Beggars.............!

[riverbee]

at my house i feed a great deal of birds and wildlife; small birds, pheasants, turkeys, grouse, deer, you name it, i feed the smaller critters during winter months, the birds are fed year round.  the blue jays and squirrels love peanuts in the shell and i can hand feed a couple squirrels with peanuts.  i have a couple blue jays that will land on my arm to take unshelled peanuts as well.

i captured this photo quickly when were taking down our christmas tree; my husband spotted her staring into a window. he had placed some deck furniture against the house under the window on the deck, we had received  a hard snow and temps dropped.........she's been around for about 3 or 4 years now......will take unshelled peanuts from me by hand.  every day.  apparently i wasn't out on the deck at the appointed time, so she showed up staring into the window of the house...........

please, i don't want to read what others would do to put that squirrel down, when she's gone i will miss her.........we don't have critters in our house and the wildlife brings us great joy, especially me.  not a great photograph, but wanted to share, just love and enjoy the critters.

[Bakersdozen]

Every fall I put out pumpkins, uncarved, for decoration.  Every year the squirrels start chewing on them until the only thing left is the stem.  This year they ate 3 large pumpkins.  Every now and then I will put out a few grapes, a few cherry tomatoes or an apple.  They like over ripe bananas too.  The squirrels also raid the bird feeder.  I sure do have a bunch of fat and sassy varmits here at "Squirrel Manor".   

[Les]

Good for you!  I used to love to feed the birds too but not anymore, the price of black oil sunflower seed got to be too much.  :\'(

[riverbee]

thanks bakers!  we do the same with uncarved pumpkins, and stalks of corn used for fall display..........lol................  

my large bird feeder is pretty much squirrel, chipmunk, and raccoon proof........but not bear or pheasant/turkey proof.   

les, black oilers do go up and down, and i tell ya i can go through a lot in a week.

[neillsayers]

She looks well fed river. My wife would have given her a name. We have names for the regulars at our bird feeders.

[Perry]

While I have admittedly been negligent in the bird feeder department this fall, I take every opportunity to help anyone or anything in need or distress. Last year we had a crow with a clearly broken leg grace our backyard. We took to feeding it regularly, making sure there was lots of scraps spread out so that it could take advantage of it before the others scooped up everything in sight. It was very easy to spot, especially when it flew as the one leg hung down awkwardly, making it difficult for the bird, especially when taking off or landing. For months we saw it and each time it seemed to be able to maneuver a little better, but clearly could not "walk" normally. At one point it seemed to have taken up with another and then winter came. After the winter we had I was not certain that it would have survived but later this year towards fall I did see a crow with a leg that was somewhat hanging down as it flew so I like to think it survived.
We seem to be near a rookery, as early morning and just at nightfall there is a massive cloud of them heading out and returning, creating a cacophony of sound.

[riverbee]

"She looks well fed river. My wife would have given her a name. We have names for the regulars at our bird feeders. "

she is well fed neil..........lol, as are the rest.  her name is just 'girl', too many critters to name each one, though this one has really been very trusting, and has managed to live longer than many others.  i try not to contribute too much to critters not being afraid of humans............they need to be, sometimes it's hard. she has an ear that is separated and other identifying features to me that i recognize her.....my husband didn't until i pointed out what to look for vs. all the other squirrels.........same with other critters. all i can say is i surely enjoy them.

like perry, i have helped many critters in distress, some made it, some didn't.
i waded across our river in raging spring waters some years ago to save a very young fawn caught on a rock bed quickly filling with flood water bawling for it's mother. a foolish thing to do, but it worked out.

i  could go on and on.........i have held hummingbirds in my hands and baby orioles.  i guess there isn't much in the critters i haven't had some experience with.  just the way i am. 

[Jen]

Riverbee the critter whisperer ~ Warms my heart 

You won't get any smack from me River, I feed everything including taking pots of soup to people who are under the weather. We are the healers, wildlife and people  I also enjoy cutting up carrots, apples, and baking large overgrown squash for the deer. They get that kind of snack a couple times a week. They repay me by giving birth to their sweet little fawns in our back alley.



 

[Bakersdozen]

Perry, I really like crows.  They are smart and I think they live a long time.

I didn't fill the feeders last winter.  I wasn't up to the challenge.  During the summer, I always have goldfinches that visit my purple coneflowers from the moment the seed heads mature.  They know exactly which seeds have ripened enough to eat.  I also leave the plants with their seed heads in place until early spring so all the seeds can be eaten.  The goldfinches have picked the coneflowers clean and I haven't seen them for a while until I filled the thistle feeder a couple of weeks ago.  Here they came along with their cousins the purple finches.

[Mikey N.C.]

River,
We have 3 squirrels we feed peanuts in shell ,by hand , Carolina chickadees will land in your hand for sunflower seeds, when wife hand feeds squirrels, the bluejays land in the trees, and make all kinds of noise until she leaves them so peanuts, she wanted to know how you were able to get bluejays to land on your arm ?

[Lburou]

Since we are posting squirrel pictures Riverbee, we found this albino squirrel on the Mall in front of the Smithsonian last month.

[Gypsi]

Well Riverbee I have had an unsavory wild friend before.  In 2006 I think, the first snake showed up in my pond. I discovered her after about 1/3 of my fish were missing.  When Pretty Boy came up missing I moved the rest to a stock tank in my front yard and war was declared. Every time I went out the back door the snake peeked out from under the liner flap over the waterfall, I think she was asking whether I was bringing her more fish. After about 5 or 6 weeks she left. and a couple of weeks after that a tiny baby snake showed up near the top of the waterfall. I put it in a jar and on my desk and identified it as a diamond back water snake, something Texas DNR doesn't really want put in a "good fishing lake"  so I took the baby to a drainage creek that didn't connect to mine and let it loose there.

