Saturday 8 June 2013

Saturday Scratch #25

At the very moment that all the tiny newborn balls of fluff, flapping and screeching behind their parents, need it most, we've once again been forced to severely reduce the supply of bird food in our garden. The reason? A very ingenious rat. It stretches, it jumps, it climbs, it dislodges, it prises open and it devours. No matter what lengths we go to to put the feeders in out of the way and out of reach locations, Mr Norvegicus outwits us, usually in broad daylight while we sit just a few feet away and watch. Why do we just sit and watch? Because he's actually pretty impressive in his cunning and guile and also because if we chase him off, he just waits until we are safely back indoors before recommencing his endeavours. He's a clever little thing and certainly a lot less ugly than the gnarled bruiser we had in the garden last year.

So, for the time being, we've removed all but a couple of the bird-feeders, which are hung from the middle of the washing line for maximum inaccessibility, in the hope that our unwanted guest will grow frustrated and wander off to explore pastures new. He's just doing his thing, I certainly don't want to kill him, merely dissuade him and reduce the risk of him getting into the house if we happen to leave the back door ajar.

Here's Scratch in 1977, talking about a very different kind of rat.



Previously on Saturday Scratch

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice one, Scratch!
Good lick keeping old Ratty at bay.

Anonymous said...

Typo...as ever. Good lick, anyway.

C said...

I do sympathise completely as I think you already know!
They come and go here, I prefer not to see them because of all the moral dilemmas but at the same time I think they're brilliant little creatures and I wish we could embrace them! They're so intelligent I reckon there'd be scope to train them up as sniffer rats and use them as working animals, it would be such a positive alternative to conventional pest control!
Good luck anyway... (We have one living in the compost bin at the moment!)

The Swede said...

SB. Typo of the week! It's all quiet in the garden at the mo'. Perhaps he's taken the hint.

C. You're so right about their intelligence. I wish I'd taken a photo or two of our guest as he contorted himself this way & that to get to the nut-feeder.

Old Pa's Corner said...

Bionic rats indeed ....good track to!
I used to have a Rat in my Kitchen!

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