As the battle against the squirrels goes on, besides making your feeders squirrel resistant, a little bribery can also help. Setting up an easy to use squirrel feeder that is away from your bird feeders can help to distract them from causing trouble at your bird feeders.

The Squirrels Only Feeder is a small wooden box in which you place a squirrel’s favorite goodies, such as peanuts or pumpkin seeds. The squirrel must lift the lid and hold it open while it takes out a treat. the Squirrel Spinner, Spin-A-Cob and Squirrel-A-Whirl also provide challenges for your squirrels. These products have several long arms to attach a dried ear of corn. When the squirrel climbs after the corn, the arms twirl from its weight. Another fun way to feed is in our Squirrel Jar feeder. It’s designed to keep seed dry and squirrels go inside the glass jar to dine in comfort and in complete view! We also have a table and chair feeder for polite squirrels, and a See-Saw and Trapeze feeder for the kids. Hang a corncob from the elastic Squngee feeder and when the squirrel jumps on , it bounces up and down like a bungee cord.

Do you want more squirrels in your backyard? If so up one or two Squirrel Condos from Chuck-A-Nut. Mounted high in the trees they make great homes for squirrels (as well as owls and woodpeckers) especially where dead timber is in short supply.

Twas the Night Before Christmas
(Bird Count that is)
by Henry Lappen, Amherst, Massachusetts

‘Twas the night before Christmas (count that is)
when all through the dark
not a creature was stirring
not even a lark.

The stockings were hung
on their feet with care
in hopes that real frostbite
would not settle there.

The birders were quiet
listening for owls
filled up with coffee
which gurgled their bowels.

And Jan in her kerchief
and Scott in his cap
were straining their ears
to hear any yap.

When out in the field
there arose such a clatter
we sprang from the forest
to see what was aflutter.

When what to our wondering
eyes should appear
but a miniature flock
of eight tiny Killdeer.

I got out my camera
lively and quick,
I knew in a moment
I must have a pic.

More rapid than eagles
the birders all came
and they whistled and shouted
each calling a name.

They’re buntings. No, warblers.
They’re swallows. No, grouse.
They’re Mallards. No, nightjars.
Or maybe titmouse.

To the tops of the trees
the birds flew away all.
Oh dash it! Oh darn it!
Did you hear a call?

As varied opinions that before
no proof will fly
the arguments of birders
will mount to the sky.

They’re sparrows. No, bobwhites.
No, alcids. You dolt:
They were Black-headed Gulls
in second-year molt.

And then in a twinkle
we heard from the air
a trilling or chirping
or something unclear.

As we drew in our heads
and were turning around
down to the clearing
they came with a sound.

They were all dressed in feathers
from head to their foot,
they were dark as if tarnished
with ashes and soot.

A bundle of speckles
they had on their breast
their belly and shoulders
but not on the rest.

Their eyes-how they twinkled,
their mandibles-how pale.
Their cheek patches brownish,
not much of a tail.

Their dull little coverts
were brown like the wing
and their backs and their heads.
They had no eye ring.

They were chubby and plump
all filled up with berries
and also from composted
maraschino cherries.

A wink of an eye
and a twist of a head
soon gave us to know
we had something to dread.

They sprang to the air
to our team gave a whistle
that sounded as raucous
as an incoming missile.

But we heard them exclaim
e’er they flew out of sight
many starlings to all
and to all a good flight!

This poem is from an email that was forwarded to me. Mr. Lappen Thank You for writing this poem. To all I wish you a Merry Christmas and an Happy New Year.

Many birds’ “ideal diet” is high in fats and proteins, which is just opposite of ours. Sunflower, safflower, niger seeds and peanuts range between 20-25% protein and 30-40% fat. When purchasing your bird food check the bag’s label and look for high protein and fat content. You’ll find “cheap” mixes full of milo, wheat, oats and other grains that birds don’t like and will not eat. They will just push it off to the side to get at the better seeds that they like and it ends up on the ground. Plus these filler seeds are 8 -12% protein and 2-4% fat. Give birds a boost in winter with high-energy suet. Our #1 top-quality sell in winter is Pine Tree Farms Peanut Butter Cakes. They also contain no fillers, just suet and peanuts. The Peanut Butter Cakes suet can be ordered from our secure site.

Birds need additional energy to make it through the cold nights. They also need to replenish the lost energy when wake up in the morning. We always recommend that you have your feeders full the last couple of daylight hours and at daybreak. This is to help birds endure the long winter nights and fill those empty bellies in the morning. Roost boxes are a big help as small birds will gather on the perches and “huddle up” to stay warm over night. Our Woodlink Roost box is now back in stock.  It can be ordered from our secure website.

Video on how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeders. These products can be ordered from our secure website.