It's a bright, sunny day and the air feels nice outside. I stepped out in my fuzzy bathrobe to move the suet block and it just felt nice. I'm not complaining about this nice blue sky either! *Someone* moved the squirrel's clay saucer again. It's a bit over half way to the tree. I'm going to have to paint the edge a bright color to help me find it if they keep this up. I need a proper feeder for them again sooner rather than later I guess. 
Do you feed your local wildlife?
We've been here going on 12 years and started with one bird feeder hanging from the eve of the house right in front of the cat tree. Eventually I added hummingbird feeders, a thistle sock and in the winter a suet block feeder. And a bird bath. For about 10 years we never saw a squirrel here. We had bunnies but no squirrels. They've found us now so the bird feeder had to move to a shepherds hook with a baffle; but I still have a pretty nice view. I had a squirrel feeder in one tree to deter them from the bird feeders. But that was destroyed when the tree was hit by lightning last summer. The tree itself is gone now too. I want to get them another feeder but I haven't decided where to put it. They can be pests; but they are also super cute sitting there nibbling on their food.
I have no plans to feed any other critters. The people across the street have barn cats; but I've seen them putting out food for them and they look well fed. I don't really want to encourage them to cross the street here so I'm glad I don't NEED to feed any. My friend's husband used to keep our corn for the deer around their property; but they weren't fenced in and even more rural than we are. And they had more land. My Grandma always put out old bread for the squirrels and birds. I don't want to encourage them with stuff like that. Bread doesn't really get old here either.
With outdoor cameras becoming more popular and affordable it's tempting to get one for the backyard so I can see who is coming around when I'm not looking. I woke DD up in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower from the back patio and something was in the yard with us. My flashlight only reflected off it's eyes. It was definitly not a cat. But whatever it was; it kept going toward my neighbor's fence. And I sure wasn't going to do anything to make it feel threatened.
Do you feed your local wildlife?
We've been here going on 12 years and started with one bird feeder hanging from the eve of the house right in front of the cat tree. Eventually I added hummingbird feeders, a thistle sock and in the winter a suet block feeder. And a bird bath. For about 10 years we never saw a squirrel here. We had bunnies but no squirrels. They've found us now so the bird feeder had to move to a shepherds hook with a baffle; but I still have a pretty nice view. I had a squirrel feeder in one tree to deter them from the bird feeders. But that was destroyed when the tree was hit by lightning last summer. The tree itself is gone now too. I want to get them another feeder but I haven't decided where to put it. They can be pests; but they are also super cute sitting there nibbling on their food.
I have no plans to feed any other critters. The people across the street have barn cats; but I've seen them putting out food for them and they look well fed. I don't really want to encourage them to cross the street here so I'm glad I don't NEED to feed any. My friend's husband used to keep our corn for the deer around their property; but they weren't fenced in and even more rural than we are. And they had more land. My Grandma always put out old bread for the squirrels and birds. I don't want to encourage them with stuff like that. Bread doesn't really get old here either.
With outdoor cameras becoming more popular and affordable it's tempting to get one for the backyard so I can see who is coming around when I'm not looking. I woke DD up in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower from the back patio and something was in the yard with us. My flashlight only reflected off it's eyes. It was definitly not a cat. But whatever it was; it kept going toward my neighbor's fence. And I sure wasn't going to do anything to make it feel threatened.
