The Evolution of Learning

Mr. Squirrel learns to dine from the “squirrel-proof” birdfeeder

Mr. Squirrel used to have it so easy. Such a cushy life he led — roaming around the treetops on the hill behind our house; feasting on bird food, nuts, and fruit left out specifically for him; and taunting the kitties from above.

He would practice his acrobatic skills to reach his hanging basket of food, sometimes dangling from his toes (just because he could), sometimes stretching so far away from the trunk of the Australian Tree Fern (from which his feeder hung), that I was certain he would fall. And sometimes he just lazily basked in the sun, tossing those tasty morsels into his mouth, enjoying life in the Burkhalter ‘hood.

But Mr. Squirrel’s world was rocked a couple of months ago when the rats also figured out that they liked bird food.

We had to change the method of food delivery for both the birds and for Mr. Squirrel.

In went the “squirrel-proof” (or in my mind, “rat proof”) feeder! I wasn’t too worried for him though. I knew he would figure out how to raid it, because Mama Squirrel, who lives in the front yard, figured out how to break into the exact same feeder last summer.

It has been fascinating to me to watch Mr. Squirrel go through the mental and physical gymnastics to fine-tune his, originally quite rough, method of extracting food.

You see, the feeder has a perch for the birds to sit on and eat. But if anything heavier than a bird puts its weight on it, the perch drops down and closes off the opening to where the food is. I also hung the feeder far enough away from the trunk of the tree that a rat would not be able to reach it and finesse the system. They are smart little critters too!

The feeder hangs where I can see it from my kitchen window, so I have watched this whole process evolve.

At first, he would swing out from the branch and grab a hold of the perch with both hands. Of course, the perch would drop down and mostly close off the entrance to the nuts, seeds and berries. But, pretty quickly, he figured out how to swing out and catch a hold of the perch, then lift one paw up to the main part of the feeder, where he could put his weight, while he “un-weighted” the perch.

In the beginning, it was a bit random. He would snatch a handful of food, almost as if something magical had happened that he didn’t quite understand. But, then he began to understand the necessary leveraging. And, that is where the fun began!

He soon figured out how to extend himself sideways out to the feeder, anchored solely by his legs, with his little fuzzy tummy turned towards me. His core strength far exceeds anything I have ever witnessed in a yoga class — maybe it is more akin to that of a pole dancer!

He has explored variations on that theme for a couple of weeks. But yesterday, he figured out how to hang upside down from his little toes, and dangle down to his dinner without ever having to press that problematic lever.

His intelligence delights me. And his antics amuse Emerson, Bisou, Uma, and Freyja to no end.

The kitties all think that they are part-squirrel too. They will chase him on a good romp around the yard, up and down the tree ferns, eucalyptus and pine trees. They have been climbing trees since they were kittens, so they are pretty skilled. But, Mr. Squirrel always loses them when he leaps from one tree to another. The kitties are not quite that talented yet!

And, once he is safely ensconced on a branch over our heads, he chatters away at us. He has whole conversations with the cats, who chirp back at him. And then, he will rip apart a pinecone and take direct aim at them with the shreds of pinecone. And the whole chase will start over again.

The intelligence and adaptability of nature and her creatures amazes me sometimes. She always finds a way. It gives me a little peace to watch something like this evolve because it shows me that even when we, humans, throw a monkey wrench into the workings of the natural world, animals are often able to figure out a way to transcend whatever we have done.

It may not be easy, or as quick of a process as it was for Mr. Squirrel to figure out the birdfeeder. But, with a chance, and enough time, Mother Nature will always find a way to survive.

Thank you for coming along with me on this journey of Mr. Squirrels’s evolution. If you enjoyed this, you might also like:

Story and photos ©Erika Burkhalter.