The return of any chipmunk to my bird-feeding station indicates spring is in progress. It also means I am going to start losing a lot of sunflower seed to this enterprising rodent species.
As soon as my chipmunks start scurrying around, he or she is beginning to restock the larder they just finished consuming this past winter. Since our hobby of feeding the birds doesn’t ask for squirrels or chipmunks to be in attendance, one often ponders how much sunflower seed we are losing to these uninvited guests.
kAm}@CE96C? (@@5=2?5D >282K:?6 :D @?6 7@C6DECJ A6C:@5:42= H6 D9@F=5 2== DF3D4C:36 E@[ 2?5 2 76H C6D62C496CD :? E96 s646>36C :DDF6 A6C7@C>65 D@>6 42=4F=2E:@?D 23@FE E9:D BF6DE:@?] z6?E |4u2C=2?5 @7 E96 '6C>@?E r6?E6C 7@C t4@DEF5:6D HC@E6 E96 2CE:4=6 @? 9:D 324<J2C5 49:A>F?<’D H6=72C6]k^Am
kAm“x>A@DD:3=6 E@ 4@F?E 2D 96 82E96CD E96>[ E96 D665D >2<6 >6 H@?56C 9@H >2?J 96 42CC:6D @? 6249 EC:A[” |4u2C=2?5 HC@E6] “&?:G6CD:EJ @7 '6C>@?E 3:@=@8J AC@76DD@C q6C?5 w6:?C:49 A@?56C65 E96 D2>6 BF6DE:@?] (9:=6 6I2>:?:?8 2 C@25\<:==65 DA64:>6?[ 96 7@F?5 e_ DF?7=@H6C D665D :? @?6 4966<[ 23@FE 2 962A:?8 E23=6DA@@?]”k^Am
kAm|4u2C=2?5 H6?E @? E@ D2J[ “r9:A>F?<D 42? 9@2C5 FA E@ g A@F?5D @7 D665D 7@C E96 H:?E6C] $@ 9@H >2?J EC:AD H@F=5 E96 49:A>F?< 92G6 E@ E2<6 E@ 7:== FA 9:D DE@C69@FD6n x H6:8965 `a_ DF?7=@H6C D665D @? 2 <:E496? D42=6] pE a @F?46D 2 >@FE97F=[ :E H@F=5 E2<6 9:> ;FDE ec EC:AD]”k^Am
kAmx 42? 62C?6DE=J 36=:6G6 E9:D 42=4F=2E:@?[ H9:=6 x 4FDE@>2C:=J D:E @FE @? >J DE@@A H:E9 2 8=2DD @7 3@FC3@? @? E96 C@4<D 2?5 H2E49 C6D:56?E 49:A>F?<D D42>A6C 324< :?E@ G2C:@FD 82AD :? E9:D @=5 72C>9@FD6’D 8C2?:E6 7@F?52E:@?] qFE >2?J @7 E96> 2C6 5@:?8 2 =@E >@C6 E92? ec EC:ADPk^Am
kAm%96 49:A>F?< 4=2?D :? @FC 324<J2C5D 7665:?8 @? AFC492D65 DF?7=@H6C D665D 92G6 2 5:6E 72C 9:896C :? 72EEJ 24:5D E92? E9@D6 @FE :? E96 H@@5D 62E:?8 24@C?D 2?5 36649?FED] p?5 3642FD6 “92C5 >2DE” ?FE 4C@AD H2I 2?5 H2?6 @G6C E96 J62CD[ H@@5=2?5 49:A>F?<D >:89E 2=D@ 92G6 2 D>2==6C ?646DD2CJ 9@2C5 :? >@DE J62CD]k^Am
kAm|J 324<J2C5 49:A>F?< 8C@FA :D 8F2C2?E665 2 DE625J DFAA=J @7 ?FEC:E:@FD DF?7=@H6C D665D E92E 4@?E2:? b_ E@ d_ A6C46?E 72E] (:E9 E96 A:=6 @7 D665D E92E @FC 324<J2C5 7C:6?5D 92G6 >@G65 D@>6H96C6 :?E@ >J @=5 32D6>6?E[ E96J’C6 DFC6=J =:G:?8 2 4@>7@CE23=6 =:76 @G6CH:?E6C[ 27E6C 92G:?8 5F8 D6G6C2= F?56C8C@F?5 EF??6=D 7@C 2446DD:?8 >J 5@>:4:=6] x >FDE 7:== E96D6 H:E9 D2?5 E@ 3=@4< C2:?H2E6C 7C@> 6?E6C:?8 >J 9@>6’D F?56CDE@CJ]k^Am
kAm~?46 H:?E6C 92D D6E :?[ 6G6? 367@C6 D?@H72== 4@>A=6E6=J 4@G6CD E96 8C@F?5[ E96D6 49:A>F?<D H:== 92G6 C6E:C65 7C@> E96:C 5FE:6D] %96 49:A>F?<D 92G6 244@>A=:D965 6?@F89 E@ =:G6 @77 E96:C H:?E6C’D D665 9@2C5]k^Am
