Saturday 27 May 2017

Little Critter

A few days ago, after I came home from work, I decided I should fill up the bird feeder. I've not been consistent with putting out bird seed, and I do enjoy watching to see which birds show up. So I went out the back door from the mudroom and proceeded to retrieve the empty bird feeder and take off the top. I heard a scritchy- scratchy sound behind me and turned to look.

I spotted this little fellow clinging, spread-eagle, to one of the battens on the house.




He was clinging by his tiny toes and would move just a little at a time. He was quite high up, as maybe this next photo will show.


He is up close to the roof line, way above the height of windows and my clothesline. I thought maybe he had scurried up there to get away from one of the cats and was now a bit stuck about how to come down. My son was already home and I called him out to have a look. (He indulges his mother's fascination with all things furry or feathery). We decided to help him out. As son is taller than me, he extended a large push broom above the chipmunk which caused the little guy to shimmy down a bit. He continued to move the broom downwards a little at a time so that the chipmunk kept skittering down. Eventually he was low enough to the ground that he pushed himself off the wall and ran away.

Could he have done this himself? Likely, but he was so little, I thought perhaps he was too young to make a huge leap without injury.

The bird feeder, incidentally, was filled and promptly ripped down that night and emptied of its contents. I am quite certain we are dealing with raccoons again. Lord, I despise raccoons on my property. Those nimble toes are so very good at being destructive.

It is the weekend, and I am hoping for a little more warmth and a little less rain. I have a growing list of outdoor chores that need doing and I'd rather not be wet or bundled up to do them. My vegetable garden is currently empty and I should really have potatoes in by now. How goes your outdoor to-do list?

18 comments:

  1. "So shines a good deed in a naughty world".
    Wow, sorry about your bird feeder. I have so much wildlife in my yard - deer, ground hogs, skunks occasionally, fox, rabbits and a million birds - but don't see raccoons and may it remain so....

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    1. Rabbits, yes, many. Skunks, occasionally. Deer, only once. Fox, son just saw one close to the property two nights ago. Ground hogs, close by, but not right on the property. The worse, in terms of destruction are the rabbits and raccoons.

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  2. I love a tender heart for the critters but I understand the problem with the raccoons. They are cute but harmful. I have the same problem with the opossums and they don't even have the benefit of being adorable. I trap and relocate when possible.

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    1. Trapping and relocating was an entire summer one year. I should check back and see if I blogged about that. It was an adventure!

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  3. I've got a big old gray rat that's coming to eat with the birds and squirrels.

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  4. Raccoons are quite the curse.
    Our weather is so beautiful today that Laura and I pointed the car where it had to go, gathered almost all the necessaries, and started spring in our yard.

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  5. Jenn, When I am putting seed out for the birds that is who I intend to feed. Not squirrels , chippies , or coons. I just hate seeing them near the feeders. I guess I am lucky we do not have to worry about bears here. :):) Nice to have tall boys around. :):)Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  6. Glad the chipmunk skittered away. You have a zoo in your garden. What a wonderful variety of animals. Racoons sound exotic to me !! Not at all to you obviously. hope they leave you alone

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  7. Raccoons and chipmunks both sound exotic to me. My daughter has possums in Australia.

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  8. Something has made a home under my patio but I haven't caught a glimpse of it yet. We do have racoons but the city has given us racoon-proof green bins so they are not as much of a problem as they used to be. I have given up putting out bird seed as the squirrels scoff the lot.

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  9. Raccoons! They have become so brazen. I got up one morning and one was in our carport. It's wasn't afraid at all. He gave me a scornful glance and ambled away.

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  10. They're like little ninjas

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  11. Aw, cute. I love chipmunks! They are such fun little critters. In our old place, there were a couple that got to know me so well that I'd be able to feed them by hand. Very cute. Sadly, I won't be spending much time in the garden this year. There is too much indoor work and the thought of adding the outdoor chores to that list stressed me out. I'll plan the garden over the colder months and work on it next spring. Something to look forward to.

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  12. So far the sun has been out down here in mid-Michigan and it's been relatively warm (compared to past days!) But they are predicting rain -- again. I'm getting very tired of it.

    Good for you rescuing this little chipmunk. Poor guy -- probably didn't realize his own power!

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  13. I like the (pesky) chipmunks so I was glad to hear that you helped that little one along. I am always amazed where I find chipmunks & yes usually it's where they shouldn't be. That's too bad that your bird feeder was ripped down. I HATE raccoons, they are dirty vile nasty creatures - wouldn't hurt them, but certainly I discourage them. This year the rabbits are rampant in our yard & it seems the entire village is suffering with rabbit burrow holes.

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  14. Well, I'm actually gaining on my outdoor list. (I say this as I just got rained out - 3 p.m. Sunday - and had to shelf the garden work for today.) More rain called for on the morrow so I may be able to get caught up a little inside. It's been crazy with our still cooler than normal temps and frequent rains, but I'm finally not feeling so panicky.

    Who of us can ever figure out what goes on in animals' brains? Where did that little guy think he was going. He was surely headed for a dead end (the roof overhand) and I wonder if he would have just stayed there until he was exhausted and maybe fallen all the way down if you and your son hadn't "encouraged" him to back his way down while he still had the strength.

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  15. We saw one out back too, a coon that is.

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