A little while back, we got a new bird feeder.   Here’s Tim Tam enjoying it from our new couch:

The feeder has greatly increased our popularity with the neighborhood birds.  At one time I think we counted fourteen birds that were on the feeder or the lamp post that it’s hanging off of, plus more waiting in the nearby tree for their turn. As an added bonus, it’s squirrel proof – if a squirrel tried to climb onto it, their weight would pull down the outer shell and cut off access to the seeds.

However, we’ve run into an odd problem.  We fill the feeder each day in the afternoon and when we go to bed, it’s still 2/3rds or more full.  Yet when we wake up in the morning, it’s completely empty.  Like, bone-dry empty.   This is odd as most birds don’t feed during the night.  So there’s only one obvious conclusion – Squirrel Ninjas.

The little cretins are obviously using some sort of Ninja-like skills – perhaps stacking on one another or dangling ropes from the overhanging post to lower themselves onto the feeder and suck out all the seeds (Steph suspects a straw, I’m thinking a mini-vacuum).

Earlier this morning as we were heading out for errands, Steph and I discussed bringing in the feeder at night. When we returned from our errands, there was a dead bird in the driveway with a little piece of seed next to its beak.

We both agree it would be best if the feeder stayed out at night.