Stop, thief!

I've been putting out half apples skewered into the ground for the blackbirds - in particular we have a couple of hen blackbirds who have been really enjoying them.
But sometimes I would find no remnants at all, instead of finding the empty skins, which I put in the compost.
Now we know why!!
The little rascal - we saw him pull it off the skewer and scramble up the wall with it. Now I've tried using two skewers at an angle so he can't just whip the apple off - he'll have to pull the skewers out of the ground.

Coming back for seconds, looking as innocent as I don't know what!

And all because somebody thought a few grey squirrels would make a lovely, interesting wedding gift a hundred years ago



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Mostly birds

While all the birds found our feeder quite quickly, and returned within a couple of hours of putting food out after being away for a few days, we also have another less welcome visitor!

The photos of the sparrow and young great-tit were taken while we were spending a few days minding my aunt's dogs. The weather wasn't great - the best day was the afternoon we arrived, and after that there were several grey, wet days.

The robin is on our back wall - they all seem to be moulting at the moment. I had one on the patio this afternoon with no tail.

Phoenix Park

My sister stayed over Wednesday night, so on Thursday I got an early bus with her, and after seeing her off at the mainline station I went for a walk in the park as I still had plenty of time before work. Just as well it was yesterday and not today; we had heavy rain almost all day long.

Mister or Mrs Blackbird collecting a beakful of worms.

 

A mistle thrush

There were also a bunch of swallows and swifts swooping low over the grass - lovely to watch.

And more squirrels than I've ever seen in one place in the park before.

Botanic Gardens, Fauna - a surfeit of squirrels

The squirrels were out in force on Saturday - I always enjoy watching them, and this time there was no C to tell me that they're just rodents. I have to admit that certainly in the photo of the one sitting up a tree, he's very rodent-like. I think it's because his tail isn't bushed up at all.
I was visiting a friend today, and her daughter gave me one of her gerbils to hold; she was so warm. I'd forgotten that, it's years and years since we had pets of that ilk. The sharp smell certainly brought back memories of our childhood guinea-pigs.

Whatever he was digging for, he was pretty to dig quite deep and quite persistently. I was sorry that, yet again, I had forgotten to bring any nuts, as I guess he was looking for food. Not that he looks thin or in any way starved after the hard winter!

Caught Peanut-Pawed

C was out for a motorbike run this morning, but it was so foggy that they called it a day after they'd had a short run to Blessington and stopped for breakfast.  So I went out to open the back gate shortly before I expected him back, and spotted the grey squirrel. I dashed upstairs to get my camera and he was still there when I got back. The first picture is taken through two windows, so it's a bit hazy. I managed to get the back door open without totally startling him, but after a minute sitting on the wall, then he made a dash for it. The other day C saw him running along under the fascia board on the shed, and was worried that he might have a little tunnel into the shed. But I think he just uses it as a safe, sheltered run to get to the back wall and into the trees again.

If it's just one squirrel, I don't mind a few nuts here and there, but if he keeps on stealing the fat-balls, I'll have to start investigating the more expensive so-called squirrel-proof feeders.