Hello Diann,
Thank you for responding on this subject.Most birder what wrote said that
there had them,but not on a regular basis.We used to going and looking for
Spotted Owls who are feeding on the Flying Squirrel.but never we run in of
this species.My Mammal books saying that in some area there declining.We
don't have any more Owls around here .In the past when we moved here we had
4 species of Owls,but we lucky that we hearing occasional the Great Horned
Owls.I don't take all the feeders in,only the Suet feeders.I have all the
long plastic feeders,but most all the birds going on my Suet what I make.So
far I did had no rats,we been feeding sine 1986.Birders tell me all the time
there quit feeding birds because of Rats.I hope the Flying Squirrel comes
back tonight.

Cheers Ruth


Cheers Ruth---- Original Message -----
From: "Diann MacRae" <tvulture at vei.net>
To: <Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 2:40 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] squirrels and owls and grosbeaks


> Hi, Ruth and Tweeters
>
> I never bring my feeders in and there is a small one outside the library
> window (second floor with large cedars a few feet away). I've had flying
> squirrels come to this feeder for years. When it's dark, I put some
> peanuts around the little tray and have often seen the squirrel taking
> them. At time, my son would be working on some music project with all the
> lights on, but it didn't seem to bother the squirrel. Anyway, I also have
> barred owls; in fact this mid-morning one was sitting on a tree by our
> yet-hardly plowed street ignoring me and crows. He's usually in the back.
> However, my sightings of the squirrels have been much less this fall and
> winter and, as I understand it, flying squirrels are a favorite food of
> barred owls.
>
> Kind of like years back when I had a family of quite vocal screech owls.
> Then, a great horned owl was heard occasionally and the screech owls no
> more. So goes forest life.
>
> I am quite envious of those with evening grosbeaks. For the nine years we
> lived in New Hampshire, we had them in large numbers every winter. True,
> they gobbled sunflower seeds like mad, but I was richer then. I loved
> their happy-seeming musical calls and the bright colors on the snowy
> landscape. I think in the 20+ years I've lived here I had them on my
> feeder once: all five of them!
>
> Cheers, Diann
>
> Diann MacRae
> Olympic Vulture Study
> 22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
> Bothell, WA 98021
> tvulture at vei.net
>
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