Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Mystery!
Yesterday morning I looked out the patio door to see what new and interesting birds might be around, and instead I saw this. I'm perplexed. The feeder hangs on a very sturdy iron hook on a fairly sturdy oak branch. My first thought was that those @#$% squirrels had managed to break the thing. On closer inspection I saw what had actually happened was that the hook had somehow fallen (been removed?) from the branch. Now, the squirrels are very clever and resourceful, but even if they cooperated (which they never do), I don't see how they could have lifted the hook enough to get it off the branch. So maybe it was another well-known clever and resourceful raider of bird feeders? Like a raccoon? I've never seen one here in the backyard, but that's probably because they're nocturnal and I'm not. Any other guesses?
2 Comments:
I'd go with a raccoon; sounds like their handiwork. I haven't seen them here like I did in FL, and was wondering about their presence as well.
Then one night we heard a terrible racket at about 2AM. I looked out on the upper level of our back deck, and apparently a male raccoon had backed a female into the corner and was attempting to mate. She didn't appear too happy and hence all the noise.
Anyhow, that was the only time I've seen them, but they must be around.
So far, this hasn't happened again. Maybe whatever caused it decided it wasn't worth the effort. I moved the hook a bit further out on the branch too.
I've never seen a live raccoon here - only roadkill. A few years ago we kept hearing a noise in the night which we couldn't identify. One time when it happened I got up and opened the front door, and saw a fox out in the street baying at our neighbor's cat, which was trying to hide in our shrubbery.
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