It was quite a surprise earlier this summer when this female red squirrel showed up at my birdfeeder. I have lived here for 25 years now and this is the first time seeing a red squirrel.
She is very cautious when she sees me or the gray squirrels coming into the yard. I watched her closely whenever I saw her to see how she related to the birds and other wildlife. She would gather a few sunflower seeds or peanuts and run to her safe place on top of a bench underneath my maple tree.
I could see that she might have a nest nearby in one of the tall trees at the back of the property. She always went in the same direction after eating. I think she already had a nest full of babies by the fullness of her little teets.
I find her absolutely adorable and fun to watch. It took a few weeks before she would settle and eat while I sat on the back porch. She seemed to finally trust me enough since I sat pretty still when she would arrive. As you can see, she is keeping a close eye on me while I try and get some photos of her.
Believe it or not by August she actually came up on the porch looking for a peanut. I was shocked when she did so yet look at her stance, very warry for sure. Maybe her seeing the gray squirrels and chipmunks coming to me daily gave her some confidence. Although, when I did toss her a peanut she ran quickly back to the bench for safety.
One day while sitting on the porch I caught a glimpse of two baby red squirrels playing in a pine tree in the backyard. It was so exciting to finally see her little ones. I wonder if they will stay close to the area and become frequent visitors next year. What do you think?
Thanks for visiting my post today all the hive nature lovers.
Until next time, this is Sunscape
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