Tue 14 Nov 2006
I thought I’d seen everything with the Pillow Feeder…
The squirrels have figured it out time and time again, different kinds of challenges, different kinds of food - they always seem to figure out exactly what to do to get their prize. Whether it’s going in through the bottom, making a hole in the middle or just going through the side, they’ve always amazed me. But yesterday’s feed upped the ante a little bit more…
Yes, that’s right - they’ve actually figured out how to bring down the feeder! Twice even! I recorded the feed on Monday as I usually do when I have a chance to (and when things look like something could happen), and nothing happened in the few minutes I was watching it, so I let it run a little while longer. I came back to check it out again a little more than 2 hours later and saw that the feeder wasn’t even in the shot! Of course, at the time I believed that it probably just fell to the wind - either that, or a squirrel jumped on the bag and the line loosened…
Guess again!
Upon further inspection, the squirrels actually chewed on the fishing line tying the feeder to it’s support! They did it once, which you’ll see in the video below, then Chris put it back up (I didn’t show that :)) and the squirrels chewed it down again! They literally found the ultimate loop-hole to the hanging feeder idea - stop it from hanging! I have to admit, I have no idea if another webcam was watching where the feeder actually fell, (is there a cam stationed in that area?) but I’m pretty sure the squirrels had no problem with the feeder once it was on the ground! Maybe it’s time for another support idea… maybe a old clothes hanger or some sort of chain… that’s what I’ve been using (of course, my squirrels aren’t as acrobatic as these ones… yet…!)
Although written by me (Zach), the picture and video in this post are © 2006 Chris Osborne, originally published on The Backyard Voyeur. The “Pillow Feeder” is his feeder project based on my (Zach Glenwright’s) Backyard Bag Feeder Project…
Pillow Feeder 11-13-06, with the acrobats! [1:14m]:
November 14th, 2006 at 10:55 am
Yep, you’re right, they cut the wire cleanly. I was as astonished as you. And this was not fishing line, I use insulated loudspeaker wire which has a substantial twisted core for all suspended projects and tying down tripods to stop the squirrels knocking them down, and up to now it’s worked fine. But no longer, it seems!
The bad news for the squirrels is that the bag landed upside down so they haven’t been able to get into it as far as I know. I’ll take a look later, it was pouring of rain last night and I decided not to bother venturing out to rescue it.
I’m grateful for the capture, it’s amazing to see them caught in the act!
November 14th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
W o w…. what an amazing bit of footage….!
I can’t get over that first squirrel going down with the bag… it’s just astonishing!
Still… if you ever need a pair of wire-cutters… I’m sure if the right conditions applied, they’d do the job for ya…
Incredible stuff tho!
November 15th, 2006 at 12:09 am
I’m glad to capture it again! Wait, that was speaker wire?! Man! They could open up a freelance wire cutting gig!
So with the bag upside down they didn’t even venture to get the nuts on the other side? Interesting… of course, you’ll know when you get a chance to check it out tomorrow…
I love the first squirrel jumping off too - it doesn’t even try to jump off of it as it’s falling - it’s just riding it down to the ground…