Backyard Villians

I can tell that it is spring because Bad Bad Billy The Birdfood Stealer is back. I saw him today. At first he just leaped gracefully across the tender new shoots of green grass, I thought 'I know it's you Billy.'. He came to a stop underneath the freshly filled bird feeder and pretended for a few moments to be satisfied with the seeds the birds had dropped. 'You can't fool me' I thought as I watched from the kitchen window. I turned briefly to get my camera and as I turned my face back to him I saw him sneer and his beady little eyes glinted in the faint rays of sun peeking through the clouds. Quickly I rushed to turn the camera on, I wanted to see his expression when he realized I had fixed the feeder. You see I have a "squirrel proof" bird feeder, it is spring loaded and when something as heavy as a squirrel attempts to climb onto it the outer part lowers and closes off the feeding holes with what previously appeared to only be decorative metal leaves!

Last fall Billy had somehow managed to pop one of the springs out of the feeder, thereby allowing himself a buffet of black oiled sunflower seeds. I discovered his crime only after he had emptied the feeder. It took a good twenty minutes for me to repair his handiwork, unfortunately by then most of the birds had migrated south for the winter and I stopped filling the feeder, knowing it would not be visited.

A few days ago I heard the birds singing from the trees once again and rushed out in my delight to fill the feeder. Slowly they are coming back to it, enjoying a nibble here and there. I love to watch them as I sip my second cup of coffee. Today, however, Billy came back and I was there for the show. Hee, hee, hee, I could just see the anger flash in his eyes as he found the feeder once again functioning properly. His tail shook violently as he chattered what I can only believe were curses at me. Finding the seed out of his reach, he dropped to the ground, beaten but not defeated.

I know he will be back. I will be watching. He will not win.