I refer to myself as a lucky photographer because I often show up in the right place at the right time.
However, the photos herein were NOT happenstance on that day. Nope, I created the scene by lavishing mixed nuts, peanuts in the shell, sunflower seeds and peanut chips on my furry and feathered friends after a one-week absence due to snow and ice.
So, as my Park pals peered from their respective nests and tree branches, were they glad to see ME and my bag of goodies? You betcha!
As to the featured image, why did I use a shot with a photo-bombing furry TAIL? It is because this TALE is about the gathering of peanut-eating paesanos (Italian for friends) so the post needed a little whimsy, just like my blog’s title.
And besides … who doesn’t need a smile these days?
Here is a similar photo, with the Blue Jay perusing peanuts in close proximity to a squirrel, each of these critters invading the other’s personal space to snag and munch on a peanut. And there is still another furry tail in the foreground. 🙂
Year-round the Cardinals are more reserved …
… usually only sneaking over when the coast is clear …
… while the Blue Jays shamelessly zoom down to the ground to snatch peanuts, sometimes right from beneath a squirrel’s nose. This is the M.O. of “Rex” the Red-bellied Woodpecker as well.
Both species are big and boisterous, while the sweet little Chickadees perch quietly, waiting until everyone departs (including me). The Chickadees are rather timid souls and for that reason I tote along the peanut chips just for them.
Breaking bread, … er grub, when you’re not from the same “species”.
In the Wintertime, the feeding dynamics change because then it is every critter for themself – they are all in survival mode.
That is when a little human intervention is needed. I fed the backyard birds for years. I soon learned that the squirrels would misappropriate every type of bird seed, that is if they possessed the acrobatic skills to do so. So, I gave them their own grub (corncobs and in-shell peanuts, or an occasional peanut-butter sandwich) and that kept the pilfering of birdseed and birdseed blocks at bay.
Feeding the birds at Council Point Park is no different. Year-round I stop at three places to put down peanuts and seeds and, along the way I strew peanuts under park benches, or near bushes, safe spots where the squirrels and birds may dine, but also beat a hasty retreat from the Cooper’s Hawks that glide overhead at the Park.
The photos in today’s post are from the last spot on the walking path that I tender treats. It is near “The Point” (the area of the shoreline untouched by last year’s destruction) and close to the bushes so all critters may have a safe dining experience.
First, after stomping down the snow a bit to make a flat surface, I laid out three separate piles.
The Chickadees’ pile of sunflower seeds and peanut chips is the top pile and pictured below.
Almost immediately, I heard the whir of wings as birds perched near me and squirrels zipped down the trees to congregate around my feet. It takes a few minutes’ time to distribute everything before I can whip the camera out of its pouch to take pictures.
“The Lecture” (which often falls on deaf ears).
Another walker once said I reminded her of Snow White with critters gathered around me and I liked hearing that. But truthfully, sometimes I feel like my role is more like “The Hall Monitor” in middle school.
Especially when nice treats like walnuts, hazelnuts, acorns and peanuts …
… are eschewed in favor of peanut chips from the Chickadees’ pile.
This cute Eastern Gray Squirrel was the first to rush over and I stood near the Chickadees’ treats in an effort to shoo it to its own pile of treats. But he/she would have none of that “shooing away” business as it looked upon those peanut chips as instant gratification, fast food if you will – why take the effort to crack the peanuts, when they are ready to eat and you’re starving?
“But you see little one, I am still lurking about” I told him/her and pointed to the other piles of food and that squirrel got a bit miffed when I asked it to leave as you see here.
Sheepishly, I held my ground, re-routing this squirrel and its brethren to the two other piles, so the Chickadees could indulge. Finally my furry friend obliged me; ideally going for the peanuts in the shell would have been better – sigh.
But even with the squirrels gone, those tiny birds remained perched, likely intimidated by my presence. “Look, you can’t have it both ways” I told them, but obediently I stepped back to appease them.
But the pair didn’t budge, so I stepped back a little more and the persistent little bugger a/k/a the Eastern Gray Squirrel came back to “their” pile. I sighed heavily.
The Chickadees, also exasperated, went over to the other pile to feast on sunflower seeds. One brave soul attempted a fly-by near the peanut chips, but the squirrel intimidated it, so it flew off.
