Humming Birds with Attitudes

Hummers, like dynamite, TNT and C-4 are explosive and come in small packages... all packages of this gender require respect and care or bad things happen.  The squirrel in our yard this afternoon obviously missed this part of the lesson when attending suburban squirrel etiquette class.

Here's the story... Outside our back door is a patio.  It's a pretty big slab of concrete and part of it is covered.  Under the covered part I have a wooden box about 5 feet long by 2.5 feet wide and about 4 feet high.  Also in the covered part we have a hummer feeder hanging from the eves.

This squirrel comes running toward the wood box and skids to a stop just before crashing into it.  Hot on it's heels is a hummer.  The hummer is darting in and out... obviously pissed at the squirrel.  The squirrel is backed against the box and finally crawls under the box.  The hummer continues to dart around looking for the squirrel.  After a short time the hummer abandons the search and moves on.

The squirrel, apparently feeling brave, jumps on top of the box and is looking around.  The hummer spied him and zooms in, pressing the attack.  The squirrel is intimidated by the little hummer and again seeks refuge under the box.  The hummer takes a graceful exit moments later.

Enter this 'ol phart.  I don't want that squirrel around my storage box as that's where I store my birdseed.  Squirrels like birdseed.  I had visions of the squirrel chewing it's way into the box and doing what squirrels do when in a box full of birdseed.

So I decided I wanted to scare the squirrel away.  It says in the latest book about scaring squirrels away that you have to be careful that they don't bite your toe when they panic because you scare the bejesus out of them.  So armed with a rake and my normal amount of testosterone I approached the box.  Heart beat about 140.  Perspiration abundant.  I'm wearing clean underwear just in case we have to call 911.  I approach the box.

Would you believe that little hummer is still guarding the box!  No, the hummer didn't attack me but it was hang'n around. 

I pounded on the box in hopes of scaring the squirrel out the back side.  No movement.  So I moved to the open side and slid the box out from the wall.  After I moved it about a foot the squirrel made a run for it. 

I remember the first time my dog got zapped by an electric fence.  This was many years ago.  When that happened the poor creature cried out and jumped at the same time.  When he landed his legs were already churning and his tail was tucked between his hind legs so far it was pointing in the direction of flight.

That's kinda how it was with this squirrel only the tail wouldn't point in the direction of flight.  But the little guy was move'n out.  The squirrel ran toward the pond, didn't take the bridge and didn't slow down when it got to the water.  A mighty leap toward the other side.  A splash.  It didn't make it.  A short, frantic swim.  It was out.  It's tail no longer fluffy, just wet and clingy.  The last I saw of the scared squirrel was it haul'n his little behind in a northerly direction.

Wow!  That was funny and I didn't even lose any blood in the encounter.