Young Gray Squirrels

The spring crop of Eastern Gray Squirrels has left the nest and joined the adults in the search for food.  In a span of about a week, the Blue Jay Barrens population of squirrels has tripled.  The youngsters are evident by their smaller size, unflagging energy and unconcern of approaching humans.

Birds have had to take a back seat to squirrels.  The early morning hours ring with the clang of squirrels jumping to and from the feeder.

This influx of new squirrels is not limited to the yard.  The woods are suddenly alive with squirrels.  That will be a problem if the trees fail to produce a bounty of food this fall.

The young squirrels treat the woodpecker tree as if it were a backyard jungle gym.  All seem to have their preferred route through the tree and repeat the same trip constantly.  This activity probably uses up all of the energy gained by the few sunflower seeds they manage to eat between trips.

Once atop the stub, there’s the obligatory look around.

A practice jump to the feeder is accomplished on the way down.  The youngsters are pretty good at making the jump, but they haven’t caught on to taking a sunflower seed while they’re there.  They wait and pick those up off the ground.

Sometimes there’s a little rest before hitting the ground.  Squirrels are one of the few mammals that can look comfortable sprawled out on a vertical surface.

Once back on the ground, they look for the sunflower seeds knocked out by their jump to the feeder.  They’re quick about it because it’s almost time to head back up the tree.

The only relaxed squirrels are the females who no longer have to nurse their young.  They are trying to replenish their energy reserves for the litter they will deliver in the fall.  It looks like we’re going to have a lot of squirrels around when winter arrives.

A Camera Critters submission.

Squirrels

The size of the squirrel population at Blue Jay Barrens is constantly changing.  Squirrel numbers may plunge to the point of non-existence and within a couple of years be back to the point where we’re seemingly over run.  Eastern Gray Squirrels are by far the most numerous in any given year.  We have both a woodland population and a yard troupe.

The yard contains many natural food items, but the squirrels typically supplement their diet by visiting the bird feeders.  The basic route to the food begins at the fork in the dead tree …

… and ends in the feeder.  Some individuals have mastered the jump to the point that they land face first in the sunflower seed.

Except for the more assertive species, most birds wait nearby as the squirrels feed.

Eastern Fox Squirrels are rather plentiful this year.  They normally avoid the feeder and take their food from the ground.  This one looked as though it was preparing to jump, but it never made a try. 

Eventually, it worked its way so far down the tree trunk that a try at the feeder was no longer an option. 

I was surprised to find a Fox Squirrel in the middle of the woods with a mouth full of nesting material.  The blurry photo is a result of my habit of taking a quick shot the instant I spot a subject.  I’ll then take the time to focus properly and try for a good shot.  In this case, the squirrel dropped the nest material immediately after I took the photo.  I figure an out-of-focus shot is better than no shot at all.

The Fox Squirrel is normally found in more open country.  Of course, the habitat is so fragmented around here that open ground is not too far away.  I suppose the squirrel should know better than I what its habitat requirements are.