![Image 1 — Ground squirrel? Prairie dog? Gopher? [Montana, US]](https://preview.redd.it/n16jusoenjbh1.jpg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=804e6c0e56b8b0d6990b7877ffb8b04b7a1f0a25)
![Image 2 — Ground squirrel? Prairie dog? Gopher? [Montana, US]](https://preview.redd.it/iac6worenjbh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecd8a4f01035d2911f05a94f9ce5676474182ae6)
![Image 3 — Ground squirrel? Prairie dog? Gopher? [Montana, US]](https://preview.redd.it/lhgwbwwenjbh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ade60270d36b6357b4deb9a285c30a6c537c217)
![Image 4 — Ground squirrel? Prairie dog? Gopher? [Montana, US]](https://preview.redd.it/eb7dwl1fnjbh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53a211090aec4b5eb1c3c115f1d7e9885503c62f)
Hello! I was wondering what type of rodent this was at my bird feeder. They are small (dove for comparison) and burrow tunnels all around here. I'm thinking a richardsons ground squirrel but not totally sure!
In Montana, North America.
Welcome, distinguished feathered guests, to today's chef-curated tasting experience. Today we are serving a delicate medley of premium millet, lightly scattered for effortless pecking. The main course is our signature countryside blend featuring hearty milo and rustic cracked corn, prepared in the traditional "straight from the feeder" style. And chef's specialty... black oil sunflower and safflower seeds, celebrated for their rich flavor and irresistible crunch
Finally for dessert we have hand-selected peanuts.
Bon appetite!!
Thank you for dining with us. Please remember: no reservations are required, but sharing the table is strongly encouraged... at least until the grackles arrive.
Dig in, fam.
I have a small cherry bush and I noticed the cherries keep going missing! Only problem is that they are not close to ripe. I am surprised that birds will eat unripe berries? Berries are definitely scarce right now because it was a weird spring. I'm suspecting a Robin.... second photo of a feather found right underneath said bush and I also found a cleaned off pit..
(By the way I'd be delighted if it was a bird enjoying my cherries... I just didn't think they'd eat them before they ripened!)
They're so pretty they always look fake and air brushed to me.. but they're real!! Saw him on my walk by the river in Montana.
Saw this guy today by the river walking in Montana. Would love to know what it is!
I'm so ecstatic that I finally got a better phone and thus a better camera... all for taking derpling pictures of course!!! They grow up so fast, gotta savor every moment.
​
These are my gutter doves waiting in their usual spot for mom or dad to come feed them I think.
They were cuddling together on a rock nearby their former nest in the gutter.
Broccoli and Tofu "chicken" in a garlic ginger sauce! It's so tasty but easy so I'm adding it to my quick "im tired today" meals.
​
The sauce is sautéed garlic and ginger in olive and sesame oil, yellow curry powder, then added soy sauce and broth. Thickened with corn starch. Tofu was pan fried in oil then thrown in. Chopped fresh Broccoli thrown in. On rice!
Mom and dad flew away but baby stayed and let me get a pic. Just learning to fly!
And at least one baby is about to fledge!! It's so high up unfortunately I cant get up there to get a good picture from above so I was thrilled to see one of the babies climbed up into view. And dad there keeping an eye on us!
...Insert rest of joke here.
Just some of my regular ground feeders!
Ive been enjoying a squirrel free neighborhood (we live in a small isolated neighborhood surrounded by farm land) but theres finally been 1 singular squirrel move in 😆 and he's likely gonna stay now that hes found my bird feeder!
He is cute tho.
Girl dinner supreme
My husband and I are like.. did this just happen?? We were sitting there and little one came up and asked for a nap... "i want a nap". So I promptly went and followed her as she said "come on" and led me to her room, layed down in her bed as I got her room ready, and went down for a nap!! For context, shes in the phase right now of dropping her nap. I'd say half the time she takes it and half she doesn't so we just kind of play it by ear every day. But she has certainly NEVER asked for one like that!!!! Even when she's obviously very tired and needs one, if you asked her she'd always always say "no i dont wanna take a nap!!" Even when it takes 5 min to put her down she denies it to the last second.. except today apparently 😆. Has this ever happened to you before?
In Montana
Its just some daiya shredz on top.
I started this hobby last fall and have absolutely fallen in love. Over the winter I didnt have a huge variety of species here in montana because they all migrated away but I figured that would be the busy time because food was scarce. Well now they've all migrated back and the neighborhood is BUSTLING! However it reallly hasn't slowed down... my yard is constantly FULL of birds and its busier than ever!! And now theyre all having babies and we got fledgling and juveniles everywhere too.. they've all multiplied!! Honestly it's an absolute nut house literally and figuratively (but I love it). I feel kinda guilty though because we don't have tons of money so I've had to learn the cheapest possible but acceptable bird foods. I don't like to have to turn anyone away, I love them all. If the grackles are perfectly happy eating cracked corn that costs $13 for a giant 50lb bag then why not feed them all?? They hate millet so I have feeders with only that for other millet loving species. Hanging feeders with sunflower for finches. And i just throw seed in random places in the yard. Our neighborhood is surrounded by farm land so I get almost all ground feeders and marshland dwellers. My favorite are the yellow headed blackbirds and my one family of goldfinches that visits every day! Then I get a ton of doves (i love doves), red winged blackbirds, brown headed cowbirds, and of course hoardes of house finches ans house sparrows. Ive had many other cool birds show up in my yard from time to time but they tend to migrate through.
A part of me feels guilty for spending so much on bird food like I shouldn't be feeding so many and leave them more to their natural vices but I also love having a yard absolutely swarming with birds all day. Every time I look out the window there's birds all over the yard, birds in the trees, on the roof, mourning doves nesting in our gutter. And I can't imagine life without them now!