Backyard Critters and Projects
Certain times in history saw mass migrations of squirrels, such as in the 1800s, when they swam the Hudson River between Waterford and Saratoga en masse, with many drowning during the journey, and others dying of exhaustion shortly after.
Since then, other migrations have perplexed naturalists who have raised the question: do squirrels migrate often, or do they stay in the same place? Are these migrations commonplace, or are they due to extreme circumstances?
I have a blast watching the antics of the squirrels in my yard. I keep my squirrel feeders filled with peanuts and enjoy seeing them eat a few at the feeder and then grab one to stash for later. For a long time I was feeding raw peanuts but ended up switching over to roasted and unsalted because the squirrels kept burying peanuts in my flower pots and the dang things would spout and turn into peanut plants!
After watching theses critters cache food in my flowerpots and garden beds it made me wonder about squirrels in the wild. Specifically I was wondering , “Where do squirrels hide their nuts?” It turns out that there are several answers to the question depending upon the type of squirrel.
Funny stories about squirrels are always popping up in the news and one of the more recent ones that caught my attention was about a man in Alabama that police claimed had trained a squirrel to attack people. The man in question denied that the squirrel was trained to attack but was simply his pet that sometimes got aggressive around strangers. That story got me wondering about an important question, “Can squirrels be trained?”
The answer is, “Yes, squirrels can be taught to do all sorts of tricks!” Squirrels are crazy smart rodents that are tenacious in their pursuit of tasty treats. This combination makes squirrels great animals to teach how to do tricks. Of course, how long it takes to train them depends upon the individual animal and the complexity of what you want them to do.
Let’s look at some of the more famous examples of trained squirrels so you can get an idea of what it takes to teach them things as well as what they are capable of learning. [Read more…]
Feeding squirrels is a lot of fun and it always puts a smile on my face when I see them munching away at one of my feeders. Squirrels are omnivores that will eat just about anything. However there are some foods that are great to feed squirrels and some others you should avoid.
It is also important to differentiate between what to feed wild squirrels in your backyard and what to feed pet squirrels that are living in your house.
Let’s look at some of your choices!
The aptly named woodpecker is a fascinating bird—this animal is both resourceful and entertaining, giving birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts an easy, audible identifier: pecking! Listening to woodpeckers tapping on trees is a lot of fun but hearing them beat their heads against metal chimney caps, metal lamp posts or even satellite receiver dishes can seem pretty strange!
If you are wondering why woodpeckers peck on metal then you are not alone as it is a very common question! In this article, we’ll be exploring the four main reasons that woodpeckers peck and identify the two reasons why woodpeckers can often be found pecking on metal surfaces.
For the TL/DR crowd: Woodpeckers peck on metal because they want to be as loud as possible!
Putting up a bat house is a great way to help control insects while helping to conserve the bats in your area. There are a lot of bat houses for sale but they are some extreme differences between them.
This article will walk you through:
Let’s get started!
When woodpeckers go to work ‘drilling’ for the insects they rely on for food, we can clearly see that they do significant damage to the surfaces of the trees they peck. Observing this behavior, it’s a reasonable question to ask: “Are woodpeckers bad for trees?”.
In this article, we’ll be answering this question using data that biologists and arborologists have discovered. Hopefully, in learning more about the ‘true’ damage that woodpeckers cause, you can develop a newfound appreciation for these fascinating and resourceful birds.
So, are woodpeckers bad for trees? Woodpeckers do minor damage to individual trees but are extremely critical in helping a forest stay healthy. So, overall, woodpeckers are highly beneficial for trees as a whole. Let’s take a closer look at why!
Pileated Woodpeckers are a unique and majestic sight to behold: their bold, red head plumage and trademark, black-and-white patterning make them very easy to identify in densely wooded areas throughout the eastern United States and in most of Canada.
This bird is often heard before it is seen, however, as it’s ‘drumming’ can be quite loud. The volume of Pileated Woodpecker drilling can be attributed to the fact that this is, indeed, a very massive woodpecker!
For birdwatchers or backyard wildlife enthusiasts, attracting Pileated Woodpeckers is a common topic, and there are some things that can be done to increase the chances of a Pileated Woodpecker showing up on your property to score a free meal or a rinse in your bird fountain.
Photo Credit: Andy on Flickr
I have been learning a ton while researching different bat questions for this site. One of the things I learned was that I could be a participant in the “Bat Community” without having to muck about in damp caves or musty attics.
It turns out that the easiest and most fun way of helping bats is to Sponsor a rescued bat at the Bat World Sanctuary!
The Bat World Sanctuary is located outside of Cool, Texas and was founded in 1994. They are a 501c non-profit and have the following Mission: [Read more…]
Throughout the eastern United States and even into parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Pileated Woodpecker is a common sight. This striking bird is very large—arguably reaching ‘crow size’ territory—with many observers reporting sizes that might surprise you.
So, how big is a Pileated Woodpecker? In this article, we’ll be exploring the wide variety of Pileated Woodpecker sizes, starting from when this bird hatches to when it reaches full maturity.
Photo Credit: Andy on Flickr
