The Gouger backyard is developing a reputation for being a wildlife corridor.

We’re nestled in the woods but close to Route 209. We have more than our fair share of ticks and mosquitoes, but the wildlife is enough to keep you entertained by day and awake at night.

Recent Christmas presents have made it so much more fun.

Last year a digital doorbell began showing us all sorts of creatures on our porch. Two different cats, squirrels, a baby opossum, a groundhog and an animal with mange — likely a fox but I only saw it once so I can’t be sure.

This year, my daughter-in-laws bought me a fancy camera bird feeder. The tag was from the whole clan, but I know who picked it out.

I was just starting to be aware of these “necessities” as people in my Facebook bird groups were starting to post amazing closeup shots.

This one is a delight. It has a high def camera, an antenna and a solar panel to keep it transmitting. So far I only had to plug it in twice to charge it before I had the solar panel positioned correctly.

Within 30 minutes of mounting the feeder, the first bird arrived — a black-capped chickadee.

I was amazed when a video popped up on my phone. Then came the tufted titmouse, the house finch and the nuthatch. Soon I had to filter my notifications so I could get some work done.

One day the suet feeders were low so the downy woodpecker made a cameo appearance at the camera.

The picture on the box shows a cardinal, but so far the pair from my yard has been camera-shy.

In the last week we added a brown-headed cowbird, a tree sparrow and a chipping sparrow.

What I really want to see is an Eastern bluebird so I bought meal worms to make it happen.

In case you’ve never splurged on this delicacy, I’ll tell you they look disgusting. They are dried but really look like they could start wiggling at any moment.

I read that you should first put the meal worms on the table and reconstitute them to make them more appealing.

I just can’t.

We usually have bluebirds in the yard, but I haven’t seen them yet and neither has the camera.

I did have two non-birds come to partake.

I was sitting at a ladies church program one Saturday morning when I got an AI notification marked as an animal. AI identifies the birds at the feeder but otherwise just says motion or animal.

Sure enough when I clicked to enlarge the video there was a blob of gray fur and an eye. A squirrel had discovered my Christmas present.

I was listening to a speaker so I refrained from shouting at my phone.

Now I get that notification daily between 10 and 10:30 a.m.

Then last week I woke up I noticed the bird feeder was facing off to the side a bit.

I checked my overnight footage to find a masked bandit chowing down.

Yes, I had more than 10 videos of a raccoon grabbing seed with his amazing hands and shoving it into his mouth. One of my co-workers said it looked liked he was watching a movie, mesmerized and grabbing handfuls of popcorn.

Another said it looked he was at the Old Country Buffet.

And I had a full shot of his teeth. Let’s just say I don’t want to mess with that one!

Now I was torn. I love all wildlife but birdseed is not cheap.

I had to share the video with everyone I know so I posted on Facebook. Jeannie Carl from the Carbon County Environmental Center said she was told, “If you want to feed wildlife you need to feed all of them.”

Right. The next night he nailed the suet feeder.

I have a fill-it-and-forget approach to filling feeders. I like to make them full so I don’t have to go out as often.

At 3:30 on March 19, that all changed.

Now I only put out enough for the day. I put the suet feeders away at night.

Call me stingy. I don’t care. I don’t want him wrecking my feeder. Or bringing his friends.

As spring progresses I look forward to the catbirds, a visiting rose-breasted grosbeak and hopefully an indigo bunting.

I’ve already been documenting the color change in the American goldfinches who come to visit.

I just ordered the hummingbird attachment that will also show Baltimore orioles.

And yes, I’ll be disconnecting it every night. I’ve had too many views of raccoons guzzling from my hummingbird feeders.

I do hope the bear that made off with the suet feeder last year doesn’t show up. Last year he waltzed right up on the deck in broad daylight, looked at me and lumbered off with my feeder.