Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Shorty's Tale

So, I sat out again yesterday, bowl full of sunflower seeds in hand.  Within minutes of sprinkling some on the ground, Shorty showed up.  He didn't bother with the seeds on the ground, he went right for the bowl.  Look at those cheeks fill up with seeds.



He always goes in the same direction when he leaves, so, over the course of several trips home, I finally confirmed that he is the one whose system of tunnels is in the front of the house, under my porch.  Now that the foliage is dieing down a bit, you can really see the amount of work these little buggers do to create their homes.  This is why a lot of people really don't like chipmunks.

Of course, the real trick is that these are just the excavation tunnels.  The tunnels he uses have no dirt around them, they're just little holes in the ground.  Look closely and you can see him whizzing right by these tunnels in the first picture, and zoning in on his real home tunnels in the second.  By the third, he has vanished down the hole.


Something tells me that he's going to be safe, warm, and full of good food, this coming Winter.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

I think you've adopted another animal!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

TexWisGirl said...

oh those cheeks! love them!!!

My Mind's Eye said...

AHHHHHHHHH Shorty is too cute with his little puffy checks...I think some of the seed might be stored in his tail..our chipmunk have very skinny tails.
Hugs Madi

Reena said...

What a great post Louise. I know, they do cause some trouble, but they sure are cute ... I think I have only one, maybe two. Not coming out as much lately though.

Sharon said...

Shorty is so cute and what's a couple of holes in the garden, anyway?

Samantha said...

Shorty is adorable! I'm always amazed at what they can fit in their cheek pouches!
My only concern with a large number of chippies..they can cause structural damage when burrowing under patios/foundations/etc.

Anonymous said...

Great observations, Louise! What a cutie.

WiseAcre said...

Chipmunks don't dare get within 200 ft. of our house. They're fine out in the stone walls but if they venture onto the lawn they have to box with Stewy.

Yep, chipmunks will stand their ground if they figure there's no escape. More than one has escaped (with a little help from me) after putting up their dukes and freaking out Stewy.

Terry said...

Who needs a backpack when you have cheeks like that? Shorty is darn cute.

Folkways Note Book said...

I bet he will be safe, warm, and full with a good caretaker like you. -- barbara

Vicki Lane said...

Great photos -- hope the chipmunk steers clear of handsome Tucker.