Besides the Cassin’s Finches and Pine Siskins that have recently arrived,
yesterday and today we have been hosting Evening Grosbeaks. Susan thinks
it’s been a long time since they were here, but I honestly can’t remember
them ever actually visiting the yard. (Of course that could just be an age
thing.) And today we had our first DE Junco of the season.

But the biggest surprise visitor is a Chipmunk! We caught glimpses of him 2
days ago, but today I got my best view when I was using binos to watch a
pair of Cassin’s in the tray feeder, and the little blighter jumped in there
with them. I didn’t immediately try to run him off until he then climbed up
the Rudbeckia plants to the tube feeder and sat on a perch, sticking his
face in the feeder opening. I’m feeding so many birds right now that I don’t
really need a rodent depleting my feeders. 😉

Hopefully the chipmunk won’t teach the tree squirrels how to get to my
feeders. I rely on them to clean up whatever I dump on the ground, but I
actively discourage their participation in my backyard hanging banquet.

Tom McCabe, Boise