Unwelcome Visitor  by jgpittenger

Unwelcome Visitor

Firstly, I was so happy to see your response to yesterday's shots...both made it to the PP! Thank you, thank you.
This shot has quite the story...Jim built a heavy metal pipe structure 12 feet tall with a cross pipe from which hang two bird feeders on ropes with pulleys. It is our answer to our bear visitors. Yesterday Jim called me to "come look" when he saw this rat climb from the rhododendron bushes up the pipes, across the cross bar, down the wire to the ropes. The first time he fell, but he was determined and by the time I got my camera, he was happily munching away. Might I add that we are not happy! The feeders are down for now and we are giving our cats a pep talk.
Thanks much for your visits, comments, suggestions, favs
Always a shock when you actually see a rat! They say we are never far from one & im sure that's true. As long as we don't see them we can turn a blind eye but to see one cheeky enough to do this makes us aghast! Hens encourage rats & I know our daughters neighbours are happy they have no hens at the moment! A lovely capture of this unwelcome visitor. I used to see quite a few rats when we were farming ....used to look round the stock before bed & we could see them in the calf boxes running about in the torch light. We had a guy come in every month to put poison down in special pet proof traps. Can't be helped when there is food about.
November 12th, 2015  
First, Jim is amazing, I am quite impressed at the structure that he built to bearproof the bird feeders (also impressed that you have bears where you live!).....unfortunately, the rats are determined to outsmart him, and they will always find a way to get to the food source! As for your cats, if they are anything like ours they will not bother...life is too good for them to be chasing prey! ;-))
November 12th, 2015  
Wonderful capture
November 12th, 2015  
Great capture!
November 12th, 2015  
cute
November 12th, 2015  
Neat little chap. Love the lighting :)
November 12th, 2015  
Great and Unique capture!I've seems rats in the alley,but never that close!Yuo did his portrait so well!
November 12th, 2015  
What terrific focus on your visitor - those little paws and bright eyes - he'd almost be cute if I didn't know what he was! You have a really good man there, Jane - a definite keeper! It is kind of funny to watch how determined they are.
November 12th, 2015  
Wonderful detail and really quite a nice rat portrait with wonderful light!
November 12th, 2015  
ick ick ick ick ick!!!!!!! Not the photo -- that's great -- but the rat!!!! @jyokota and I were in the car last night waiting for the guys who were teaching and I had her back the car further away from the trash bins (we were in the loading dock) as those horrid rodents frequent them. They terrify me!
November 12th, 2015  
Darned rats, totally disgusting rodents, albeit bloomin' clever. Great photo of the rotten thing though. In this part of the world we have problems with possums climbing along pipes and wires and the powers-that-be use circular pieces of galvanised iron with just a radial slit to a minimal centre hole which are then put on said wires etc. The seem to work, maybe a thought for Jim? Rats? Yuck!!
November 13th, 2015  
Great shot love those little paws of his. Hope they don't give you too must hassle.
November 13th, 2015  
What a frightfully realistic image! And poor Taffy for having to see it. When I pulled up in the loading dock area and got close to the trash bins, @Taffy immediately said, "back up back up back up."
November 13th, 2015  
Kim
Great shot!
November 13th, 2015  
Fantastic timing and beautifully caught.
November 13th, 2015  
This shot is just amazing ... one in a million! fav
Love your comment about the cat pep talks!
November 14th, 2015  
This is great! I have a similar feeder, minus the cage. Supposed to be guaranteed for life, but the squirrels have really done a number on it! Between them and the crows, I've just about given up!
November 15th, 2015  
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