Squirrel Outwits Bird Feeder: The Story of Leon and Pearl

Once upon a time there was a squirrel named Pearl and she lived on a Leon’s deck. Whenever Leon wasn’t looking, Pearl would creep over to Leon’s bird feeder and throw it off the table and onto the deck. The poor bird feeder became badly bent and broken. Leon was not pleased and he chased Pearl away whenever he saw her. “How can I keep Pearl from totally ruining my feeder?” mused Leon. “I know, I’ll tie it to the deck posts!” And, so he did. “Take that, Pearl!”

That afternoon while the evil homeowner Leon napped, Pearl came along and discovered the bird feeder would not budge! “Oh No! What to do!” thought Pearl. With just a little effort, Pearl found she could just simply unscrew the top piece. “Voila! This is even better than throwing it on the deck,” thought Pearl.

When Leon awoke from his nap, he was really, really mad and chased Pearl away with the garden hose. He screwed the top of the bird feeder on really, really tight, and retreated back inside his home mumbling, “Let that little stinker try and unscrew the lid now!”

Once the angry homeowner left, Pearl returned to the scene of the crime. After a little investigation, Pearl realized she could just take the whole top right off. She threw it onto the deck, dragging it all around looking for a place to throw it so Leon couldn’t put it back together again!

Pearl even tried to drag it off the deck, so she wouldn’t have to deal with it ever again!

But, try as she might, it just wouldn’t fit through the rail. Pearl finally gave up and thought, “Oh well, time to eat!”

Pearl spent the afternoon, happily stuffing herself on sunflower seeds.

Pearl Squirrel: 3, Leon: 0

Bonnie, thanks so much for sharing this funny story of your hubby’s battle with wily Pearl. A friend of mine has been encouraging me to try a different seed in my feeders. She swears by it and says her birds LOVE it and the Squirrels…not so much.

This is from their FAQ page and it explains how it works. It is supposed to be completely safe.

I filled up my feeder with it last night. I’ve seen a few birds coming to the feeder to check it out, but not too many, so far. Have you tried the hot seed? If so, do your birds seem to love it?

To see Bluebirds feeding their babies mealworms in my dovecote, click HERE

To see a darling birdfeeder that’s a replica of the English cottage in the movie, The Holiday, click HERE

To read about a HUGE hawk who stopped by my backyard for a visit in January, click HERE

For additional “birding” fun, click on the category “Birding” at the top of this blog.

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Comments

  1. Kyra @ RACKS and Mooby says

    That story cracked me up! And the pictures were priceless! Thanks for the afternoon smile. 🙂

  2. what a hoot! I hope the hot meats work for the birds just as well sa whole sunflower seeds Ill be checking baCK

    KAT

  3. Ann@A Sentimental Life says

    That was such a hoot! My last 2 posts have cursed my squirrels!!

  4. i have a squirrel i watch from my desk he i so entertaining i really hate to take things away from him…..i have not seen this b-seed yet but i have read that putting some red pepper in your seed will help keep squirrels away and the birds don't seem to mind it. btw i really enjoyed this post thxs!!!

  5. Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) says

    Such a cute story. Pearl was one determined little squirrel. I haven't seen any of these pesky little critters around here, yet. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.
    Thanks for the giggle. hugs ~lynne~

  6. Happy Cottage Quilter says

    Too funny! These ole squirrels are clever little creatures. The only thing I have found to keep them out of the bird feeder is using a metal Audubon 18" Wrap Around Pole Mount Baffle.

    http://www.birdsforever.com/squirrelguardsbaffles.html

  7. Melanie says

    That's absolutely hilarious!! I've seen the squirrells absolutely empty our old wooden bird feeder in an afternoon, so we bought a new one, hoping it would help. The squirrells love to try, and there is lots of evidence of little teeth marks on the cable it hangs from, but for the most part they have been unable to get food out of it! (One very good attempt is chronicled in the following link)

    http://movingholm.blogspot.com/2011/04/gone-squirrelly.html

    However, we still have the old wooden feeder and I will definitly be looking for that bird food to try in it!!!

