First there was one, then two, then three and now there are four! These little furry creatures have cheered me up no end today as they played chase around the garden. I got up later this morning due to a migraine which is the result of not much sleep and also the thumping beat of music from next door which went on all day yesterday. Sometime next week the council will be installing recording equipment in my house so that they can gather evidence to prosecute the neighbours as they seem to ignore the letters.
Anyway, as I was having breakfast I was looking out of the window and noticed there were two squirrels outside tucking into the sunflower seeds. Then I saw another on the peanut box but I have had three during the very cold weather so I was surprised to see a fourth one dangling upside down by one of his back legs and raiding the birds' wire peanut cage.
During the very cold snap they would stay around the garden all day keeping their eye on the food but over the last two days it has been much milder, in fact it's almost tropical today so I think the warmer conditions have aroused their natural instincts as they seemed to have other things on their minds! A lot of people say they are just rats with fluffy tails but I disagree with that. They are little bundles of of fur with fluffy tails that seem to enjoy life to the full especially when they are chasing each other round the garden playing 'tag' or 'hide and seek'. Then there's the antics with the peanuts. One will dig a hole to bury the peanut and while he's getting another, the second squirrel will be digging up the one that's just been buried!
After fun and games and a good game of chase they will sit up along the top of the fence and have a wash then sit there like little ornaments with their front paws clasped across their tummies, heads down having a nap! I know they are not an idigenous species because the native British squirrel is red and lives in conifer forests up in the north of England and Scotland so if these little fellas had not been brought over from the USA then I would not have a lot to watch in the garden!
Hi Grandma!
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are loads of fun to watch. I can hear them barking in the woods behind our house and when the mulberries are ripe it isn't long before the tree is stripped clean. They shake the berries from the boughs and then have a nice picnic at the base of the tree.
I'm glad they've chosen your garden to play in.
Hi Robin!
ReplyDeleteThese are really spoiled too. I bought some sweet chestnuts just for them for Christmas and I've been putting out three or four each day. Sarah doesn't like chestnut stuffing or chestnuts with sprouts and we had a large free range chicken because she prefers that to turkey, so the squirrels are having what I didn't :)