Two Flickers and a Chipmunk

The Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker woodpeckers have been quite elusive around my yards in recent months.  I rarely hear or see them but yesterday was a fantastic opportunity to see these big woodpeckers!  I got to see two Flickers together out in the grass next to the pond.  I think that both are young but not juveniles because they are on the smaller side.   My husband mowed the grass around the pond two days ago and it rained yesterday just before I took these pictures.  The easier access to insects and the moist conditions made it perfect for the woodpeckers to hunt.  I was very surprised to see an Eastern Chipmunk over with the woodpeckers.

The Northern Yellow-shafted Flickers are big Woodpeckers.  Males have a black mustache marking on their face, but females do not.  Both primarily eat insects but also will eat seeds, and fruit.  They are  tan with yellow tail feather shafts and black spots on their undersides.  The back feathers are barred tan and black and they also have a black v on the upper chest.  They have a small red patch on the back of their head, too.  I was totally happy to see them here!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

More Mixed-Pix of the Little Farm

An Eastern Bluebird

Here are a few random views of the little farm that I took this past week.  I enjoy seeing lots of wildlife here.  We have three or four Cotton-tailed Rabbits, a few Eastern Chipmunks, several Grey Squirrels, numerous Canada Geese, a few different kinds of ducks, and many different birds!  I hope you’ll enjoy seeing a few views.  I have included birds and animals plus just plain scenery.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.

A View of the Pond

A Cotton-Tailed Rabbit

An Eastern Chipmunk

Canada Geese and Goslings

A Mourning Dove

A Grey Squirrel

An Cute but Uninvited Guest at the Bird Feeder

This Eastern Chipmunk is one clever chipmunk!  It found the yummy snack machine called the bird feeder.  It went right up the pole and onto the plexiglass bottom landing tray.  Because the chipmunk is very light, the animal did not trip the anti-squirrel mechanism and the tray did not dump the little rodent off.  Oh well.  Sly cute and funny.  It is hard to be mad when these things happen.  We likely will need to add a steel baffle on the pole.  Maybe if we are lucky, that will work.

In the mean-time, one of the Grey Squirrels was up on our front porch yesterday morning.  I am not hopeful that the squirrel won’t try to jump onto the bird feeder some day soon.  If it does, it will not stay on the tray unless it really works at it.  Hopefully all will be OK rodent-wise.  I took these pictures yesterday (5/17/12) from my living room window.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo. Enjoy! 

A Chipmunk on the Porch

This little Eastern Chipmunk has twice been here on the porch.  It is attracted by some spilled bird seed which I’m sure is a delicacy for the tiny and very cute rodent.  The Eastern Chipmunks spend the colder months in their underground dens.  I have only seen the Chipmunk the past couple of days so it either came from the far reaches of the little farm or was underground all this time.  Who can say?

These Chipmunks eat seeds, nuts, fruits, roots, eggs and certain insects.  Mostly though, they are plant-eating critters.  They transport their food in pouches inside of their cheeks.  Eastern Chipmunks are light brown with dark brown stripes on their backs and buff undersides.  Running fast is a trait that  allows the Chipmunks to avoid predators such as Hawks and Coyotes. I took the picture from my living room window yesterday at twilight.   It was raining when I took that picture, which may also be another reason why the Chipmunk was on the covered porch.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Chipmunk in the Yard

I have been wanting to see the Chipmunks that live in my backyard and lo and behold, the other day, one appeared.  I so enjoy watching the little Eastern Chipmunks busily at work in the yards during the Fall months.  This guy was darting around on the patio and stone staircase in my backyard on October 9, 2011 in the morning when I snapped these pictures.  Chipmunks love Acorns, nuts, seeds, and small insects.  They live underground in tunnels that they dig or borrow from other similar rodents.  So far, the Eastern Chipmunks have been less of a problem to my yards than their cousins the Moles.  My front lawn has a resident Mole colony at the moment.  I will be addressing that new problem soon with hopefully non-lethal methods.  Back to the chipmunks – I think that the chipmunks are interesting, intelligent little animals.  I am enjoying seeing them at work collecting future meals.  They collect the seeds and other foods and stuff their cheek pouches with the food.  They then carry the food to a hiding place where that food is stored away for future meals and snacks.   I was glad to have seen and photographed the little guy in action!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Eastern Chipmunks

There are about six Eastern Chipmunks in my yards.  I live in a Southeastern U.S. hardwood forest setting along the shore of a medium-sized lake.  This is good habitat for Eastern Chipmunks.   I enjoy having the Chipmunks here.  These little rodents live in shallow underground tunnels they create.  So far, the Chipmunks have not damaged any plantings in my yards.  Chipmunks eat grains, nuts, fruits, berries, and insects.  They will gather extra food and carry it in big cheek pouches in order to transport the food.  The extra food will be stored away in cache spots for future use.  The Chipmunks are small, and have a golden brown color with dark brown and white striped backs.  Chipmunks have small but strong curved claws that are useful in digging their tunnels.  Although Eastern Chipmunks spend a lot of time in their underground tunnels, they are also quite at home above ground along lawns, and forest floor areas. Once in a while, Chipmunks can, and do climb up shorter heights.   Chipmunks, though small, can hold their own against some small animals and birds.  I have seen Chipmunks back Grey Squirrels, and Mourning Doves off from treasured food areas!  Chipmunks are usually not aggressive, and are quite interesting to watch.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.

