Regular readers probably dropped by today (hi!) to see what’s up with Leroy or Sherman. Today’s installment of Mammal Mondays, however, is about a mammal I’m feeding but really don’t know.

Let’s call him Walter.

Since the weather has turned, Walter has shown up repeatedly to raid the suet cake basket hanging in the tree out front. I keep something in that tree for the birds all year: seed bells in the summer and suet cakes in the winter. Partly, I hang up food for the tweeters because I like the birds, and in the warmer months those birds snack on bugs that would otherwise plague me. Our winters are brutally cold and long, so through the snowy months it just seems morally right to leave a little something out for the woodland creatures.

Leroy’s favourite thing to do is watch through the picture window while the critters, making that taunted kitty sound that sounds like chattering teeth, so the entertainment value is high for all involved.

I know many people who hate squirrels and would employ all manner of traps and firearms to get rid of this little guy, but Walter (which is what I think I’ll call all the neighbourhood squirrels just to make it easy) can stay. I’m quite sure that in the dead of winter it will be nice to see something alive out my front window.

The rodent stays.

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