For a while a little black squirrel and a larger gray squirrel would visit our feeder for breakfast each day, and sometimes for an afternoon snack. Sometimes I try to chase them away because they spill birdseed from the tube and toss aside less preferred morsels as they dig through the tray in search of the good stuff.
In addition to being messy eaters they keep the birds away. The other day I noticed several sparrows standing on the sidewalk, watching the bird feeding station longingly as if they were helpless to feed themselves. I followed their gaze to the giant gray squirrel sitting in the tray. Poor little birds were waiting for her to leave!
I was just about to run out there in my pajamas and spout something crazy like, "get outta here, you varmint!" But then the squirrel reached up to the tube to grab a sunflower seed and I noticed she had recently nursed (I won't describe her personal details here, but I've included her picture so you can see for yourself). I stopped myself - I can't bring myself to shoo away a squirrel who is nursing babies!
So for now, as long as momma squirrel is nursing, I will leave her to stuff her face with as much bird food as she needs. The birds will just have to wait their turn.
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