WE FOUND THE CULPRIT

For my birthday I received a wild bird feeding station. I was so excited. I love to watch and listen to the birds so this way I could bring them closer to home! It has three shepherd hooks at the top for hanging bird feeders (which I still have to get - one was purchased when the feeding station was purchased but somehow didn't make it home. MYSTERY!?) and then it has a basket for bigger food and a bird bath. Well I put sunflower seeds in the basket, which are supposed to attract large wild birds such as galahs and cockatoos (or cockies if you are Australian), but they have been disappearing quickly with no birds in sight and the shells have been left behind. Usually when birds eat food they are really messy and the shells are all over the ground - these are neatly left in the basket.

So it has been a mystery for a few days. I was wondering if the possums were getting to it at night - since they don't come out during the day. Maybe the birds just came while we weren't looking. We hypothesized lots of things - Madi and Cooper were really funny. Finally, last night just as we were getting ready to read stories and scriptures there it was - THE CULPRIT!!
For those of you who know me well know that I do not like mice. Hate them in fact. I have had a few run-ins and I am terrified. They are cute I will give you that, but they scurry and the sound of their claws on things just gives me the chills. When I was an Oakcrest counselor we had mice in our cabin the last week we were there. I couldn't sleep and was so scared to go in by myself. Silly I know - rationally I know they are little and won't hurt me, but if elephants are scared why can't I?

Anyway, scared as I am of mice we sat outside for nearly 45 minutes to get the perfect shot of this little mouse. Kev would move slowly a bit closer and then have to wait for the scared mouse to come back. [Since we couldn't get too close without him running away the shots are a little blurry - sorry.] Most of the time I sat safely on the steps - next to the door for a quick get away. Once, however, after taking over camera duty from Kev, the little guy was looking right at me and I almost got up and ran away. I thought for sure in his little mouse brain he was thinking I could run right at this lady and she would get up screaming like a little girl. As long as he stays outside I am fine with watching him. I have to admit that he was pretty cute -as long as he was far away from me - he would come sneakily out of his hiding spot and wait by the BBQ wheels then he would run up the pole and sit on the basket and munch away. I really wanted to get a picture of him on the pole - but I wasn't quick enough. We may have to move the bird feeder though - how can I see all the cool birds in my backyard if a little mouse is stealing their food?

I got bit by a few more mossies - I have at least 20 bites between taking pictures of a little mouse and taking pictures of Cooper on a swing the other night to practice my motion pictures for Travis' photo assignment. I should really remember to put on that insect repellent I bought the other day.