  8. Kelsie From Our Country Home says

    What a clever little critter Pearl is…We are some of those strange folk that feed both the birds and squirrels…Though we have yet to build the new squirrel perch here yet…but they are happy in the pecan trees for now lol.

    Thanks for that fun story.

    Kelsie

  9. Modern Country Lady says

    Susan, what aa priceless story- and the pictures are fantastic.Loved this post, thank you for making me smile.
    Have a great week.
    Bea

  10. Happier Than a Pig in Mud says

    Squirrels are amazing! It's survival to them, they take it very seriously! LOL. The pics are great:@)
    I haven't picked up the hot pepper seed, I have sprinkled cayenne in my planters and that does keep them out!

  11. Heaven's Walk says

    LOL! What a hoot, Susan! That is one smart squirrel! Our squirrels love our feeders, too. But….I gave in. I just shrugged my shoulders and told my hubby, "Well, they've got babies to feed, too…" So now they all share the feeders with the birds and everyone's happy!

    xoxo laurie

  12. Sharlotte says

    Susan,
    That is too funny!
    Sharlotte

  13. On Crooked Creek says

    Susan,
    Too darn cute!!!
    Send Pearl on over…we adore watching their antics!
    Fondly,
    Pat

  14. Thelittlebrownhouse.us says

    Such a funny post! And the pictures are hysterical!! Thanks for the laugh!

  15. nannykim says

    Squirrels always amaze me. We did have one kind of feeder they never could get to. We had 8 squirrels living in our yard and they could get to our other feeders. But the one they couldn't get to was on a pole far away from tree limbs in the middle of the yard. It had a pipe like thing on the post that prevented access to the top. They did manage to damage several of my umbrellas however. They would use the material for their nests!

  16. Gloria (The Little Red House with the White Porch) says

    Oh, Lord! I loved Bonnie's story of her husband and his enemy, Pearl the Squirrel! Man, that squirrel is SMART! I couldn't believe 'Pearl' trying to pull the big top OFF of the porch to be done with it forever! Thanks to you and your friend, Bonnie, for sharing such a cute story. And my sympathies to Leon!
    Best,
    Gloria

  17. Barbara F. says

    Susan this was a great post! What is it with little critters named "Pearl"?! They are full of mischief it seems. The photos are great and I really enjoyed reading this post. xo,

  18. Sorry, but I kinda like Pearl. Can't believe she tried to get rid of the top, hah. The pictures were so cute. We have a squirrel that we feed nuts to. He has become so friendly that he makes a clucking noise when we come home. Poor things get a bad rap, lol.

  19. What a wonderful story!! Pearl sure is smart! Poor Leon!

  20. Shhhhh…. I'm secretly rooting for Pearl. Don't tell Leon!
    Thanks for sharing their story, Susan! xoxo

  21. Anonymous says

    For having such a teeny-tiny brain, they sure are smart little devils! Lol. Thanks for sharing..got a good laugh out of it. Take care. Robin B.

  22. HEATHER says

    This is so cute! My grandaddy loved watching birds, and feeding them from the feeder. Then when the squirrels came around he decided to just feed them as well. One little squirrel would hop on the screen door every morning to let him know that she was ready to eat. He kept her happy with peanuts in the shell and shelled walnuts. She eventually would come just inside the screen door to eat her nuts and then go on her way. She brought him such joy in his last years. This brought back such fond memories, thank you so much for sharing!

  23. Miss Pearl is one determined squirrel!!!

  24. Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas says

    Susan, I needed this laugh today! The struggles with the squirrels! So funny! They are So smart!

