They're back

I was feeling smug. The squirrels had deserted my bird feeders. I hadn't seen a single one since, following the advice of the RSPB, I had added hot chili powder to the seed.
Until yesterday.
There were two of them who seemed to be undeterred by the taste and they promptly emptied the hopper of its peanuts.
What next? I think I'll let them enjoy Christmas and once the benevolent spirit of the season is over I shall draw up the battle lines again.
Thankfully the birds don't seem to mind sharing their supplies with their agile mammal friends. The garden is full of tits, sparrows, finches, blackbirds and a pair of robins. If you don't have a bird feeder out at this time of year - get one. You never know what might call round for a few vital calories in the cold weather. It'll be a better show than watching the telly during the short winter days of the Christmas holiday.