The fox squirrel release happened Friday morning. They called my gf and showed up an hour later. I was at work, so I missed it.
They had three cat carriers with a total of nine fox squirrels. The release group consisted of two volunteer workers and a biologist who is into fox squirrels.
The biologist chose the release spot along one end of our horse pasture. The trees were perfect and a creek flows through the area. Plus there were squirrels all over the place.
They brought food and set up a feeding station where we are to place one cup each day. The food looked yummy!
My gf was too involved in the release to remember to take pictures. She belatedly remembered and got one shot:
We’ve been staying away from the release site except to put out food. The biologist asked that we do this to decrease the possibility that the squirrels would try to interact with us.
Meanwhile, other squirrels are hanging around our house.
They’ve apparently found the feed station. It would be fun to hang out and see them eating, etc but that defeats the purpose of the release.
It’s kind of funny. Our one neighbors feeds the birds using feeders designed to stop squirrels from accessing the food. I’ll eventually tell Charlie and he’ll crack up, like he did when he saw the area of our yard where I purposely planted dandelion and broadleaf plantain as tortoise food.
This past weekend, I saw my first hummingbird of the year. I’ve been expecting them, as our bottle brush tree is bursting out all over. I’m not sure what kind of hummingbird it was, but it was rather drab. I like to see them regardless!
Got a question for you. When I think of what our local squirrels are doing at the moment… well, they’re digging for scatter hoarded acorns and the like that they laid down in the autumn/fall. I know nothing about fox squirrels - do they also scatter hoard? Because if so it seems an odd time of year to release them (as they have nothing laid down). Obviously there must be a reason - but I assume that the plan is to try to wean them off the food station supply and push them towards eating…what?
Elsewhere - out on the bike today I saw snake’s head fritillaries growing by the side of the road. No way of knowing if they were wild or if someone had planted them, but nice to see.
We have ducks that have wintered in our neighborhood (and especially at the artificial streams and ponds in my complex) for a number of years. It’s not unusual to see them in or by a pond or pool.
Today the two males ( we assumed the female was under the bushes) were sleeping in the grass right outside our unit.
I think that’s why we are feeding them. The biologist texted my gf to discuss the squirrels today. He’s stopping by later this week to check out our attic, where we have flying squirrels living in an area that our roofer built protection. Heh, instead of blocking attic access we paid someone to build a protected enclosure.
The mama duck was back this morning. We heard her.
She’s standing at the base of the tree, if you have trouble seeing her. The orange mesh is protecting the planter area that plumbers are currently working on. They started drilling into the concrete, and we heard mama quacking at them to shut up! We think she may be nesting beneath the bush behind the tree.
I was at Ano Nuevo for the docent-led Elephant Seal tour yesterday. It’s late in the season and the main attraction–big males looking to establish territory–have left. The thing that I got excited about was seeing a single small California Newt just outside the visitor center. I haven’t seen one in the wild for years.
I saw my first bluebells of the year today. Spring! There were just a few in a south facing wood, but it’s a psychologically important moment for me every year.
Also, I took a ride past my favorite swamp - naturally, it’s a pretty wet area - and for several hundred meters leading up to the swamp there were wild garlic leaves by the side of the road, growing thicker than I have ever seen them. I’ll go back in a couple of weeks, when they’re in flower, to take some snaps.
Another thing I miss about England. Where my ex lives, near Bristol but not metro area, the woods are full of them. Sigh. Here in MN, our snow is mostly gone and the dandelions are greening up.
The squirrel guy spent much of yesterday at our house, sitting in a portable blind with binoculars. He saw the fox squirrels that they released (they all look alike to me). We discussed squirrels (he doesn’t think of anything other than squirrels).
Here is an interesting factoid. A study in Chicago showed a correlation between the squirrel species population distribution and socioeconomic data for the area. In poor areas there are more dogs/cats running loose than in more affluent areas. Dogs/cats can more easily catch/kill some species than other species. This causes a shift in numbers over time.
I’m worried his passion will rub off on me and I’ll wander around watching and discussing Sciuridae.
And just watched these two from my living room chair. Wasn’t sure at first if they were f%ghting or f*cking, turns out it was a bit of both. Spring is on the air!!
Eagle babies have arrived! Which I saw through a camera feed, not in person. It’s going to be cold the next couple of days so I hope they can keep the young ones warm.
This cardinal spent the best part of two hours last night thrashing against my window. He’d periodically take off and regroup, but within minutes, come back and try again. Is this some kind of good omen (she said hopefully)?
