The finches love this seed sock filled with a combination of nyjer seed and sunflower chips.  They flock to it in droves.

It was hung on an S hook on a line going across the patio in full view of the kitchen window.  I would drink my coffee with camera waiting.  Well, last week we had snow, then rain and ice.  What was on the roof came down and the feeders on the line were bounced off when the snow came to the ground.  Yeah, yeah, not the best plan for hanging feeders but hey, live and learn.  I arrived to all the still hanging feeders empty and went out to gather them in to clean and refill.  The sock was nowhere to be found – gone.  The S hook was laying on the ground.  There were telltale tracks though and I thought it was the little red squirrel that I had seen the previous week.

I filled the feeders and brought out the fruit and nut mix for the top of the pine stump.  The jays really love it there and it keeps them from bugging the other birds on the feeders.  Once they were all filled and hung back up the birds returned.  All the time I’m out by the feeders you can hear them singing, just waiting for me to get far enough away to feel safe.  The chickadees don’t wait long.

Back indoors I made the usual cup of coffee and sat by the window.  Guess what I saw?

Yup, and so innocent looking too.  I don’t usually see gray squirrels here.  I know they are around but they aren’t the huge, pesky hoard I have in Enfield.

So now I know who the culprit is and I’ve ordered another sock that I will attach to the line in a different way.  I will also put it up as high as I can.