As the previous postings told, the birdfeeder has many creatures taking advantage of the free food. Unfortunately, the squirrels are chasing the birds away and gobbling up the seed. The below image I captured capped off my anger for them. It’s as if they are taunting me.

So my research has told me that I can use safflower seed, as the squirrels do not have a taste for such, or I can add cayenne pepper to the seed. Since I had just purchased a large bag of seed, (not safflower) I have to use this up first. So, it’s the cayenne pepper.

Now, if you are like me, your first thought would be, doesn’t the birds mind the spicy taste of cayenne? Well to determine this idea, I took about quart measure of the seeds and added cayenne to it, and poured it into an empty bird bath in the yard to see what critter would eat it.

A sparrow came in first and touched the seeds here and there while looking all around for cats, dogs, humans and the occasional pterodactyl, then flew away. I realized the bird bath was too close to the ground. So I scooped up most of the seed and went ahead and put it in the feeder.

So, while sitting in the sunroom at my writing desk, watching the backyard, I spotted a squirrel at the bird bath chowing down. So, my thinking is I did not put enough cayenne in the seeds, but it gave me an opportunity to use my slingshot and some paint balls.

If you are like me, you are thinking I have perfect shooting abilities with the slingshot after dealing with monkeys, barking dogs nine floors down and the unsuspecting pedestrian on their way to the subway in Sao Paulo; not to forget the occasional police car at the intersection below, but not so. When I unpacked my slingshot, I decided to replace the bands. I ordered some red ones which anyone would think has got to be better that the regulator yellowish ones. But they are stiffer and I will have to get used to them before I am a deadly shot like I used to be.

But I took the opportunity to try my luck at the squirrels while they were feasting at the bird bath. Below is a picture of the bird bath and my shots. Not perfect, but I will eventually get there.

If you look closely at the image above, you will see where my paintballs hit. They are circled with a kinda red circles, but you will also see a squirrel that was accidentally captured in the image.

I am convinced the birds don’t mind the cayenne as shown in the video below.

All I can do, is keep up the good fight. Will let you know more when I know more.