Welcome
to Chippy Tails
The Scoop
from the Stoop
A
child friendly site featuring great
pictures and stories about chipmunks (ground squirrels) and other wildlife
who visit our backyard.
Snug and secure - under the shed lives a
small furry chipmunk.
Our backyard
wildlife provide us with hours of fun and entertainment. Unlike pets,
that we humans tend to enclose and to train to our liking, the chipmunks
(also known as ground squirrels) and the other wild animals who visit us are free and have chosen us as their friends.
Every day we
learn something new by watching our wildlife, especially all the Eastern chipmunks
that live in the yard and the neighboring woods. We take lots of
pictures and record the antics of these friendly animals so that others
can learn from them as well. Three very important things that we
have learned about chipmunks is that each chippy is blessed with his or her own
personality, each has a distinctive sense of humor, and they
are extremely intelligent animals. .
~~
Baby Face
Our chipmunks
have learned that the back stoop is the place to go if you want to fill
your face with sunflower seeds. We have a steady stream of
four-legged fur-faced chippys scampering across the yard from early spring until
the end of December. There is
always a chipmunk watching for any movement near the stoop. Before the door is
opened, one will come leaping and hopping through one of the flower gardens, from
under the woodshed, from out of a woodpile, across the driveway, or from under
the stoop.
When I work in the
flower garden there is always a chippy
hanging around. sitting on the lawn furniture, or watching me from atop a
lawn ornament. When I walk from the backdoor to the shed,
or even to the car, I am greeted with chips from somewhere in the yard or
the adjoining woods. and it's not unusual for a chipmunk to be running around under
foot. It's like being watched by the chipmunk police, but I love it
and would not want it any other way.
Other wildlife
who occasionally show up for a free meal include Charles DuBois, the
groundhog, and Honey Bunny, the Eastern cotton tail rabbit. Of
course there are lots of birds who visit the yard as well, gold fish in
our pond, and our resident frog.
~~
Sugar Plum
Making friends
with a wild chipmunk or any other small wild animal takes time and a lot of patience. When
we see them gathering sunflower seeds beneath bird feeders or taking a cool drink from
a bird bath they look so cute we want to get a closer look. We don't
understand why they scamper off when we approach them. The reason is
that humans are a threat. We're big, loud, and scary in
the minds of these small animals. It's also important to remember,
that like any animal who feels threatened, chipmunks and other wildlife can bite and scratch.
From my
experience, whenever I see a new chipmunk in the yard, I keep my distance
but let it get use to seeing me. I always speak to it softly so it
knows the sound of my voice. Most importantly, I always have a
supply of sunflower seeds I put in the same place in the yard every day,
so it associates me with the food. (No respectable chipmunk would
ever pass up a free meal).
At first, the
chippy will hide as you approach, but within a week or two, it will come
out to greet you. It will still scamper away with any sudden
movement or loud noise, so remember to stay as quiet and still as you
possibly can. If you are patient enough, it won't be long before you
will have it eating right out of your hand.
~~
Chip E. deMunk
Putting this
site together has been a real treat for me. I get so much enjoyment
from my chippy friends and other wildlife and I am happy to share their stories and pictures
with you. I try
update the site periodically so you might want to add
Chippy Tails to your favorites. You are also invited to visit
our "Archives" where you will find
copies of our monthly newsletter. If you want to receive the
latest edition or you would like to make comments about this site,
please click here.
About our
newsletter - I started publishing our newsletter in January of
'07. It's still in the "start up" phase. As I move
forward, items will be added and some discontinued. It's whatever
works. I'd love to hear your comments.
I hope you find
this site both interesting and entertaining and that it will inspire you
to set up your own backyard habitat.
~~
Don't
forget to check out our Chippy Store featuring lots of fun apparel for
everyone in the family and some great gift ideas as well.
Thanks for
stopping by. Please come again and have a very
"chippy" day.
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