This is the view from my office chair if I turn my head slightly to the left.  It makes my small condo seem much larger to have that outdoor space so accessible, and offers entertainment throughout the day.  

You might notice that I have acquired a new squirrel-proof bird feeder.  It holds about 5 times more birdseed and will allow about 3 times as many birds to feed at once.  It was getting mighty crowded around the little feeder – not to mention the squirrels using it as their personal lunch box. 

It took the birds about 9 months before they actually found my feeder – but now it’s the happenin’ hangout for the feathered set. 

In the afternoons I often have 2 – 4 dozen birds drop by at the same time…. some in the feeder, some foraging on the ground, others drinking from the birdbath and still others observing from the fench or rock wall. 

Regular visitors are chickadees, juncos, a pair of beautiful rufus-sided towhees and a whole family of pretty yellow American Goldfinch (Washington’s state bird).  I also had a pretty flicker drop by the other day, but have only seen him once.

A somewhat unusual guest earlier in the year was a white pigeon.  He had flown into my upstairs neighbor’s open sliding door and spent the night on her bookshelf – out of reach of her cat.  The next day, when she discovered and shoo’d him out of her condo, the poor thing just huddled with fright in the corner of my patio for 2 days, only wandering out to eat now and then. 

I lured him in a cardboard box with food/water and then called a gal who displays white doves/pigeons at weddings.  She came to take him home, where I’m sure he is well fed and cared for. 

I’m always delighted when this beautiful Stellar Jay makes an appearance. You can see he’s got more than his share of peanuts in his beak.

My mom was telling me about the squirrels in her back yard (in Salt Lake) and how they were gathering acorns and hiding them in a birdhouse. I asked if she’d gather up some of the piles of acorns that fill her yard each year and mail some – I thought the squirrels here might enjoy the treat. When they arrived, I tossed a few out under the tree.

I didn’t see the squirrels for a couple of days (I usually do in the late afternoon), but noticed that the acorns had been opened and eaten, rather than taken and hidden. So I tossed a few more out on the grass.  Next day, same thing – no squirrels seen, but the acorns had been cracked open and eaten.  I tossed a few more out and left the small bag with the few remaining acorns on my patio chair.

Well, Friday night around 2am (I guess that would be Saturday morning) I was working at my computer and heard something on the patio. Wanting to make sure it wasn’t a prowler, I quickly opened up the blinds to confront my stalker….  and I came face to face with this bandit….   

Cute, isn’t he? Yeah, I know raccoons can be a nuisance, but he was just enjoying an acorn snack. He didn’t seem bothered by me at all, and in fact just continued to waddle around the grass and the patio as I chatted him up and tried to take his picture in the dark. Apparently he’s made friends with a couple of the local cats and hangs out on their patios at night, hoping they’ll come out to play.

Today one of the squirrels was back – and discovered the eaten acorns. He was distraught. He searched and searched the nooks and crannies of my patio furniture, potted plants and and shrubbery til he finally found one, lone acorn. In his pleading little eyes I could tell he was sending a message to my mom…. “Please send more!”