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--Boundary_(ID_0jTFs+Q8PdjKXiK5Yb/FcA) Content-type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Our bird-feeding station has been visited by three more mammalian =20 suspects. The Common Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus was out helping himself to =20 seeds. There is no reason that he might not also drink hummingbird =20 food, if he could reach it. Then yesterday a doe walked up in broad daylight, sampling cracked =20 corn intended for the ducks. This morning about 7 am, I found three young raccoons in the act of =20 raiding the central supply of birdseed, which was stored in a =20 supposedly secure, animal-proof container (looking like a small =20 garbage can with snaps to hold down the lid securely). Whatever the =20 presumed merit of the opposable thumb in hominids, the raccoons do =20 very well without it, and have their own dexterity. Not being content =20= with merely eating the seeds, they had scattered much of the contents, =20= perhaps in anticipation of finding a premium of some sort at the =20 bottom of the container. All this happened in Seabright, HRM. =97Paul On Jul 20, 2008, at 7:47 PM, Paul S. Boyer wrote: > Last year we had Red Squirrels similarly empty all our accessible =20 > hummingbird feeders. The squirrels got very bold, and drank the =20 > feeders dry right in our presence, even allowing us to get =20 > photographs. > > The squirrels also gained access to the house through a minor =20 > construction defect, and began raiding the kitchen. They removed =20 > the contents of a large bag of peanuts (in the shell), and moved the =20= > nuts around the house, storing them such places as under our pillows. > > Finally the two delinquent rodents were trapped in Havahart=A9 traps =20= > (using peanut butter as bait). They were deported to a wooded area =20= > 7 km away, because I had read that they can return from as far as 5 =20= > km distance. The carpenters were called, and closed the squirrel =20 > entrance with quarter-inch hardware cloth, which will even keep out =20= > deer mice. > > So, my first suggestion for a suspect is the Red Squirrel. They =20 > have a "criminal record." > > =97Paul > > On Jul 20, 2008, at 8:24 AM, Eleanor Lindsay wrote: > >> David & Alison Webster wrote: >>> Dear All, July 19, 2008 >>> While looking for a seldom used kitchen tool today in the =20 >>> basement, I found a long forgotten box of Weinbrand Bohnen (Brandy =20= >>> Filled Chocolates) in a polystyrene container. There was a hole =20 >>> chewed in the polystyrene container (top edge of Squirrel-sized =20 >>> hole 2.25" above edge of a wooden tray that would serve as a =20 >>> platform) and a hole chewed in the corner of the chocolate box. >>> >>> Only 3 1/2 chocolates were missing so the taste apparently did not =20= >>> live up to the odor that presumably inspired the raid. The =20 >>> remainder were unfortunately grey with long fuzzy mold. >>> >>> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> Talking of creatures with a sweet tooth, I am currently battling =20 >> one which has taken to raiding and emptying my hummingbird feeder =20 >> every chance it gets! The feeder hangs in a tree and several times =20= >> this season I have found the recently filled feeder completely =20 >> empty in the morning, still hanging from its site, but totally =20 >> sticky and grubby with bits of leaf and twiglets all over the =20 >> outside. One evening after dark I noticed unusual branch movement =20 >> and on going out to check scared away something large (most likely =20= >> a raccoon - but it could also have been a porcupine, several of =20 >> which have some of my trees under attack - and the feeder was once =20= >> again empty. I have checked that it is functioning normally and not =20= >> leaking). This is a first after two decades of hummer feeding. How =20= >> common is it for raccoons and/or porcupines to go for sugar water =20 >> like this? >> >> Eleanor Lindsay >> Seabright NS > --Boundary_(ID_0jTFs+Q8PdjKXiK5Yb/FcA) Content-type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Our bird-feeding station has = been visited by three more mammalian suspects.<div><br><div>The Common = Vole <i>Microtus pennsylvanicus</i> was out helping himself to seeds. = There is no reason that he might not also drink hummingbird food, = if he could reach it.</div><div><br></div><div>Then yesterday a doe = walked up in broad daylight, sampling cracked corn intended for the = ducks.</div><div><br></div><div>This morning about 7 am, I found three = young raccoons in the act of raiding the central supply of birdseed, = which was stored in a supposedly secure, animal-proof container (looking = like a small garbage can with snaps to hold down the lid securely). = Whatever the presumed merit of the opposable thumb in hominids, = the raccoons do very well without it, and have their own dexterity. = Not being content with merely eating the seeds, they had scattered = much of the contents, perhaps in anticipation of finding a premium of = some sort at the bottom of the container.</div><div><br></div><div>All = this happened in Seabright, = HRM.</div><div><br></div><div>=97Paul</div><div><br><div><div>On Jul 20, = 2008, at 7:47 PM, Paul S. Boyer wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Last year we had Red Squirrels = similarly empty all our accessible hummingbird feeders. The = squirrels got very bold, and drank the feeders dry right in our = presence, even allowing us to get photographs.<div><br></div><div>The = squirrels also gained access to the house through a minor construction = defect, and began raiding the kitchen. They removed the contents = of a large bag of peanuts (in the shell), and moved the nuts around the = house, storing them such places as under our = pillows.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally the two delinquent rodents = were trapped in Havahart=A9 traps (using peanut butter as bait). = They were deported to a wooded area 7 km away, because I had read = that they can return from as far as 5 km distance. The carpenters = were called, and closed the squirrel entrance with quarter-inch hardware = cloth, which will even keep out deer mice.</div><div><br></div><div>So, = my first suggestion for a suspect is the Red Squirrel. They have a = "criminal record."</div><div><br></div><div style=3D"">=97Paul</div><div = style=3D"font-size: 13px; "><br></div><div><div><div>On Jul 20, 2008, at = 8:24 AM, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>David = & Alison Webster wrote:<br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Dear All, July = 19, 2008<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">While looking for a = seldom used kitchen tool today in the basement, I found a long forgotten = box of Weinbrand Bohnen (Brandy Filled Chocolates) in a polystyrene = container. There was a hole chewed in the polystyrene container (top = edge of Squirrel-sized hole 2.25" above edge of a wooden tray that would = serve as a platform) and a hole chewed in the corner of the chocolate = box.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Only 3 1/2 = chocolates were missing so the taste apparently did not live up to the = odor that presumably inspired the raid. The remainder were unfortunately = grey with long fuzzy mold.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Yt, Dave = Webster, Kentville<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote>Talking of creatures with a sweet tooth, = I am currently battling one which has taken to raiding and emptying my = hummingbird feeder every chance it gets! The feeder hangs in a tree and = several times this season I have found the recently filled feeder = completely empty in the morning, still hanging from its site, but = totally sticky and grubby with bits of leaf and twiglets all over the = outside. One evening after dark I noticed unusual branch movement and on = going out to check scared away something large (most likely a raccoon - = but it could also have been a porcupine, several of which have some of = my trees under attack - and the feeder was once again empty. I have = checked that it is functioning normally and not leaking). This is a = first after two decades of hummer feeding. How common is it for raccoons = and/or porcupines to go for sugar water like this?<br><br>Eleanor = Lindsay<br>Seabright = NS<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></di= v></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_0jTFs+Q8PdjKXiK5Yb/FcA)--
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