Sunday, August 24, 2008

American Grey Squirrels

Summer has been busy for the squirrels. During a storm the babies nest blew out of their tree & I found it in the front yard. I carried it around back & laid it on the deck by their tree. It was fun to watch them carry it all back up the tree. Some of the nest material was the coco mat lineing of my flower planter. I peeked inside & they had pinecones stored in there.
The two babies continue to look for peanut butter sandwiches each day and stretch out on their bellies like a dog to nap on the deck railing. A favorite of theirs is apples. We enjoy it when they look in the kitchen window to let us know we are slow with our offerings. On a cool morning I took my coffee out on the deck. Bits of peanut butter sandwich were landing around me.
A reminder that the squirrel kids had taken their breakfast up the tree.
The tailess squirrel continues to forage on the ground around the birdfeeders. He can still be mistaken for a Guinea Pig and it is always fun to spot him.
The squirrelboys are starting their mournful Yowling to attract squirrelgirls & will do a jitterbug in front of one that comes near. Their jitterbug looks like they stepped into a pile of ants & they have the heebejeebies. It's comical to watch.
There are a good number of their Summer Leaf Nests high in the trees where they sleep in the summer. Sitting out in the early morning I have enjoyed watching them leave their nest, stretch & yarn and begin jumping from tree to tree to find breakfast. They throw themselves into the air and when you think they surely have missed they grab the tiniest branch & rescue themselves at the last second.
One summer I was sitting in the yard reading. Loui the cat was under my chair napping. Squirrels were running through the treetops, tree to tree, and one missed. He came straight down & landed at my feet. I was shocked. Loui was electrified and pounced, but the little guy got away. Squirrels are fast.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Nest

On Easter Sunday The Rabbit was nibbling grass on the front lawn.
Weeks later a rabbit burrow appeared on a bank near the garden. It's next to a small brush pile of twiggy branches. In this pile the wild mother rabbit dug a hole and lined it with her fur.
Early one morning a tiny rabbit was hopping around in the branches and later in the morning he was tucked back into his nest for a nap. Other mornings found him in the burrow with fur blanketed over the opening. We wonder if there are Nestmates.
Now just a few weeks later two junior size rabbits and their mother were seen in the backyard and garden area playing chase, leaping, standing tall to reach flowers on the shrubs and nibbling new grass followed by tender-to-watch washing of ears and face.