A Dark-eyed Junco timidly gravitated over to the peanut chips and black oilers.
As the feeding frenzy continued with more squirrels and birds gathering on the ground, I left because I wanted to take some more wintry photos and I didn’t want the camera’s battery to run out of juice.
I am joining Terri’s Two-week Challenge: Feeding and Watching the Birds.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
They sure love to see you coming! I really like your first photo; you got right in the middle of the action.
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They were pretty excited to see me today too because we had that Polar Vortex, then a little snow and slick conditions, so I’d not been there since the 17th. I’m glad you liked that photo Janis – I was just a couple of feet away from them right after I put down the food and they weren’t skittish about me being there.
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You got everybody up close. You must be a fast stepper.
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I am Anne! I have to move quickly or else I would not have any pictures since the Jays and the Red-bellied Woodpecker arrive quickly and take their peanuts to go. The Jays will come back repeatedly, sometimes not even touching their feet to the ground, a kind of swoop-and-grab routine. It was like that this morning too as I’d been MIA since January 17th, but I didn’t take the camera because it was much colder today.
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I’m sure the critters appreciated your visit today.
I know about cold hands. I stopped to take a video of one of the little streams I cross in the neighborhood. I realized I had not taken one of the stream a little further away, so I walked there holding the phone in my hand. My hands almost did not work well enough to take the second video. I stowed the phone in my pocket and pulled my hands into my sleeves. They were warm by the time I got home. Maybe that’s why the neighbors worry about me.
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Ha ha – I am sure many of the walkers wonder about me; your neighbors worry about you for other reasons, but they say to themselves … “oh that will be pictures Anne will use for the blog!” On the day I took these photos, I had a few Cardinals lined up and a walker came up behind me and said “what are you taking pictures of – there’s nothing there!” Well they had disappeared into the bush to eat their seeds/peanuts. So he looked at me and shook his head … as he went to leave, the birds all came back, thus backing up my words. You have to get the gloves with the mitten tops that pull back so you can use the phone – your fingers stay warm (most of the time, unless you stand there like me for 15-20 minutes like me).
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I’m sure you stand a lot more on your walks than I do.
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Well, I am nervous about going these days with the ice … tomorrow’s 45 mph wind gusts will have me staying home too, even though I’m sure I won’t blow away.
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Almost looks like a smorgasbord of sorts! Everyone had something.
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Yes, something for everyone, but the squirrels just can’t stay in their own lane and have to taste it all! It happened again this morning, with sad-faced Cardinals and Chickadees, looking at me for direction.
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Fun fabulous photos of an assortment of park critters and a very cute story of it all. Yes, you gave me a smile today!😊
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I’m glad you liked the photos and I’m happy to give you a smile today TD! The same cast of characters greeted me this morning and it was the same scenario of shooing the squirrel away from the Chickadee treats – sigh.
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You really got some excellent shots, Linda.👌 So good of you to offer a variety of treats. Those greedy squirrels have no manners. 😆
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Thank you Debbie – I am fortunate that they were hungry so the bigger birds stayed put so I could get some close-ups of all of them feasting together. I fed and gave the birds water at home for many years. I miss it, so for me, this is kind of the same way to enjoy feeding them. I have two 8-packs of suet but I’ve not given them any this year – it’s either too cold or too windy and it will blow away. I chop it up for them in the dish it comes in. I once bought suet holders and chained them to the tree but someone threw the feeders on the ground and kept the chains, so I learned my lesson there. For home I bought hummingbird feeders but I am not as lucky there – one hummingbird only at the feeder. The peanut chips attract the Chickadees even more than the sunflower seeds, although they like them too, but I do get angry at the greedy squirrels who will eat everything they see. When I was at the Park about three weeks ago, there were crows everywhere. They kept eating the peanuts … the squirrels were mad. And the geese eat the peanuts and seeds, so I have to go through lots of maneuvers to keep the songbirds and Rex happy, plus run interference for the squirrels. 🙂
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Good that the crows gave the squirrels a taste of their own medicine! 😆 I admire your dedication to the local wildlife. 🐦🐿️
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That walk where I saw the crows was worrisome. We were going to have some bad weather the next day, so when that’s the case I usually take extra food or suet – suet wouldn’t work as the weather was turning frigid and windy. So I took a bag of whole walnuts and peanuts. Luckily the crows could not eat the walnuts … crows came from everywhere and I’ve never seen so many. The squirrels were miffed, but I was too. Crows don’t usually eat peanuts – neither do geese. Thank you Debbie – I feel sorry for them, but I admit I started out with a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag back in 2013 and there are a lot more there now than back then, even with some moving out of the Park after the trees were demolished.
