Dang it was trying to find some 'chipmunk chaos' videos. I don't think if I went out with my camera that what happened would happen again.
I found a 'chipmunk fight' video, but it was actually pretty brutal, with one lil chipmunk limping around and it's adversary coming back and kicking it's ass some more... Wasn't very cute or humorous.
So over the last few days, a couple of the young chipmunks from the late Summer brood have been slowly coming up to me. As I was out back, 'Buddy' was up on the back of the lawn chair, his perch to have a great overview of the backyard surroundings.
It's happened a couple of times that while Buddy is watching over the yard that one of the other chipmunks will come up to me for a nut and Buddy will dive off the chair and give chase to whoever the chipmunk is.
This morning, right after Buddy had taken a couple peanuts back to his den, I felt a tapping on my foot and there was another chipmunk.. To be honest, with these new young ones packing on weight, I've really lost track of who is who. I have noticed that sometimes two chipmunks will be up on the bird feeder. So I'm guessing it may be either 'Chippy' or 'Skit' the Momma and a young one. Even Buddy doesn't seem to run off the young ones, just the older youth chipminks and perhaps even Buddy's own parents. They are quite territorial, as I've read and observed.
So I was out about 15 minutes ago and Buddy had just gone back to his den, then a real young one, who might as well be 'Skit Jr.', has been slowly getting used to me, but is very wary of taking a peanut from my hand.. So 'Skit Jr.' is deciding whether to take the peanut or not and another chipmunk shows up and then Buddy comes over, so I had 3 chipmunks all together at once around my feet. All was going pretty good, but I think Buddy lost patience and gave chase to the older chipmunk, while the younger one stayed behind and took a peanut.
I've been trying to lay off on peanuts for Buddy, god knows he's got a fucking mountain in his den... Oh, I learned something recently about chipmunk dens. So, because the average lifespan of a chipmunk is maybe 2/3 years, if that. They usually get killed by cats, foxes and other predators. Of course in the city, cats and cars would be the biggest risk, maybe the odd raccoon encounter. So, fact is, a lot of chipmunks die, leaving their dens and their horde of treasure available for any new chipmunks who decide to venture in to the now vacant dens. Chipmunks are 'fixer-uppers', they'll find an old den and then refurbish it for their own.
But yeah, I've been trying to get peanuts to the other chipmunks. Really, in reality, maybe I shouldn't be doing this at all. I question that sometimes. But also I know I haven't totally made them reliant on me for food. When I'm not around or in the house I'll look out and they are foraging for food, not just from the bird feeder, but other nuts on the ground, berries in the trees.
LOL, sometimes I feel a kinship with Buddy, he's like a metaphor of me. He's got this MASSIVE stash of food and should he die before Winter, he loses it all.. Me, my stocks and RDSP have been doing really, really well and it's made me think, 'Damnit, I better not die before I'm 65 or all that money will be vapor'...Who should I leave it to? Maybe the chipmunks?
Check out this guy and all his chipmunk buddies! lol Makes me feel like less of a nerd! he's got 'em on his head, climbing all over him.... Maybe next Summer I'll have them all over me. Buddy's been getting better at letting me pet him... I think I might get some sunflower seeds and see if he'll feed off me that way.
I found a 'chipmunk fight' video, but it was actually pretty brutal, with one lil chipmunk limping around and it's adversary coming back and kicking it's ass some more... Wasn't very cute or humorous.
So over the last few days, a couple of the young chipmunks from the late Summer brood have been slowly coming up to me. As I was out back, 'Buddy' was up on the back of the lawn chair, his perch to have a great overview of the backyard surroundings.
It's happened a couple of times that while Buddy is watching over the yard that one of the other chipmunks will come up to me for a nut and Buddy will dive off the chair and give chase to whoever the chipmunk is.
This morning, right after Buddy had taken a couple peanuts back to his den, I felt a tapping on my foot and there was another chipmunk.. To be honest, with these new young ones packing on weight, I've really lost track of who is who. I have noticed that sometimes two chipmunks will be up on the bird feeder. So I'm guessing it may be either 'Chippy' or 'Skit' the Momma and a young one. Even Buddy doesn't seem to run off the young ones, just the older youth chipminks and perhaps even Buddy's own parents. They are quite territorial, as I've read and observed.
So I was out about 15 minutes ago and Buddy had just gone back to his den, then a real young one, who might as well be 'Skit Jr.', has been slowly getting used to me, but is very wary of taking a peanut from my hand.. So 'Skit Jr.' is deciding whether to take the peanut or not and another chipmunk shows up and then Buddy comes over, so I had 3 chipmunks all together at once around my feet. All was going pretty good, but I think Buddy lost patience and gave chase to the older chipmunk, while the younger one stayed behind and took a peanut.
I've been trying to lay off on peanuts for Buddy, god knows he's got a fucking mountain in his den... Oh, I learned something recently about chipmunk dens. So, because the average lifespan of a chipmunk is maybe 2/3 years, if that. They usually get killed by cats, foxes and other predators. Of course in the city, cats and cars would be the biggest risk, maybe the odd raccoon encounter. So, fact is, a lot of chipmunks die, leaving their dens and their horde of treasure available for any new chipmunks who decide to venture in to the now vacant dens. Chipmunks are 'fixer-uppers', they'll find an old den and then refurbish it for their own.
But yeah, I've been trying to get peanuts to the other chipmunks. Really, in reality, maybe I shouldn't be doing this at all. I question that sometimes. But also I know I haven't totally made them reliant on me for food. When I'm not around or in the house I'll look out and they are foraging for food, not just from the bird feeder, but other nuts on the ground, berries in the trees.
LOL, sometimes I feel a kinship with Buddy, he's like a metaphor of me. He's got this MASSIVE stash of food and should he die before Winter, he loses it all.. Me, my stocks and RDSP have been doing really, really well and it's made me think, 'Damnit, I better not die before I'm 65 or all that money will be vapor'...Who should I leave it to? Maybe the chipmunks?
Check out this guy and all his chipmunk buddies! lol Makes me feel like less of a nerd! he's got 'em on his head, climbing all over him.... Maybe next Summer I'll have them all over me. Buddy's been getting better at letting me pet him... I think I might get some sunflower seeds and see if he'll feed off me that way.
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