Although I'm only seeing a few birds, the Red Squirrel that lives under our shed keeps me amused. It usually emerges once or twice a day to race back and forth up and down the tree trunks and through the tree branches. The Red Squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, doesn't hibernate, so it's active all winter, though it may hide away in a warm nest eating its winter cache of food or sleeping a lot of the time.
The peak of our shed is one of its favourite perches, I presume watching out for predators. It will sit here for a full minute or two.
But once it's on the move it will race up and down the tree trunks, only pausing occasionally when I may get a lucky photograph.
There were numerous discards before I got this shot of the squirrel actually on the move.
And this is its highway, a network of branches where it can find horizontal stretches before leaping to the next safe spot. I've watched it go all across the yard and disappear to the east, and then come back again without ever slowing down. It doesn't seem to travel in the deep light fluffy snow we have on the ground currently.
I hope this one is enjoying his chances to run around in the sky, they only have a very short life span. Only 22% make it to one year, but I suspect that this one, with few predators inside the town, and a good hiding spot may be luckier than that. By the way, female Red Squirrels are totally promiscuous, mating with as many males as they can find, though only on one or two days a year.
Blizzard and snow squalls here today, but at least it's light fluffy snow.
Neat squirrels and good photos. I remember helping to renovate a co-worker's house: inside many of the stud bays was a cache of corn kernels hidden there by generations of red squirrels. In some places the kernels filled two feet of the stud bay.
ReplyDeleteBlizzard and snow, no wonder his tail is so thick and bushy, perfect for keeping his face and nose warm, when he does stop and rest. The photos are beauties, we don't have those fellows down here, so I really enjoy seeing them through your lens.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen very many of them in the city! They seem to be tough little guys though. The Grey Squirrels have taken over especially the black ones which seem to be the most prevalent.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a cheeky little beggar!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen them here since the fall. I'd thought they'd hibernate through the winter.
ReplyDeleteSo cute - are they regarded as pests? I’m in Western Australia- no native squirrels here. The northern palm squirrel is an import and not welcome.....
ReplyDeleteI think Red Squirrels are one of the cutest animals around! And they sure do make a ruckus in the woods, with their chirps and chirrs. Your photos capture much of the cuteness of this critter.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos of this cute character. Our Red Squirrels are now only found in a few isolated northern areas as the introduced Grey squirrel carry a disease which is fatal to the Reds. I once spotted one in Nothumberland and halted the group I was leading and watched the squirrel for a good ten minutes before someone noticed a large bull walking across the field in our direction. Our observations thus concluded with some haste.
ReplyDeleteU.K. red squirrels are much smaller and more elegant than the greys. I have only seen them in Scotland. However we have no shortage of greys thundering around north London. It’s snowing a little this morning but doesn’t look as though it will lie. I expect our resident squirrel will be scuffling around the garden later.
ReplyDeleteI have a squirrel who visits my bird feeder. The other day he was late in his arrival and the birds had pretty much cleaned it out. He sat on top of the feeder chirping out his displeasure. No, I didn't go out and give him anything.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!
You got some really nice pictures of the squirrel, I can't say if I ever have seen a red one.
ReplyDeleteI love their eyes, so dark with the white circle around it. :) Sad that most of them don't live very long.
Wow that is a short life span. I did not know!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lesson on Red Squirrels. Always thought the lived for Two Years.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy nature around you.
It's about time.
I learned a while back that squirrels wrap their tails around their spines to keep in warmth. I had no idea their life span is so short.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun to watch squirrels. They get up to all kinds of things!
ReplyDeleteI spent time this morning admiring the red squirrels during our walk along the boardwalk. Love your photos.
ReplyDeleteWe have several different varieties of Squirrels here but it is the Red Squirrels who are the most active, comical, mischievous, and determined to get into any bird feeder a human can build. About 10 years ago we had a family of Red Squirrels in one of our larger bird houses up a pine tree. Cutest little devils.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! That squirrel is cute!
ReplyDeleteIn Virginia, we only have these in the highest mountains. I like them. I know that some people do not because they can be destructive, but I used to enjoy them when I lived in Maine, USA.
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