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At my house the birds prefer peanuts over oilers over safflower seeds. But if there’s no choice they eat whatever I out out. I hear their wings coming in as I’m filling feeders too . The squirrels don’t show uo till I’m back inside the house.
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Dawn, I agree – the peanuts are always a big draw, whether the chips or the in-shell peanuts. The squirrels feast on the oilers as much as the birds. I bought some safflower seeds years ago and didn’t get many takers, just Chickadees. I bought some a few years ago again when I had a Cardinal nesting in the barberry bushes and the pair enjoyed them, but after their young fledged, I never saw them again. My friend in NY says when she is filling the feeders with oilers the Chickadees sit on the scoop as she fills the feeder. 🙂
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Fun post with birds and squirrels vying for handouts from the peanut lady! 😉 I’m glad you help them feed, Linda! Love the cardinals…something we don’t see in the west. Your pic of a red bellied woodpecker looks a LOT like our northern flickers! I love seeing the cute little juncos. Great to see your link and feel free to add more!
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Thanks Terri, it was a fun post to put together and I encountered the exact same scenario this morning at the Park after being away since January 17th due to the Polar Vortex and snow and ice. One day they will just run me over in their haste to eat. 🙂 Our Northern Cardinals are my favorite birds at the Park. The male (red) is so vibrant in the dull landscape, as is the Red-bellied Woodpecker with his bright-red head. He is the only Red-bellied Woodpecker at the Park so I named him years ago. I always smile when he flies down to grab a peanut. We have Northern Flickers here too – I hear them more than see them. I like their jungle-like calls. I got pics of some this Summer … you’ll see them someday as I roll through my many walks. I wished the Junco came a bit closer.
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You trying to mediate between the squirrels and chickadees reminded me of a mom trying to make sure all of her kids got something to eat! Or maybe it was just me – with 3 little boys who were always hungry.
Excellent critter/bird photos, Linda!
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Ha ha – yes, three hungry little boys for you Laurie and for me a passel of furry and feathered critters that were denied grub for far longer than they were used to. I am surprised they didn’t just push me aside! Glad you liked the pictures and I had the same experience this morning after I returned from a day longer absence than before!
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Lovely photos Linda
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Thank you Brian – since I don’t feed the birds at home, this is the next best thing and brings them and me enjoyment.
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I appreciate today. Lovely photo shoot. You make my day,Linda
Those greedy squirrels have no manners.
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Thank you Raj – I am glad you liked the photos. The snow is pretty, but I am not sure who dislikes the snow more – the critters at the Park or me.
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Most welcome,Linda. You like my comment. Yes, you are Right. I like Snow.
it has been 2 days now.Do you think that it’s because of the snow? I hope that they are okay…
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Hi Raj – I thought maybe you were lucky enough NOT to say snow, but perhaps you traveled where there is snow. I was able to get back there Sunday and it was very icy on the walking path, but fortunately I can walk in the snow (on the grass). I was there again today – we might have some freezing rain again, so I had errands and stopped by there. I feel badly for them in this weather.
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Hello, Linda
Thank you so much . You are so lucky there Snow. Here’s no Snow but my near state there Snow. Nice your walk path icy . Why you feel bad weather .
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Unfortunately it is dangerous walking and driving in Wintertime – walking especially with ice on the pathways. I try to walk in the snow. I have actually never liked Winter weather and January is called “the heart of Winter” as it is the worst and longest month of Winter.
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Thanks,Linda! You Tack Care. You are safely walk & drive. I like winter weather. You stay warm & safe. ,Linda!
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Well it felt tropical today – tomorrow not so much with more snow. Sigh!
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A wonderful story with great photos. Excellent!
