SCOTT SHALAWAY Squirrels, dogs enjoy feeder fun

For years I've been disappointed that squirrels seldom visit my bird feeders. Though my ridge-top home is nestled amid a sea of oaks, hickories and walnuts, I've rarely seen a squirrel even cross the yard. Maybe that was the problem -- too much food in the woods.
Over the last few months, however, squirrels have discovered my backyard buffet, and they've acquired a taste for the endless supply of sunflower seeds and nuts. At first I didn't mind. I was thrilled to see an occasional squirrel acrobatically hanging from a feeder. They were shy and wary. If I even cracked a door, they dropped instantly to the ground and vanished into the woods.
Goodie man
But slowly they've come to recognize me as the source of the goodies. Now they watch cautiously as I walk to and from the garage. But mostly, they eat. The fox squirrels are beginning to look a lot like groundhogs.
Last week when I spotted four fox squirrels, four gray squirrels, three red squirrels, but no birds, at the feeders, I realized I had a problem. Within a day, however, I solved it without even trying.
(If you're new to squirrel appreciation, fox squirrels have a rusty cast and are the largest of the three. Gray squirrels are noticeably smaller and have white-tipped tail fur that gives the tail a frosted look. And red squirrels are about twice the size of a chipmunk, have a white eye ring, and have rich chestnut fur.)
Easy access
For reasons of space, I moved a large plastic garbage can filled with sunflower seed from inside the garage to the roofed porch. Within hours, the squirrels' keen sense of smell led them to the container of seeds. Then they effortlessly chewed a four-inch hole in the lid. Now they had easy access to an unlimited, weather-protected source of food.
Knowing that squirrels can conquer almost any anti-squirrel device, I decided that maybe this was the squirrel feeder I needed. I'm restocking the can with kernel corn rather than sunflower seed to keep costs down, and it's working well for both the rodents and me.
Then the dogs entered the equation. After a few days, Daisy (big Lab) and Pip (small terrier mutt) discovered that their favorite "prey" could almost always be found in the garbage can. It's absolutely hysterical to watch them race to the can and see squirrels pop out in every direction. Usually the "killer" dogs can't focus on one squirrel, and they just run and bark wildly.
Barking in dismay
A few days ago, however, a fox squirrel escaped to an isolated tree. When it got to the top and realized it had no where to go, it began barking its dismay. That's when the dogs realized what they had done. They had actually treed a squirrel. It was a squirrel-dog standoff. For more than 10 minutes the dogs barked at the squirrel and the squirrel barked back. Pip, the bipedal wonder dog who can actually walk and dance on his hind legs, jumped onto a stump, stood upright and voiced all his 12 pounds of hell-bent fury.
When I couldn't stand the clatter any longer, I put the dogs in the house. Five minutes later the squirrel scurried down the tree and into the woods. Fifteen minutes after that, they were back in their garbage can diner.
Hopes of a chase
So now every morning when I let the dogs out, they sprint to the garage in hopes of a chase. And this morning Daisy caught one of the big fat fox squirrels. I think she was more surprised and startled than the squirrel. She clearly didn't know what to do. So she spit it out and gave chase.
Action at feeders never ceases to amaze and entertain. And though I usually try to avoid attributing human feelings and emotions to animals, I can't help but wonder if the dogs and squirrels enjoy their chases as much as I enjoy watching them.
sshalaway@aol.com