Mostly Gray Squirrels

Late summer siblings. They are still hanging together and probably won't split till the female is ready to mate mid summer.

What a pose. Don caught this little guy right outside the back door.

On of the siblings from the first picture, all nice a bulked up for winter.

Testing the comfort zone. 10' is about as close as an adult will allow.

Nut swipe

Everything about this adult is saying I'm as close as I'm going to get.

Typical juvie curiosity.

This female has been around a few years and is pretty unflappable.

The first shutter slap of the 20D sent everyone up a tree.

This was more of a tree shot than a squirrel shot.

Here she is again.

An albino grey squirrel. They are showing up more and more in this area.

One of my first shots with the DReb

Another first with the 70-200

The only picture we ever got with her and one of her young. This was her last litter.

This little one is now offically known as the Sis baby. This took the 70-200 + TC, can't get very close.

Had to do some waiting a sneaking to get this head shot. Most youngsters do not make their 1st year (50%+ mortality). It has been a common thought that predatation was the main killer of squirrels,(all ages), however it is now believed that illness plays the most important roll in this.

Squirrels are the ultimate bird feeder raiders, but raccoons can really destroy bird feeders as well. Or like my good friend in MD, a black bear on her deck!!! So when we put food out that appeals to a variety of wilds it's the 'set the table we will come' thing.

Yea they can make a mess but spilled food gets cleaned up by the bottom feeders like doves.

That wasn't me on the bird feeder, I'm a good squirrel.

The next 3 pictures are of a youngster that just begged a name, we called him Flower Eater. Hosta flowers, begonias, marigolds (a sq fav BTW). If it bloomed he ate it. Quite funny and a bit unusual since squirrels usually only nits at one type of plant and that can change year to year usually annuals.

While we are at Flower Eater is a good time to address squirrels, gardens and landscape. We have done one or the other for the last 25 years, landscaping in the last 3. Rabbits by far have proved to be the most destructive. Squirrels on the other hand love fresh soft tilled dirt. When you are making a new bed let it sit for a week, the squirrels get over it. If you plant immediately you will come back out to find your plants laying out on the ground.

Squirrels also have a tendency to fixate one type of plant, I don't really know why, but I have found that it is usually an annual. If we have a plant that we have had to re-plant more than 3 times, we get more of the same, that plant is the plant of the year. By doing this they leave other plants alone. Oh squirrels can see in color, one of the few mammals besides humans that have this ability, they like red and pink! They also favor young plants.

Southern Flying squirrel. Sony 717 in night shot mode, I so miss that camera's abilty in that area.

The next two pictures are more how close can I get, 4' was the limit which is unusually close.

Same squirrel bit different angle.

Just playing around with motion.

Girl Sq again.

All that digging? Squirrels love dirt. They eat dirt for the macroelements it provides. Dust baths and when they are nursing or it is very hot....

it sooths and cools.

This a shot of the notorious Ms Nibs, yes another wild with a name, had to. No that is not a trick of the camera she really does have that much tail compared to her body size.

Lactating female. From the size of her teats we can guess the yound are around 2 weeks old (+-)

This is a Sis baby, she (Sis) left a bit too soon. Because if this we were able to observe first hand how the female, blood relatives, will assist, and in some cases take over raising the young of the Matriarch.

While I didn't get this girl and that act she was face wiping big time. This is how squirrel mark 'squirrel highways' often leading right to a good food source..Bird feeders anyone??

Youngster getting a good look at the big wide world. Hasn't come clear out of the nest box yet

April 26th I'm sort of cheating and will take one of thses down tomorrow. I put them both up so it was easier to see what was going on. This is the first night the youngster actually came out of the nest box. Continued...

Mom squirrel relaxing while keeping a watchful eye on the youngsters that are on the ground for the first time.

Human with big white lens spotted...