Meet my bird feeder party crasher

[Siwsan]

I call this squirrel 'Stumpy' because that's all he has for a tail - a stump. Doesn't seem to hold him back except that he can't seem to raid the feeders. He just hangs around beneath them and waits for the birds to knock some seed to the ground. He also lets me get pretty close but it took a prolonged game of 'Ring Around The Tree' before he would agree to pose.

[Ohiogal]

1. He's a cute lil critter!

The squirrels in my yard often just eat whatever falls out of my bird feeders, too. Although I did catch one trying to eat off the suet feeder, once.

Well done on the photo!

[wendyb-NC]

2. Great picture!

Yup, there are several who hang on to my bird feeders and try raid the,black oil sunflower seeds, as the feeder swings back and forth on it's chain. The birds are plentiful, though. There is and a family of cardinals, also, house finches, yellow bellied sap suckers, towhee, chickadees and a few black birds and more.

I bought a couple of the wire mesh feeders and they are more of a challenge for the squirrels to get more a few seeds at a time.

[applegrove]

3. Squirrels destroyed my bird feeder. They gnawed through it it many places.

They didn't wait for the birds to drop seeds. You have patient squirrels.

[Siwsan]

4. I bought one with heavy gauge plastic and metal perches

I also put one of those big plastic cake covers, like you get with store bought round cakes, over the lid and hang them beneath pretty precarious pine boughs. So far it seems to be working, but no doubt they will find a way, eventually. This poor tail-less squirrel is kind of challenged when it comes to tricky upside down maneuvering.

I had to 'lock' the suet cages with binder clips to make it even harder for them to open it and steal all of the suet cake.

[applegrove]

5. I gave up and dropped the seeds on the ground right outside the window my cat

sits at to look out. I figured at least the cat could be entertained.

[Siwsan]

6. This really seems to work - maybe because it's hard for them to get a grip (pic)

I've had really good luck by doing this. I've only lost one feeder in the past 5 or 6 years.

[applegrove]

7. Genius!