You’ve reminded me that I’ve wanted to visit Council Point Park for a while, I haven’t been there for a long time.
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Thank you Downriver Jim. I’m glad you liked the post. This is my favorite place to walk and I’ve been walking here since 2013. It is just big enough to get glimpses of birds, squirrels and some waterfowl; sometimes even Mute Swans stop by. However, last May 8th, a project began to widen the Creek and now both sides of the Ecorse Creek (on the Wyandotte side) were demolished. All the shoreline trees and bushes were cut down and it was done in nesting season which was awful as we have several Canada Geese families that nest along the shoreline bringing us goslings to ooh and aah over. Also squirrel families were disrupted. I will show you an older post if you would like to see what they did. I am upset for the destruction, the critters and also the ambiance they destroyed.
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I like to think of chickadees as being polite and waiting for their turns, but you’re probably right about them being timid. I love all these pictures of creatures feeding in the snow, it’s so magical. Especially that red-bellied woodpecker grabbing a peanut and the one where he’s half covered with snow. The little snow drifts look like clouds, like the woodpecker is floating in the clouds. The look on the squirrel’s face when you asked him to leave is priceless. 🙂 It’s as if he is saying, “Seriously?” A wonderful post, Linda!
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Barbara, I knew the snow would remind you of your Connecticut Winters and this was only a four-inch snow, some which had melted by the time I took these photos. This is basically the same scenario every morning when I see my furry and feathered friends, except this time they sped over in record time as I’d been gone for a week. The Chickadees are so timid, even in the wintry weather, but if you step back, they will actually stay on the ground and feast happily. I was happy that the Red-bellied Woodpecker swooped down for a peanut. He’ll come down a few times each time I am there. The snow does look like clouds – I never noticed that before. The squirrels’ expressions are priceless. You can read them like a book and I was happy I caught that look that he gave me when he turned around. 🙂
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This is a fun story and your photos are the perfect way to show what was going on. I’m laughing about the squirrels going for the bird seed instead of the nuts in shells. On the one hand instant nutrition, but on the other hand you were there with your camera ready to capture their yum for all time. Silly little punks!
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I’m glad to give you a smile Ally. There is a gathering like this almost every morning when I arrive at each place I stop, but it is especially fun to watch them in the wintry weather. They were happy to see me arrive after a week’s absence. The squirrels will always be squirrels with their “me first” attitude, but when geese and now crows try to eat their food, they look to me for guidance i.e. I stomp my feet and try to chase the interlopers away. 🙂
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Your closeups are animated and really help to tell your story, Linda. I found the first and sixth photos interesting because they create optical illusions for me. The background of the first photo looks like ominous clouds above rocks. The sixth photo looks like the woodpecker is way up in the sky, looking even further up into the sky, resting comfortably on light, pillow-y clouds. Nice!
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Thank you! This was a fun post to put together Dave. Once I had the photos, like you said, the story was right there. I went back and looked at the photos you referenced – I did not realize it looked like clouds in the background until now. Especially with the woodpecker. I liked that photo as it showed off his bright-red head against the snow. Sometimes snow is pretty, but getting around in it is no joke as you know from your Colorado days. The Park walking path was nothing but ice yesterday, but thankfully I could walk on the snow-covered grass to make my rounds.
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Snow White…….I like that! I assume the mob are the 7 dwarfs?
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Yes, I liked the idea of being Snow Whie too Wayne! There I was, surrounded by critters, especially those furry dwarfs who kept trying to outsmart the birds until I had to shame one of them. 🙂
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Squirrels are very stubborn! and determined. They will not be deterred from what they want lol.
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You’re right Susan … they have a “me first” attitude and no regard for the others, but the Jays are bullies too and they’ll get right up close to the squirrels sometimes, especially in Winter after I’ve not been around a while. I figure the Jays and Cardinals likely go to neighborhood feeders, but I don’t know how many people feed them around the Park. The guy on the fringes of the Park puts out some suet and also a bucket of corn and water – that’s for the geese though.
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I know the critters appreciate your efforts. I do, too, since I get to see the results through your camera lens!
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Thank you Linda! They do appreciate my efforts and I saw them again today and gave them a little more than usual as we may be getting freezing rain so I may not make it back there again for a little while. They cooperate nicely when asked to pose and I have had some fun photographing these critters over the years.
