A little visitor doing strange things!!!!

By Jenny McIntyre ^club

30 Nov 2018 - 17 comments | Translate title into English

Well this afternoon I was sitting on my couch, doing some more sewing when a movement outside caught my eye. I realised that a squirrel was out in my garden - now this is quite a rare treat so I watched it for all of 20 seconds when it shot off into the undergrowth!! Oh well, at least it was a little surprise and a very pleasant one at that. I had no idea that a squirrel was around these parts.

Pippin came over onto my table to get some strokes, when he suddenly stiffened and stared out the window. I followed his gaze and whoa - he was staring at that squirrel!!! Only this time he was up the top of the large sycamore tree at the bottom of my garden. This tree is about 60ft high - and with the high winds we've had recently - there are no leaves......

This tree is about 60ft high - why was he up there?

What on earth was he doing up there? As you can see the weather wasn't brilliant. At least not a lot of rain, just colourless sky.

He was obviously well fed and had a good coat on him - hopefully not a sign of a bad winter to come!!! Well he spent a long time up this branch, then came down and went up another branch!!!

I mean this is a sycamore tree, no nuts up there, but he was obviously eating something he found up there ....

This behaviour lasted for about an hour and Pippin had given up watching him but I hadn't and had brought out my other camera to see if I could get good pictures of him through the window. Please bear in mind it's about 150ft from my lounge window and 60ft up in the air and through my window. So not too bad really .....

His coat is two toned - brown and grey. We don't have many red squirrels around here in the UK anymore - the grey squirrels have fought with them and they seem to have won the war.......

He's quite a cute little fella - but obviously there are things up there that he has found he can eat. He was going up and down every branch all afternoon. Quite odd behaviour, still it made sense to him!!

Elbertinum, Stormlizard have particularly liked this article

17 comments - The latest ones

Stormlizard ^club

I think it may be a Female, as it appears to be Pregnant. What it is eating are the small buds for next springtime leaves the Red ones also do and at times eat thejuicy bark Jenny..
As with the smaller Red Tree Squirrel they live solitary lives and do not Hybernate, the Male squirrels live in collective groups they visit the females during the mating season, a sight worth watchig as it is very amusing.

As for the brown in its fur it is quite normal, they are usually only pure grey in their fist year of life, it is not because they've mated with a red, that cannot be done genetically. Occasionally you may find black ones, jut as with some rodents you will get Albinos.

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Stormlizard ^club

Oh wow a pregnant squirrel, as you know I have many trees in my garden, so no doubt she's found one to put her drew in.

6 years ago.

Stormlizard ^club has replied to Jenny McIntyre ^club

Yes Jenny. Grey Tree Squirrels sometimes build a Drey of sticks and leaves in old crow nests but mostly they prefer a tree with a hole in it, old woodpecker nesting holes orjust a hole due to rotting where a bough haf been sawn off or broken off.

Check out this Video ofMrs Red doing her best to remain a 'Maiden' during the mating season.

www.ipernity.com/doc/stormlizard/40964678

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Gracie

Sorry but in my area we mostly consider squirrels rodents and vermin. They are more than plentiful and can be both nasty and destructive. Every year they dig up my garden bulbs and eat the tops off my tulips. I am not a fan.

6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Gracie

I can understand your distaste of them if you have lots of them doing destructive things. As Fran says, they are rare to see here, so it's a delight to spot one in your own garden.

6 years ago.

Stormlizard ^club has replied to Gracie

In England they are considered pests Gracie, the government long ago paid out rewards for every tail sent in in an effort to reduce the threat.

More recently Restaurants have opened in some areas where they only serve roasted grey squirrel, they are edible wheres thered ones are not,they tast srongly of Pine tree resin.

6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Stormlizard ^club

I'm shocked here John, restaurants serving roast squirrel! Not in the UK though. Mind you in the Far East, they eat dogs which I think is horrendous.

6 years ago.

Stormlizard ^club has replied to Jenny McIntyre ^club

The Restaurants I speak of are in England Jenny, it is intended to eventually wipe out those Grey Tree Rats that fools took home from USA with them many years ago. Grey Squirrels were a standard meal in USA many years ago. I gave a link to an Edinburough Restaurant but there are many many other spread across England.
.
We British people are no better, we took wild rabbits to Australia, they became pests too and had to be destroyed asthey had no predators to keep rhem dowEngland like Denmark has our natural Red Tree Squirrel, it is protected and does no damage to trees or crops..

Here in Europe we do not have the grey pests.

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Bee Orchid

Great photos Jenny, and what a treat. I see a lot of them here with all the trees in the area, however they're always very fast so no chance of a photo. These are wonderful.

Gracie - they can be nasty I know; one savaged my finger one time when I tried to rescue it from my dog (many years back, different dog). In many parts of the UK, frankly it's so built up, it's a treat to see any kind of wildlife.

6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Bee Orchid

Thanks so much Fran. I think this is the first time I've seen one in my own garden

6 years ago.

Maeluk ^club has replied to Bee Orchid

Try some peanuts scattered around. They sit happily for photos and stay still while they can eat peanuts :)

6 years ago.

Elbertinum ^club

sehr gute Schnappschüsse -

6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Elbertinum ^club

Heel erg bedankt, Albert

6 years ago.

Maeluk ^club

I love squirrels, I have often seen greys with a lot of brown.. they amuse me..:)

6 years ago.

Stormlizard ^club has replied to Maeluk ^club

Very common Steve, normally they are only pure grey in their first year.

Yes Squirrels are very amusing especially when males turn up at mating time, take a look at the video I made, a bit slow in starting but then sudenly ;-

www.ipernity.com/doc/stormlizard/40964678

John.

6 years ago.

Jenny McIntyre ^club has replied to Maeluk ^club

Yes me too Steve. They are so clever too. I've seen the advertisements on tv , learning how to scale obstacles just to get to some peanuts.

6 years ago.

Mickey fez

Good shots from your couch

6 years ago.

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A little visitor doing strange things!!!!