amusing nature at its best,

[alfred]

As  we all know, the grey squirrel  is or has been imported from America,
and down here in the south in England the grey seem to have control where as in Scotland the lovely red squirrels have control.

how ever for the past three months iv been lucky to have, i think a family of three arrive in my garden since i began to put out  bowls of peanuts in their shells , and the antics of these creatures are fascinating to watch,

it seems they arrive on the garden table where the peanuts are so we can see their antics and then once down they select a nut, inspect it, and then run off only to return minutes later, iv seen them reject one and look for a bigger one, they certainly have a brain,

in-between this the magpies also call  but they seem to wait until the squirrel has gone and they too pick up a shelled nut and fly off, evidently they like peanuts too,

several cats have tried to catch them but they are lightening fast as the cats look dazed at the speed these squirrels can run, our cat tried this and he is fast but evidently not fast enough, so now he sits and watches them as do other cats ,(most likely thinking if only )

Q; are you lucky enough to have an unexpected visitors call on you and if so will you share your thoughts and views when seeing nature close up .

[Michael Rolls]

my first wife and I lived in Ewell and went to and from work by bus. This entailed walking through a small park inhabited by a number of grey squirrels. In wintertime the park was pretty much deserted and over the weekend we would go there with peanuts. The squirrels were confident enough to take the nuts out of your hand and run - except for one. Easily recognizable because of a very substandard tail, he would dash up to you, hook a paw round your little finger, and consume several nuts, ignoring the queue behind!
Mike

[zoony]

I fear mama squirrel didn't get through last winter as I've seen hide nor hair of her in the spring/summer. I miss her and the kits..

[Diasi]

I fear mama squirrel didn't get through last winter as I've seen hide nor hair of her in the spring/summer. I miss her and the kits..

I know the feeling, we no longer have a visiting hedgehog but we do have visiting mice & one that's too big to be a mouse.

[zoony]

Oh dear.. Took down an old shed a few months ago and found similar.. generations of 'em. I'll check the hog-box come spring see if any of those foreigners have usurped it..

[Cassandra]

We have lots of Squirrels! My little wood (about two acres) has been left deliberately wild with a dense canopy. I've been exploring lately and find if I park the quad bike and enter on foot, alone (without the dogs) the variety of wildlife is amazing. These little chaps go flying about and are taking the nuts I leave for them now after I back up say 5 yards. I'm beginning to believe my predecessor here also loved wild creatures and gradually they are beginning to accept me too.

Its also populous with the Easter Chipmunks, I actually saw a few just after I arrived, but their in 'light hibernation' now until the spring. Beautiful little creatures to behold it took me back to my childhood when Walt Disney immortalised them.



[automatically pruned due to age]

[klondike]

It must be odd seeing competely different wildlife. I think the majority of songbirds are different from here too aren't they.

[Michael Rolls]

Oh, how lovely!
Mike

[crabbyob]

when i saw them in Goa i thought they were Chipmonks, but was advised they were Squirels....sex maniacs all of em....lol.... but a few years ago in Barhill in Cambridge i saw a black squirrel i was shocked and had to google it, it seems this is also an american import, and is doint to the greys exactly what they did to the reds..
ps couldnt get on to PF again

[klondike]

Just say PF'd off for short. 

[Alex]

I haven't seen red squirrels for such a long time, must be 6 or 7 years since I saw them at Formby, not far from Southport.  Lovely little creatures.

[Scrumpy]

The popular birds in my garden when I lived in Australia were  Kookaburras..

[crabbyob]

PF'd

[klondike]

I wondered why there were so many new posts. I was going to watch TV (well Amazon Prime but on the TV) but not got to it till just now.

[Raven]

Love the Reds, we have a lot of them in the Forest here.