed them as well. Since I employ a raccoon baffle on my main feeder station and squirrel baffles on my bluebird houses, I wasn’t concerned about my back yard becoming overly popular. I have a corncob feeder and squirrel box on my back fence and a squngee hanging from one of my smaller trees. There was an initial learning curve for them to learn and trust these feeders but with a mixture of adults and children back there the knowledge was acquired. Whether it took an adult to learn and show a little one or the little ones just happened on it by being nosey, it did happen.
This is no longer the case. Read More …

I’ve been listening to my backyard since I’ve started feeding birds years ago. No matter what season it is I always try to pay attention to what’s going on back there.
Every winter, I get an interesting mixture of wintering and migrating species to my backyard. Every year, Yellow Rumped Warblers are among these. I’ll see them but not think much about it because they have been generally non-aggressive and somewhat passive feeder customers. They pick around the ground for tidbits here and there and don’t really make much a fuss about anything. That is, until this year.