Finches and ground squirrels

This is a short post today. Hilda and I spent Saturday at GardenFest, and it threw me off my usual blogging pace. Plus I couldn't think of a lot to say. 

Spring is trying to come. You wouldn’t know it today. I had an inch of snow on my car when I left work, but it was wet enough that I didn’t have to scrape. The wipers were enough to clear the windshield.

The rhubarb leaves are beginning to unfurl.

Rhubarb

The goldfinches are congregating by the sunflower seeds.

A flock of goldfinches

The males are looking brighter that they were a week ago.

An almost-completely yellow mail

The first ground squirrel emerged early last week. It was hungry from the long winter. I watched it for quite awhile as it ran to the sunflower seeds on the ground under the bird feeder.

Seeds! So hungry after all winter

Stuffed its cheek pounches…

Nom, nom, nom!

Until they looked about to burst….

Can't fit any more in those cheek pouches!

And then ran back to its tunnel to unload. A few minute later, it was back, stuffing its cheek pouches again.

Monday morning about 6:15, I saw a fox run right by the house. It was too quick for me to get a picture. It was headed right for the chicken coop, but the girls were still safe inside. We are going to have to start plugging in the electric fence and waiting until the sun is fully up before letting them out. The fox can have as many ground squirrels as it likes, but it needs to leave the chickens alone. I hope it understands the rules.