@critterologist,
Thank you for suggesting a wire cover and a large board. Many of my daytime suet-feeder visitors are woodpeckers, including an occasional/rare piliated woodpecker, and I wouldn't want to deter them. A wire cover might be a problem from that perspective.

A large board. Hm... that might work. I'll think about how that might be rigged up.

Your piliated woodpecker won't feed upside down... he needs an upright feeder, I think. But other woodpeckers won't have any issues.

Kids always find ways to amuse themselves. No expensive toys necessary .

Don't know what critter is responsible, but.....
Friday I discovered that one of my trilliums had been dug up, so I simply re-planted it.
Saturday I found that the same plant had been dug up again. I re-planted and placed 3 fist-sized stones close around it.
Sunday it rained.
Today I walked around the yard .and took some photos. Viewing them on my computer I discovered that the same trillium had been dug up AGAIN and the stones moved. See circle on photo showing plant with roots.
Went back out, replanted the plant AGAIN, replaced the stones with ones 2/3 the size of my foot, and sprinkled about 1/4 cup of red pepper flakes on the area. We'll see what happens.

@greenthumb99 Now you can go look for the coughing creature(s).

Good gosh Donner, those baby foxes are really cute!

I had opened the first picture to full size and then was hitting the next button. Saw two more photos of the foxes and then a photo of trillium. My first thought was that Donner is using the same hunter green vinyl mini blind method for labeling that David and I are using, and then realized hey - that looks like David and Pat's trillium patch LOL. Funny way to discover that hitting the next button on enlarged photos doesn't stop at the end of one post, but keeps cycling through all the photos in the entire thread

Donner, those foxes are so cute! They must be a lot of fun to watch. They look like red fox pups to me. Maybe the mother doesn't look very red because her fur is dirty right now?

csandt, try hot pepper suet like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O0GDVE/

Greenthumb, I hope your trillium is secure now. Maybe the critter stashed something tasty nearby and was trying to find it.

Susan, I would love to try the hot pepper suet if I can find it for a reasonable price.

I found hot pepper suet at WalMart for $1.24 each and ordered 12. Thanks for the suggestion. That will certainly be the easiest approach if it works.

I was having a problem with squirrels eating our suet and I have a friend that must think I eat hot sauce on everything. Since he gives me multiple bottles a year I started putting it on the suet. Well the pest quit eating the suet, quickly, and the water level in the pond dropped 2"s.

@Eric4home,
I don't mind the squirrels. They don't eat much. I never thought of spraying the suet with hot pepper concoction, although I do spray the early daylily blossoms, and it works well to discourage the deer from adding daylilies to their diet.
But please help me to understand the relationship between hot sauce-sprayed suet and the drop in the water level of the pond.

After the squirrels eat the hot sauce they run to the pond to quench the fire in their mouth.

Squirrels ate all my newly planted crocus bulbs.

@aspenhill. Lol! Funny way to discover a new feature. I tried. It did work as you saw.

@Muddy1. Yeah, I agree. They are red foxes. Probably the mama fox is the same one who lived here last year. The poor thing must be exhausted. How much food does she need to get everyday to feed so many babies!

hahaha Ric!

a lot of voles, Donner!!

Yeah, that was a bumper "crop" of baby foxes. No wonder she was so persistent in going after the neighbors' cats!
I hope your neighbors were appropriately grateful to you for saving their pets.

The cats are staying inside now, although I cannot tell if they are only kept in the garage. At least they are safe now.

Should I feed the foxes? Maybe I can give them some apples? Or dry cat food?

A front yard critter. Her mate was on the other side of my driveway. They were looking for a place to build a nest. I had a pair of ducks at my last house build a nest in my yard every year for three straight years in the exact same place. It was cute watching them (mostly her) tend to the eggs but it was a pain in the butt trying not to aggravate her with the lawn mower and gardening, etc. So I chased this pair away before it was too late.

Don't know whose yard this is but I found the composition of this photo just too bizarre not to share. Mama moose with kids in pool, mini van ablaze in street.

LMAO!