Then I made some peppermint tea and waited at my kitchen table, watching through the window. Took awhile but the finches came first. They seemed pleased with the little perch, securely eating. They are happiness incarnate, those little flighty beings. Pretty soon one of the squirrels showed up...I have a couple of them, literally, as I've seen them consummate things in my tree. This feeder is supposedly squirrel proof but we'll see. They are tenacious.
Next, our newly resident rat. Just started seeing him a couple of days ago, and I keep a pretty good eye on the feeder so I think he's relocated here from somewhere else. Or just grew up super fast. Now, I'm not sure why a rat is so much different from a squirrel but we all know it is. This one must have be living off of the spilled bird feed because he is the healthiest, fattest, shiniest haired wild rat I have ever seen. He runs, okay, waddles, along the top fence boards and hides in the vines. He also climbs right directly up the pole that holds the feeder, but since the squirrel baffle is there, he can't get in. And yes, he's kind of cute in a rattish way. I am very much hoping that he stays outside and doesn't encounter the rat bait in our attic. I'm more than happy to host him in the yard, where he's part of the wild menagerie of garter snakes, voles, birds, squirrels and one old deaf dog, but he needs to know his place.
So, Very Fat Rat, please stay outside, where all you need to worry about are threats that you understand. Rat bait is a horribly nasty thing and it's best if you steer clear.
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