Chally,
We've got two window bird feeders. One in the family room where Darcey sits and one on the window in my office. Our Virginia's are much alike... you State bird is the Northern Cardinal and our State bird is the Cardinal. We have a pair that have been with us for 3 years now... "Daddio" and "Momma Sass". They have the most wonderful of dispositions... and as beautiful as they are, they're also a pleasure to watch. We also get the Titmouse, Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Sparrows, Blue Jays and Doves. Our first year, we had an awesome pair of Cowbirds. We don't see them any more... but they were my absolute favorite pair. As affectionate with each other as the Cardinals can be, the Cowbirds were even more so. Each would feed the other and they were rarely apart.
We also have squirrels who enjoy our bird feeders. I don't want to change feeder types as the window feeder is the easiest for Darcey to see. I've tried moving the feeder to different areas on the window... but the squirrels always find a way to get in. If they can't jump from above, they'll climb from below. It is one of the most persistent of critters I know. I use Wagner's Greatest Variety Blend (16# bags from Amazon). I heard that the squirrels like the sunflower seeds... but don't care for safflower seeds. So I now split the feed in half... left side is safflower and the right side is Wagner's. Wouldn't you know it... the squirrels are just as happy with the safflower seeds.
But I can be pretty stubborn, too. So I purchased a squirrel feeder that mounted at chest height on the big tree in our backyard. The squirrel food is primarily corn kernels... but also has sunflower seeds and whole non-shelled peanuts. They really LIKE this. But when they'd be out, they default back to the bird feeders... where I'd have to chase them out. I'm sure they think its a game.
So I began going out and onto the back porch. I'd toss some squirrel food on the patio and they'd come in to eat. We'd talk while they ate... with me doing the majority of talking as their Mommies had also taught them to not talk when their mouths were full. Over the course of time and given the attention that I'd offered these squirrels, we eventually came to a type of casual truce/agreement. I'll try to keep them supplied with squirrel food and they'll stay out of my bird feeders. If I get behind and their food runs out, they'll let me know first. If I don't remedy the situation, then they'll move back to the bird feeders. So here's how this works...
In the back (Darcey's side), they'll climb along the outer edges of the window (where the feeder is) and look in. If we don't acknowledge them, they tap on the window... or scratch on the cedar siding. As I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, they will sometimes climb up and look in through the back door... where they can look directly into the kitchen. And failing that, they'll get back on to the top of the feeder... BUT NOT IN IT. These courtesies are difficult for a hungry squirrel... and accordingly have imposed some severe time restrictions as to how patient they will be. But at least they're attempting to work with me.
As friends come by, they always asked how my trained squirrels are doing... and I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished. At night, as I drift off to sleep, the vision becomes stripped of its facade and I briefly have a view to the reality of the situation. It is then, that I've been "played" by the squirrels and have become their private servant. Fortunately, sleep follows quickly enough that thoughts about the underlying costs fade into oblivion. And as a new day dawns, I can already hear them tapping, again, at my window...
My best!
Jim