The Earl of the Backyard – 10/23

25 Oct
This is how my backyard squirrels think of my BIRD feeding area. Their own personal supermarket with a complete squirrel menu just for them. This is not totally true, though. There are no acorns here; just wild bird seed, suet, fresh water and occasional apple peelings from apple pie or applesauce creation. All my critters love this feast.
Earl Squirrel shinnies up the pole and makes the loooong stretch the the seed house.
Occasionally, Earl’s back feet slip and he hangs on for dear life while he balances himself to adjust his grip. Note the mama quail in the background watching Earl’s antics.
Then Earl hangs on while stuffing his cheeks with tasty wild bird seed. He is a muscular, strong dude to be able to hang on for more than a minute or two. The quail is still watching.
Finally, Earl tires and/or gets his fill of that flavor and decides to climb the nearby tree for a dessert of suet. This is not once in a lifetime event for Earl Squirrel. I have watched him and his friends do this time after time.

The crows and starlings love to eat the suet, too, when they visit the suet tree. Some are a tad smarter than Earl as one crow or starling will peck and peck, trying to get good bites while their friends wait down below for the suet crumbs to fall. They don’t have to flap their wings and work so hard to get their snacks. All of these antics bring me much joy and amusement to watch my critters go through their daily survival routine. It’s fun living here.

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