Apparently there is a population boom in chipmunks. Either that, or they suddenly love me.
I was outside in my yard on Friday, when I looked up from my reading.
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| Look at the top left of photo. Peekaboo! |
A few feet away, a chipmunk was staring at me. I stared back.
It must have shrugged mentally, because it returned to its business of whatever it was doing in my yard.
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| Bottom center of photo |
I saw a chipmunk in my yard for the first time this year about 10 days ago. Usually they aren't so brazen as to show themselves while I am sitting. It's a small yard and I am quite visible to them.
This one ran to my patio, feet from my chair, and stared at me. It was frozen in place. Finally I looked away and it managed to leave.
Now, it doesn't even bother to run unless I bring up my cell phone to take a picture, and I think that fear is decreasing, too.
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| Bottom towards the center between the plants |
But that isn't all. Chipmunks are showing up elsewhere to be near me. Thursday, I was walking on the Vestal Rail Trail with my spouse. Perhaps two feet from the right borer of the trail where paved trail meets grass, there was a chipmunk rooting in the ground. It didn't even flinch, until I stopped.
A few yards away, same position on the grass near the trail, was another one, rooting in the short grass.
And then another one. Yes, it was in the same position as #1 and #2, and rooting away.
I wasn't able to take pictures, though.
Now, almost every time I look up from my reading at home, there's a chipmunk, a few feet away. I really don't know what to do.
Have I become the Chipmunk whisperer? Or maybe there's been a population explosion. I went online and there were chipmunk population booms in New York in both 2020 and 2021.
I realize they may be attracted to the ground around our bird feeder. But the Vestal Rail Trail?
I did find some interesting facts about our Eastern chipmunks.
And no, I don't intend to try to trap it. But I still wonder about my sudden popularity with these little creatures.
Any thoughts?
...we have only one in our garden this year.
ReplyDeleteI've had chipmunks chew through my foundation wall, chew through the air intake line for my furnace, and tear a screen. Makes you rethink trappjng and killing.
ReplyDeleteMy mother’s back yard has a significant chipmunk population. They’re interesting little creature, aren’t they?
ReplyDeleteI'd assume an uptick in population and humans that feed them. But that's a guess. I am seeing squirrels way more frequently than before, so maybe same?
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