Making Peace with a Neighborhood Pest

Ever since I moved to a picturesque spot in the Michigan wilderness, I’ve been captivated by the local wildlife. During the course of my attempts to lure birds to my backyard feeders, I’ve also attracted some less desirable critters. At night raccoons and opossums feast on the sunflower seeds that have been knocked down to the deck below. Throughout the day, squirrels launch an aerial attack on the feeders from overhanging tree limbs.

Even though I’m engaged in mortal combat with those pesky squirrels on a regular basis, there’s no denying how cute and cuddly they appear. My youngest son is 3 years old, and for his birthday this year we bought him a Hansa plush squirrel that looks just like the rodents that bombard our backyard feeders. The stuffed twitter is holding a plush nut, though, not a sunflower seed.

Related posts:

1. New Nephew
2. Plush Animals as a Teaching Tool