I was amused by this Cardinal, looking longingly at the seed(s) that the squirrel was eating … a bit of fraternal competition there.
Just behind him is a large patch of wild carrot plants – he can’t wait for them to grow some more
Scurry the Squirrel – because he scurries and he is an Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and with a genus like Sciurius naming him Scurry just fits.
Despite being black(ish) he/she is nevertheless a Gray Squirrel, as are the rather less common cream coloured forms.
Just a few Viburnum berries left this January, being eagerly eaten by a pair of voracious squirrels.
Gray squirrel (black form) lunching on fresh sunflower seeds.
Long time visitors to this site will have seen this image before – it’s the “best” raccoon portrait I have ever taken (I think) but the recent visitations have not allowed me to better it, so here it it again. Fun creatures so long as they don’t get in your garbage.
Very stormy and wet day so we passed much of it watching the garden and between rainy blatter periods mother raccoon and four youngsters paraded from one patch of vegetation across the pond and into the trees. Always takes time to grab the camera so this is kid number four.
Around now the garden squirrels climb up the high trees around the house and snip off the pine cones. These fall on the roof of the sunroom with a great crash and are later in the day rounded up by the squirrels for a healthy snack. This was an early breakfast for one of our friends.
We happened upon this well-nourished deer in the arboretum a day or two ago and spent a few minutes staring at each other. It knew we were there but apart from showing a little caution it didn’t really seem unduly worried.