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Wonderful action and feeding frenzy photos, Linda! Thank you for thinking so kindly of them, I know they appreciate you!!
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Thank you Donna! Over the last 12 years, I have taken a lot of photos of my furry and feathered friends and it is them and this park that got me interested in photography again. I had taken classes many years before when I got my 35mm camera in 1981(even though I only used it on automatic focus). I do enjoy feeding them year-round, but especially this time of year when food is scarce. I am sure the squirrels who were burying peanuts all Fall in a ratio of eat one, bury two, cannot uncover those peanuts under the snow and the ground is still frozen from last week’s brutal temps.
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What a cute post Linda. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the squirrel actual eats that or were you having a tea party with the critters? 🤣
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I’m glad you liked it Diane! Even though I feed them year-round, I think the cutest pictures of them “dining together” are in the Winter. Too bad the Park is still so icy on the walking path, but I get around that by walking in the snow. I was there Sunday and again today after a slew of errands and some of the ice melted, but not all. I put down more food and they must have been looking for me as they came over right away. 🙂 If I have old bread, I do sometimes take them peanut butter sandwiches – they are more appreciative than the squirrel we had years ago. No tea party, although I am sure they would like something warm to drink – they looked cold! Many years ago, it was early January and we had bought some of that party rye and pumpernickel bread, that comes in the long skinny loaf. It was getting stale, so she said “I’ll make some sandwiches for Sammy and his friends (we had a squirrel that Marge, the neighbor across the street and us fed … Sammy went from one house to another stuffing his face, rarely bringing other squirrels with him, but they saw him from high above the yards and eventually he had to share). So Mom went through the trouble to make the sandwiches and I laid them on the snow on top of the low bushes so he could find them … he found them all right. Licked the peanut butter off and threw the pieces of bread on top of the bushes. I had to run around after he was gone and pick them all up!
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Cute ones! Sometimes as photographers, we are at the right place at the right time. Every now and then, our subjects just need a bit of encouragement like peanuts! 😉
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Thank you Pepper – glad you enjoyed this post. It was fun to put together and the Winter pics of the critters at the Park are always more fun and easier to get as they gather together to eat, unlike the good weather months when they compete with one another for food. The draw is always peanuts – I take apples, corncobs and suet too, not as frequently as the peanuts and seeds, but they always go for the peanuts first. 🙂
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You really are their fairy godmother, Linda!
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I feel like it sometimes Eilene. 🙂 Feeding them benefits all of us – it makes my day to see them “greeting” me and it keeps them nourished as well.
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Now I’m hungry for some peanuts myself! I will happily crack the shells. 🙂
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I give my Park pals “people peanuts” JP, so sometimes getting a whiff of freshly roasted peanuts when I open the bag makes me hungry as well! I had someone at the Park ask me one time if I could spare a few peanuts as he could smell them and suddenly had a hankering to eat some.
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Getting around to commenting on everyone’s posts. How fun and what a great idea. Maybe I should try it sometime.
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I’m always behind too Kirstin. It is fun and if you feed them regularly, when they see you they will come over to “greet” you. The Blue Jays are smart and will follow me along the path as they know I make multiple stops. So they will fly along and perch on trees. It’s more fun in Winter as they all gather together on the ground.
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That is a wonderful treat for the wildlife with all the snow. 🙂
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They sure needed it Sandra with our weather this year. Before the Polar Vortex, we had already had four different bouts of very cold weather and that snowfall, even though just four inches, caused a lot of ice there. So I got there on this day the day that Polar Vortex rolled in for the next few days. Then I didn’t make it back again for another 8-9 days. At least I’ve b been there three times this week to help them out.
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nice to see the Cardinal in the snow
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Yes Andy, she jumped right down there and grabbed something to eat, mindful of the squirrels so close by, but probably so hungry that she and her mate just took a chance.
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I love the description of being snow white, you certainly have that affect on animals when in your “lucky photographer” mode. You must be their favourite treat giver ever ❤️
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Thank you Zena – I did like that description of being Snow White. It is fun to feed the critters all year around, but I know they really enjoy seeing me in the Winter!
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