Love/Hate

Tree rodents, grass slugs, conniving rats with legs - whatever negative epithet you want to deprecate upon them - I've heard them all! I've come to view them much differently...…. through a lifetime of behavioral inspection I've found them to be hours of entertainment and fasciation - arboreally impressive, playful, cunning, family oriented and extreme survivors.

I took this image during a recent snow squall whose harshness had little consequence on its daily grind. Intense memory-foraging behavior with the brain the size of a walnut went on for hours before retreating into a tree hole the size a silver dollar.Negative connotations aside, who can deny their endearing cuteness. I say let them have as much bird seed as they can gormandize at the feeders - I see no reason that, they, along with my cardinals, bluejays, titmice, and chickadees can't equally share in the bounty. "Have at it Boys", I say when watching them hog my bird feeder. Their entertainment value is payback enough. Oh, and one last thing, most importantly, they are forest builders. Grey Squirrels can restart a field with seedling oaks, hickories, and maples through their relentless caching behavior - all free of charge. Their walnut brain only goes so far.

Love them or hate them they’re here to stay.

Nature Note: Sciurus carolinensis - Sciurus means shade tail - think how they sit with their tail over their body creating self-shading.