The Thief Saga, and How It Resulted in Opening Hours & Closing Time for the Cantinas
Another title for this post could be: If You Have Bird Feeders and Rats Eat the Seed at Night, This Is How to Stop That From Happening
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Remember when there was a theft at the Cantina?
Well, the events didn't end there.
Even after raising the Cantina, the kleptomaniac found its way in again.
I tried to get a picture but my flash wouldn't go off. If you look close enough, you can see the thief (though I wouldn't recommend looking close).
At this point, it became war.
My next course of action was taking the tray of seed off at night. I put it in a pot and covered it with wood planks, secured by a pot of rocks on top.
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"I got here early like usual but you weren't open?!"
It seemed to be a good solution, though it was a somewhat lengthy task.
The next approach... a shower cap cover.
Victory 🎊
This was it. The best solution. Problem solved.
I even sprayed it with a mix of eucalyptus oil, white vinegar, and water, in hopes of preventing the thieves from even thinking about stealing from my fine eating establishment. Side note: (as I have learned) this measure on its own is not enough to stop them.
Not the end
A few days later, I noticed that the Butterfly Cantina was empty — and it wasn't a result of the regulars.
Evidence by a lack of evidence
How I know it wasn't the birds is because I've noticed that they like to eat all the seed except one kind. They always leave the round brown seed.
Here's how the Cantinas usually look after the regulars have had their meals:
Leftovers
It was obvious. The thief learned the Window Cantina had a barricade and moved on to ransack the Butterfly Cantina.
This time there was a clear solution: more shower caps.
High level security
What is so great about the shower caps is the elastic. It secures the plastic in place over the feeders. As a bonus, it also keeps the seed dry when it rains.
There was only one left in the house though, so a plastic bag would have to do for the Flower Cantina for now.
That night, I heard a noise. I looked out and saw the thief on the shower cap of the Butterfly Cantina! Before I could even reach for my phone to take a picture, it realized its defeat, so it jumped off.
With thief troubles finally solved, the regulars rejoiced.
"What a happy day for eating!"
"The seed is excellent today."
Now, I cover the Cantinas just after sunset every night, and take the covers off after I wake up but before I have coffee. I'm a responsible Cantina-for-birds owner like that.
And that is how the Cantinas got opening hours and closing time.