Eventually my smallest cat cornered the 38 inch male (mama had to be at least 5 ft) and I did kill him.  But after playing peekaboo with mama for over a month I don't think I could have killed her. I now use sulfur along my fenceline, and at the base of pond stones, and hang traps in the ponds, but yeah, your squirrel probably doesn't do nearly as much damage. I held a barbecue and had people here the day I needed to look behind the waterfall, I filled the cave in with old mortar chunks and filled the gaps with gravel and waterfall foam.   I didn't kill her but I did eliminate her hideout

[riverbee]

some really neat photos and comments!!! jen, awesome pix! lee, once in awhile we will get an albino squirrel, but not too often or a totally black one.

"River,
We have 3 squirrels we feed peanuts in shell ,by hand , Carolina chickadees will land in your hand for sunflower seeds, when wife hand feeds squirrels, the bluejays land in the trees, and make all kinds of noise until she leaves them so peanuts, she wanted to know how you were able to get bluejays to land on your arm ?"

lol, love chickadees!, i will put a baseball hat on, or any hat for that matter, trusty ol beat up straw cowboy hat, put seeds on the top, (push an  indent in, cowboy hat already has an indent) and the chickadees will land on the brim and take the seeds!  even an occasional nuthatch or woodpecker!
the bluejays mikey, this took some time, but yeah they do make a lot of noise when they are begging for peanuts!  over a few years of feeding them peanuts, i would throw them on the deck floor, or table.  i wouldn't leave. they would come closer and closer, or allow me to come closer. the jays would also  sit on the deck railing and squawk (beg) until i came out, so i started holding the peanut for them to take from me as they sat on the deck, or holding peanuts in the palm of my hand, arm outstretched.  at first they were timid about it, then later take the peanut quickly from my hand, or a 'fly by'.  as they became comfortable, the jays would either land on my shoulder, or outstretched arm. they really are smart birds, and i have heard them mimic other birds including owls and eagles.

i tell you though, if you really want a challenge, try raising 3 baby raccoons................
and not just once..........

[Jen]

Wow Gypsi, interesting story

[Mikey N.C.]

Thanks River,
We'll try that probably this spring. My brother in law in Louisiana had a in house raccoon (in an out house) that he raised from a baby, an amazing animal. I've raised from baby's 2 squirrels until they start to destroy the curtains
The wife wasn't happy but I was,they were ugly anyway

[Mikey N.C.]

Oh , the bluejays here mimic the red tail hawk to clear the yard, so they can have it all

[riverbee]

mikey,

try with the blue jays! but it does take time!  neat story about the jays mimicking the red tail hawk, very true!

since i was a kid we have had all sorts of critters and birds in our household......skunks, raccoons, squirrels, foxes, wolves, fawns, and a great horned owl my father rescued as a small white fluffy ball of feathers. (all babies) that owl was really cool! grew up with the owl for  many years before he died.  the first raccoon my mom raised.....he went out the door when he started climbing curtains, and that was after he learned to open any cupboard and pull stuff out, or open drawers, and pull stuff out........   the thing with raccoon's is, you are their mother or family, and they do develop a relationship with whoever cares for them, much like domesticated animals.  they are extremely smart and very adept. their paws are much like human hands and they can open or get into anything and are very mischievous and curious critters.....hmmm, don't ask me about my garage or better yet the kitchen.............  
squirrels also develop a 'relationship' with their caregiver, been there done that!  but they can't open cupboard doors or create havoc in total disbelief as raccoon's do!  raccoon's  are amazing critters!

i can say mr rb is not always keen on all the 'rescues' or my adventures in raising of birds and critters, but he has mellowed. i remember when a baby oriole decided to take a bath in a small tub of grape jelly i put out for the orioles.  it turned cold later in the day. her wings were sugared up and she couldn't fly.  i brought her in the house and gave her a warm bath in the bathroom sink.........   oh my stars, grape jelly water all over the bathroom, and me, ya know sticky business............  he came home from work early to find me with the bathroom door closed.......LOL, what you doing in there.....i had to open the door.......   flipped when he saw the bird!  he doesn't flip so much now.....
but i can tell you this, when the bird was dry, he walked out onto the deck with me and watched while she preened in my hands, took her time, and flew off and returned day after day, pretty cool!

[neillsayers]

Rb,

My Jeannie has a young coon in a cage right now, feeding him and cleaning the cage while chatting away at him. She has him at the stage of gently taking food from her hand and not looking at us with terror in his eyes. It's easier when they are still bottle babies but she can tame anything. She tamed me!

[Jen]

I love your critter stories River! My most personal story is about the bat I saved. But I won't bring that up again because you'll bring out the broom    Kidding Snorking LOLOL

[riverbee]

lol bats jen.........well, that member hasn't been back to tell us all the rest of his bats in his belfry story......old farmhouses full of bats can really make one creep out, especially after what we had been through!  i sorta saw bats (zillions and years of them) in a different light or not so different light........CHA CHING, CHA CHING, CHA CHING!..............   all in all, i think the bats were the one thing, them and the mice that really tested my patience, annoyance...........and my broom............   snork, snork, snorking back!!!! dang you make me laugh!..........    

neil, how young is the coon? estimate?  are you keeping him warm?  when they are young, they need warmth and 'security', especially when by themselves.
a heating pad on low, better yet a heating pad designed for cats and dogs, set under a blanket in the cage............or another blanket scrunched up and believe it or not...........a stuffed animal they can curl up next to.  some will laugh at this, but it's true, and it works.

your wife sounds like me?  not sure i can tame anything  though..........   maybe critters?
somehow someone in my household sanded off my rough edges as well......i know many will get a good chuckle from that comment but it's true!