How to prevent a gready squirrel from stealing bird seeds

I covered the bird feeder pole with a layer of car grease to try and stop my grey squirrel from eating all the bird seeds. Have a look at the funny clip below to find out how the squirrel reacted.
The squirrel was not hurt, just its ego! :-)

Acrobatic Squirrel

My bird seed station is very popular, with birds as well as squirrels. The first picture is particularly funny. See how it holds on to the frame with its back claws. Click to enlarge. Cute!

Animal evolution - Smart black bird

When we first moved into our rented accommodation 18 months ago, the black bird(s) in our back garden would stand underneath the bird feeder waiting for the goldfinches and other small birds to drop seeds on the ground to eat them. After a few months, the black bird had learned to fly up to the seed tray to feed but the supply would often run out.
Only recently has the black bird worked out how to get seeds from the seed station. It is quite tricky for him because the station is designed for small birds and black birds are simply too large to stand on the little perches.
And he is loving his new acrobatic achievements. Look how he opens up his legs. Quite impressive! Have a look at the video too!

Doesn't that look sore and uncomfortable to you? He is a smart cookie though.




To appreciate how hard this is for him, you need to compare his behaviour with his mate, another black bird, desperately trying to copy him....unsuccessfully.....