Squirrels at the cottage are much smaller than those at home. They're really not any bigger than chipmunks. It must be that they have to actually forage for food. Unlike those city squirrels who can just walk out the front door of the nest and raid all those bird feeders.

You know where I'm going don't you?

That's right. I've put up a bird feeder at the cottage (well, cottage to be, as we're only building just now). So, the first feeder I take up is a little plastic pagoda type. I hang it from a tree only to have the little bugger chew through the bungee and enjoy the spoils from the comfort of the ground. I guess I really didn't expect it to last too long, but was desperate to get a feeder up there and start drawing some birds. Had it coming, I suppose.

So next I found a sheppards crook and put that in the ground. It's only about 4 feet tall, but these are really tiny squirrels. Certainly they can't jump any higher than that, right?

Wrong. The feeder was destroyed in no time.

So next I put up a metal feeder. One of those with a little cage around it to keep out the squirrels. Remember I'm trying to find a squirrel solution that is better looking than the 6 inch aluminum pipe thingie we have at home.

Anyway, next time I look, the squirrel, bold little bugger that he is, is sitting INSIDE the feeder chomping away at his leisure. Now the openings of this little cage around the feeder are less than one inch square. That is how small he is. Apparently small doesn't mean timid though. He is so bold that he takes little mind to me walking right up to him and doesn't feel threatened enough to move until I clap my hands within 2 feet of his little squirrly ear and yell at the same time. Next time I see him standing on a cedar log nearby scolding me terribly.