Cheeky Chipmunks

Rex checking out the smells under the feeder.

I refilled the feeder with sunflower seeds one day last week.  Later that day, I was sitting in the living room and I could hear a different kind of sound, a metallic creak I'd not heard before.  After a bit, I realized the sound was coming from the bird feeder.  I watched it for awhile and got to see what was making the noise.  Two chipmunks were taking turns raiding the seeds.  They had figured out how to jump from the branch of the tree onto the feeder roof and because the roof is lifted to refill the feeder, it was making a noise each time they landed on it.  In no time, busy as proverbial beavers, they had the feeder emptied.  I've read that chipmunks will store more food than they can eat in their lifetime if there is a food source available and I know these little guys are more than well fed around here.  These seeds were just going into storage in one of their underground tunnels.
Hubby had the answer to this problem; he remembered he had such a thing as protectors for bird feeders up in the barn loft.  This large metal roof you can make out in the photo atop the feeder has worked like a charm.  Mr. and Mrs. Chipmunk can't get directly at the feeder and are back to scavenging on the ground like they always did and the seeds are saved for the birds.  Just so they wouldn't feel too badly, I've been putting a few more peanuts under the tree for them which they love.