    Thank you for your sweet comment today and your prayers….it means so much…

    Lou Cinda

  25. That was so funny and cute. It goes to show, there is no stopping a woman when she wants something!! 🙂

  26. Porch Days says

    That is one determined, smart squirrel! Nancy

  27. Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal says

    That is hilarious! They are determined. I have a feeder that closes with the weight of the squirrel. But I hung it just a tad too close to the the tree trunk because I caught one stretching as far as he could to scoop his little hand into the opening without putting weight on it!

  28. Squirrelhaus says

    Animals are amazing….
    Hunger has no boundary when it comes to getting food!!
    Smile :o)
    Chris

  29. Squirrelhaus says

    Animals are amazing!!! What amazing things a hungry stomach can do!!!
    Chris :o)

  30. Nita {ModVintageLife} says

    I absolutely loved this story. Let Pearl have the seeds….OMG! Look how smart she is! I think squirrels deserve seed as much as the birds do.

  31. Ever - The red house by the lake says

    So funny!

    I had no idea squirrels was clever like that. I am amazed.

  32. Heidiopia says

    Such a clever post! We love "birding" here at our house and have found the best squirrel solution to be a (gasp!) BB gun. Scares them off beautifully!

  33. I find it comical to see someone try to keep a squirrel away from a food source.

    Did you ever find out how yours was gaining access to your porch?

  34. Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) says

    Hi Susan, This is such a funny story! The squirrels around here are determined too. I have been thinking of adding chili powder (the hottest I can find) to my bird feeder because I do use it on my potted plants and it is very effective in keeping the critters away! I was hesitant to add it to the seed for fear of harming the birds, but your advertisement says it does not bother them, so I will try that first. I love the seed I use–Lyric Songbird–and so do the birds and squirrels. I will let you know if the addition of the chili powder works! Linda

  35. Bonjour
    I love this story and I will share it
    with my little Dany after school
    Have a nice day
    Frieda

  36. Pearl's sister has been giving Gracie fits!!! Still we love to watch all our little critters being so busy! It's better than watching the news! Shared this cute story with my friends on fb.
    Have a wonderful day Susan, oh and I love the post featuring our Coty too!
    xo Lisa

  37. Ironstone and Pine says

    Love it!! Those pesky squirrels, just can't seem to outsmart them!! Gotta hand it to her though, she's good! Thanks for the chuckle!

  38. Gold Shoe Girl says

    That was great post. So funny!

  39. MyBluePeacock says

    Hootin'and Hollerin' in Ohio…too darn cute! Way to go Pearl!!!!!

  40. AlisonH says

    I have a birdfeeder that closes a cage over it if they climb down on it, but they've learned to pounce sideways from the pole to knock stuff out before the cage comes down. They were emptying it before I'd wake up in the morning.

    What has worked so far is wrapping parchment paper around the pole. Tape wouldn't stick to it, but tape wrapped tight does hold it up. Then: I sprayed Pam on the whole thing.

    We're at five successful days and counting. Oh, and, hair clippings from my husband's haircut around the edge of the table they also tried to leap from–they haven't touched it since and if they get too close they snort their noses and turn away.

  41. One Woman's Thoughts says

    Delightful story.

    After years of trying to outsmart the squirrels, I finally gave up . . . they get fed first.

  42. Renae Moore says

    I love this story Susan! Those squirrels are quite industrious!

  43. we three dogs and me says

    This was so funny I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I knew they were clever but never knew how much. haha

  44. Caroline (Piorra Maison) says

    too funny. those little critters can be quite frustrating. I found a cure to keep them from eating my tulip bulbs. When I plant new bulbs I plant them with my hair from my brushes. The scent of Human hair keeps them away from everything. Next time you are cleaning your brushes think about Pearl!!!! Birds also love hair for nest building. thanks for sharing that funny encounter between nature and man. .
    Have a good weekend
    Caroline

  45. Try what my Mom did- use a pole that you can grease up. Watching the squirrel take a running leap then slowly sliding down while gripping it between their legs is highly entertaining- for a while. Of course it doesn’t really stop them because they just do it over and over until it’s all wiped off, but it’s pretty funny while it lasts.

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