Food Fighting Squirrels

The BirdCam 2.0 captured a food fight between two squirrels. What is so surprising is the winner is a diminutive Red Squirrel I have nicknamed Speedy, which is nearly half the size of its opponent a Fox Squirrel.

The Winner By A Throw - Speedy The Squirrel



I May Be Small, But I Can Stick Up For Myself



Back Off, Or Face My Squirrel Wrath - Notice the nose of the Fox Squirrel on the right side of the photo.




One Of The First Photos From Last Winter - A Fox Squirrel



Birdwatching and nature photography are passions of mine and when I learned of an affordable remote control camera specializing in motion sensitive photography, I knew I had to have it. I discovered the BirdCam 2.0 from Wingscapes, first through looking at a friend's BirdCam photos on Flickr and then through advertisements in birding magazines.

I had first started using the camera last winter just after receiving it as a Christmas gift. The instructions were fairly simple and easy to follow. I set up the camera as instructed and focused it on a shallow seed tray placed on a table on the backyard deck. I didn't have to wait for long before the birds and squirrels discovered the "new" seed tray and I was soon capturing photos that were of good quality. I was so tickled after seeing the first photos I couldn't help but keep running out to the camera to take out the SD card and download them onto my computer. I felt like a kid again with a new toy. After a few days, I learned from viewing the photos that the location was not optimal for well exposed photos because during the majority of the short winter daylight hours the camera was set up in a very shaded area. After some experiments with placement, I discovered you need an open area with good lighting for the best photos. I also found out that squirrels, when given unrestrained access to a feeder, will clean out the food supply in very short order. That is okay with me because I really like squirrels, anyway.

Over the winter I had moved the camera to various spots looking for the best places for optimal exposures and non-distracting backgrounds, but lighting was always an issue with shade or shadows caused from being mounted on fences or trees. The winter came and went with some good photos, but I was on a mission to find a new spot for the bird camera. This summer, I have hopefully settled on an open spot with good light and also where the birds could have access to shrubbery cover for protection from sudden lurking predators. We shall see how this location works out, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, I will keep adding seed to the tray and watch the occasional food fight or delightful dove that smiles for the camera. Enjoy the show and thanks for viewing.

Janet