This may be a minor revolution in squirrel-proofing technology -- today, I smeared cooking oil on the long hanging bird-feeder that our local squirrel (see previous photograph) or one of his/her relatives has been using as a stepping stone for reaching the top storey of the feeder.
And ... the squirrel slipped off!! Not right away, I'll admit: he/she initially managed to cling to the feeder, but a moment later appeared to be struggling and then leaped down. She (I think it's a she) tried again -- but now her paws were greasy and she couldn't get up the central pole on which the feeder is fitted.
Then a stalking two-tone predator (ibid.) interrupted her attempts and she (the squirrel, i.e.) scampered off to safety.
Of course, in a couple of days the oil will have evaporated, leaving a sticky residue to which the squirrels will adhere. And soon, there will be a bird-feeder with some very angry squirrels stuck to it ...
6 comments:
Poor squirrel! I think you owe him/her some goodies for those great shots in the previous posts!
No fear -- the very same day (i.e., yesterday), there was a heavy thundershow and the oil got washed off. The squirrel was up there and gobbling bird-feed as if it had been starving for weeks!
should a study be conducted first on the policy implications of smearing oil in an environmentally sensitive area?
the repurcussions facing the now slimy squirrel are enormous: no more poles, grease-stains, greasy-ears, lack of grips yada yada.
a working group has to be constituted!
Ohhhh... missing you. There's been sudden May thundershowers here in Delhi. Forget washing poor squirrels off bird feeders, it washes the birds off the trees.
The ruckus they make in a "I'm complaining to the prime minister" sort of way the next morning is beyond belief...
Oh -- eek! I had forgotten the environmental implications!!!
But in my defence (natch --) here's what I'll say: the squirrels will no doubt lick themselves clean, while gaining a teeny bit of cooking oil in their diet. The environment managed to correct the imbalance caused by the oil within four hours so ... I will hope that no lasting damage has been done. And perhaps the extra energy required of the squirrels -- to jump off repeatedly, to make several attempts to get up the pole instead of the typical one-two-three-POP! may well be good for their general fitness and squirrel-morale. I have no doubt they'll have the problem licked (perhaps literally) in a day or two so ... ummm ... no legal action, pleeeeze??
As for Hurree's prime-minister-seeking birds, I can just see it happening! They'll all be lined up outside Sonia-ji's home, waiting in queue with all the other petitioners, squawking and complaining just like everyone else ...
A thought: perhaps all parliamentarians were crows and babblers in their past lives??
Check out the chipmunk we found completely stuck in our 'squirrel proof' birdfeeder. He did manage to get out, with a little coaxing from the family. See the video drama here
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