kAm“p== H:?E6C =@?8[ E96 49:A>F?<D 62E 2?5 49:== @FE[ 62E 2?5 49:== @FE[” |4u2C=2?5 D2:5] “p?5 ?@E ;FDE ‘49:== @FE’ :? E96 D6?D6 @7 <:4<:?8 324<] %96J C62==J 5@ 49:== @FE 3J 72==:?8 :?E@ E@CA@C 7@C DEC6E496D @7 FA E@ 6:89E 52JD] %@CA@C :D 492C24E6C:K65 3J C65F465 3@5J E6>A6C2EFC6[ @IJ86? 4@?DF>AE:@?[ 962CE C2E6[ 2?5 3C62E9:?8[ H9:49 2== =625 E@ >F49 =@H6C 6?6C8J FD6] xE >2<6D 2 >@FE97F= @7 DF?7=@H6C D665D 8@ 2 =@?8 H2J]”k^Am
kAmq:@=@8:DED <?@H E92E >2?J 2?:>2=D D=66A:=J 6?E6C E@CA@C 5FC:?8 E:>6D @7 C6D@FC46 D42C4:EJ] (96? E9:?8D 86E E@F89[ E96J D9FE E96:C DJDE6>D 5@H? 2?5 H2:E 7@C 36EE6C E:>6D] qFE E@CA@C :D ?@E 62DJ @? E96 3@5J :? E96 =@?8 CF?[ H9:=6 2==@H:?8 7@C D9@CE\E6C> DFCG:G2=]k^Am
kAm!9JD:@=@8:42==J[ 6249 2C@FD2= 7C@> E@CA@C :D 6?6C86E:42==J 4@DE=J] pC@FD2=D 42? 244@F?E 7@C g_ E@ h_ A6C46?E @7 E@E2= 6?6C8J 6IA6?5:EFC6 6249 H:?E6C] %96J 42?’E 36 2G@:565[ 2?5 =@?8 3@FED @7 E@CA@C 42? 56AC6DD E96 :>>F?6 DJDE6>[ 42FD:?8 569J5C2E:@?[ >6>@CJ =@DD 2?5 52>286 E@ E:DDF6D E9C@F89 @I:52E:@?]k^Am
kAmpD 2? 2?:>2= 4@@=D 5@H?[ E96 4:C4F=2E:@? @7 2?E:@I:52?E 6?KJ>6D 2?5 G:E2>:?D 2C6 D=@H65[ C6DF=E:?8 :? @I:52E:G6 52>286 E@ E:DDF6D @G6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm|4u2C=2?5’D 4@==628F6D 7C@> $96C3C@@< &?:G6CD:EJ :? "F6364 E9@F89E E92E 49:A>F?<D >:89E 36 72465 H:E9 2 4@DE^36?67:E EC256\@77] %96J 42? 36?67:E :? E96 D9@CE E6C> 3J 8@:?8 :?E@ 566A 2?5 AC@=@?865 E@CA@C E@ 2==@H 7@C 6?6C8J D2G:?8D :? =62? E:>6D[ 3FE E96J C:D< =@?8\E6C> A9JD:@=@8:42= 52>286 E@ E96:C 3@5:6D 7C@> DE2J:?8 :? E@CA@C =@?86C :7 4@?5:E:@?D DE2J C@F89]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C496CD D6E @FE E6DE:?8 7C66\C2?8:?8[ H:=5 49:A>F?<D FD:?8 >:?:2EFC6 52E2 =@886CD E92E >62DFC65 D<:? E6>A6C2EFC6 >@F?E65 @? E:?J 4@==2CD E96 49:A>F?<D H@C6] r9:A>F?<D :? E96 DF>>6C 925 D<:? E6>A6C2EFC6D E92E 2G6C2865 23@FE hh 568C66D u]k^Am
kAmx? >:5H:?E6C[ E96J 2G6C2865 hf 568C66D u H96? ?@E :? E@CA@C — :? 2 492>36C E92E H2D FDF2==J 36=@H d_ 568C66D u] %9@D6 6I:DE:?8 @? 2 ?2EFC2= 5:6E DA6?E 2 E@E2= @7 `_c 52JD :? E@CA@C H:E9 2? 2G6C286 D<:? E6>A6C2EFC6 @7 ;FDE cg 568C66D u[ H9:=6 E9@D6 765 @? 2 5:6E @7 3=24< DF?7=@H6C D665D 2?5 A62?FED DA6?E @?=J `b 52JD :? E@CA@C[ H:E9 2 D<:? E6>A6C2EFC6 @7 fa 568C66D u] $@[ 49:A>F?<D >2J 25;FDE E96 56AE9 2?5 5FC2E:@? @7 E@CA@C 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 D:K6 2?5 4@>A@D:E:@? @7 7@@5 424965]k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G6 t2DE>2? 2=D@ 3C@2542DED U=5BF@jr@F?ECJ t4@=@8JUC5BF@j 7@FC E:>6D H66<=J @G6C (|(' hb]d u|] pD G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 {2<6D #68:@? r92AE6C^p$}w[ 96 H6=4@>6D J@F E@ >@?E9=J AC@8C2>D 2E E96 {@@? r6?E6C :? |@F=E@?3@C@F89] w6 :D 2G2:=23=6 2Ei k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>Qm4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>k^2m @C k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>Qm463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>k^2m 7@C 4@?DF=E2E:@?]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.