After a hiatus in my squirrel feeding (I’m a bad person), I’ve resumed putting nuts and seeds out on my windowsill. It’s harder to attract my favorite rodents this summer, as our building is encased in scaffolds as they replace the 120-year-old tile roof. But the squirrels do have a new jungle gym to run around on.
So far I’ve just been feeding a mother squirrel, with swollen teats, but today the first baby of the year showed up. He/she is very small and timid, and nearly fell off the ledge when I opened the window to proffer a walnut. (Gray squirrels have two broods a year in this area.) It hasn’t yet learned how to open walnuts, and even has trouble with peanuts. But sunflower seeds—no problem!
Pardon the glare from the window:
It’s interesting how one seldom sees a “baby” squirrel: I’ve run across many naked ones and semi-furred ones still in the nests I’ve exposed in stripping roofs for re-roofing, but I’ve never seen a tiny one like this actually running around. I’m sure they lie low. The “momma” in the big Sycamore tree next to my 2nd floor apt. apparently had two this year; suddenly two slightly smaller versions of her appeared and she tolerates them being around. I’m feeding them and they’re getting fat!
I have a couple of baby red squirrels around our workshop. They are awfully cute!
Buy the shelled sunflower seeds, they are not that much more expensive and there are no shells to make a mess.
Naah, I have a broom and a dustpan for the shells, and they need to gnaw to keep their teeth from growing!
I didn’t know about the teeth. Fortunately the squirrels here have much else to gnaw on.
Awwww! 🙂