Cute Chipmunks

The Chipmunks here are Eastern Chipmunks.  I have about six I think between the two yards.  This is a loose estimate since I think some may be neighbors.  I am always fascinated by the little guys.  They live underground most of the time but do dash to and fro getting their food and just exploring.  They are quite quick.  The Chipmunks here have not been pests.  Some people have Chipmunks that eat their flowers or tear up their gardens.  So far, I have been lucky.  How much of this is due to the Chipmunk bribes such as peanuts, tree nuts, sunflower seeds, and bird seed, I don’t know.  I also have a pretty casual landscape in my backyard with a forest setting next to the lake.  I love seeing the interactions between the Chipmunks and the other critters.  The Grey Squirrels sometimes do exert their top-critter status when there is bird seed or Squirrel-o-la at stake on the ground.  The Chipmunks carry a lot of food in their cheeks as seen in a couple of these pictures. Chipmunks are welcome here and I enjoy seeing them at work.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.

Chipmunks Out and About

The Eastern Chipmunks here have occasionally come out during the slightly warmer weather we have every few days.  I have seen the Eastern Chipmunk on my front porch where it sometimes explores a cardboard box that has a chipmunk-friendly hole in it.  The Eastern Chipmunks eat grains, seeds, nuts, berries, and insects.  The Eastern Chipmunks are quite speedy.  The Eastern Chipmunks here need to be quick as to avoid the birds of prey such as the Bald Eagles, Red-Tail Hawks and the Mississippi Kites.  The Eastern Chipmunk is a very cute little rodent, indeed!  There are now three little chipmunks living in my backyard.  Because the weather is now warmer, the chipmunks have begun to come out of their underground homes much more often.  They are very entertaining to watch.   Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A “Mighty-might” Chipmunk

A few Eastern Chipmunks make their homes in my yards.  I have recently been posting a lot here about the various Ducks, Bald Eagle, and Songbirds, so I thought I would mix it up a bit and talk about the little Chipmunks that also live in my yards here all year-long.  The particular Chipmunk that inhabits my backyard has begun to come out of its burrow much more often now.  I think it loves the “Squirrel chow” feed mix that I have been throwing out in the yard for the Grey Squirrels, Mourning Doves, and the other ground feeding birds.  The Chipmunks may also be the clean-up squad for the spilled bird seed from the backyard feeders.  The backyard Chipmunk is very cute and it is a bold, bold little guy.  I actually saw that Eastern Chipmunk chase off an Eastern Blue Jay from under the feeder!  That is very aggressive for such a tiny animal!  So, I am accurate when I call this Chipmunk a “Mighty-might”.  In one photo I took, the Chipmunk is seen eating with the American Coots.  That Chipmunk knew its limits, I think!  I am including photographs I have taken on 1/6/11 and several I took in the past two weeks.  I took all of the pictures in my own yards.  Today has started out as another snowy day.  We had a little snow last night so we have about 4″ of snow here on the ground, plus or minus.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

This Week’s Views of Chipmunks

The Chipmunks and Grey Squirrels are almost the only animals I am seeing these days here.  I also have been seeing just a very few birds, mostly Woodpeckers and Crows.  There are a number of waterfowl here and I have been posting about them quite often these days.  So, it is time for some pictures of the Chipmunks.  I have about three Chipmunks here in my backyard that I see all the time.  They are especially interested in the dropped birdseed just under the bird feeder.  The Chipmunks will dash out of one of their many tunnel holes and grab a bite to eat.  They also carry home food in their cheek pouches.  That is why they are looking very cheeky these days!  Chipmunks are quite speedy which is helpful to them when the Squirrels get defensive about the bird seed droppings.  The speedy runs are good defenses against Eagles and Herons and house Cats as well!  One of the pictures here today is unusual in that there are two Chipmunks plus two Grey Squirrels sitting near that bird feeder.  All were enjoying the fallen birdseed and the small amount of bird seed I dropped just for them!  Sometimes I am generous that way!  : )   I took these pictures on 11/23/10 in my backyard.  Please click on the thumbnail version to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!  Have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow everyone!