Under attack

I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Familiar creatures in the centre of York, though rare in our back lane. A grey squirrel has discovered the birdfeeder and when I interrupted it, it was gnawing its way through the plastic to get at the seed inside.
The bird feeders attract an interesting range of songbirds to the garden. Goldfinches bring exotic colours and beautiful song. Robins nested in the clematis next door but the cats killed the fledglings as they attempted to fly. The blue and great tits stay through the winter and last weekend there was either a Willow or Marsh tit on the feeder (they're had to tell apart).
But now I'm feeding a squirrel - I've seen the footage of their determintaion to find food. Defying gravity and just about every other obstacle put in their way. Initially I hooked a wire basket between the feeder and the fence - but that was removed within a few minutes. The same basket is now firmly wedged into place. It's survived the day. Tomorrow will show how determined this little rodent is. In the meantime the songbirds are welcome.
I like birds but I'm not a birdwatcher. Simon Barnes released me from the condemnation I inflicted on myself for not not knowing everything about these little creatures. How to be a bad birdwatcher is worth the read - and then you can put out a birdfeeder, relax and enjoy the company. You never know what might call in for a snack and to test your ingenuity.