I was just remarking to my spouse this morning that squirrel roadkill season is upon us, ugh. 🙁 However, the turkey vultures have timed their southern migration in sync with the clean up. Nothing wasted!
We’ve got black vultures down here performing the same kind of helpful road clean up services. I didn’t know they are federally protected and it is illegal to harass them. We did see some turkey vultures hanging out with them last winter.
I see. He must be well fed if he’s going for a green acorn which he can probably get any time on his own. Someone at the Park left piles of corn – fresh corn, which is something different. I was wondering if it was canned and they dumped it, or they stripped corn on the cob then piled it up for the critters. Most times when people leave garden produce there, they just leave the entire cob.
I’ve heard of giving squirrels cracked corn, which is also good for them. I read that it is good exercise for their teeth to work on getting corn off of a cob. Perhaps I should be worried about that squirrel, though, the internet says that brown acorns are mature and more nutritious than the green ones. I understand that the periodical cicadas we had this spring negatively impact acorn production.
I have seen our local squirrels eat green pine cones, which always surprised me since the green pine cones often have resin on them. I took photos one time of the sap/resin dripping off some pine cones. How that doesn’t make the squirrels sick is a mystery to me. I heard a lot of stories about the periodical cicadas before their arrival, even up to a year before, but since Michigan didn’t get them, they didn’t get much press here. I didn’t realize they negatively impacted acorn production. When we got an influx of cicadas several years ago, we were advised to wrap all the ornamental trees, especially small trees, as they would damage them.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a squirrel dining on a pine cone! That must have been quite something to see. Google led me to this cool video showing how they do it. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=673137487555232
You would think the pine resin (or pitch, as my mother used to call it when we got it on ourselves climbing trees) would stick to their fur and be a lot of trouble to get off.
That was a fun video and those squirrels were sure enjoying the pine cones. I didn’t think about the pine nuts. And I think that pine resin/pitch on the green cones would smell strongly and so the squirrels wouldn’t go for them for eating or damaging their fur.
Glad you enjoyed the video, Linda! 🐿️
Very sweet Barbara!
I hope the cute little guy stays on his best behavior! I have one that keeps emptying a hanging pot to take a nap in.
Do you come really close to them, Barbara? I mean, 2-3 meters?
Yes, about that close, and I make good use of the camera’s zoom lens. 😉
So cute. I’m smiling about how perfectly posed this little guy is, as if he knew this was his photo-op and he was the star.
I’m smiling because he wasn’t working with me at all — he was so busy doing his thing that I had to take dozens of pictures before I got a good one.
Getting ready for winter!
There has been a marked increase in squirrel activity these days!
I was just remarking to my spouse this morning that squirrel roadkill season is upon us, ugh. 🙁 However, the turkey vultures have timed their southern migration in sync with the clean up. Nothing wasted!
We’ve got black vultures down here performing the same kind of helpful road clean up services. I didn’t know they are federally protected and it is illegal to harass them. We did see some turkey vultures hanging out with them last winter.
Shhhh ….. can’t disturb a nut-eating squirrel.
He was so intent on eating that he didn’t seem to notice me.
How cute! I hope you rewarded him, Barbara, for posing so prettily!
Nope! He was not posing! He was so busy I had to take dozens of pictures before I could get a good one. But he finally found the perfect nut, I think.
Well you know I am enamored by your furry friend Barbara. Is this cutie Fred or one of Fred’s kin?
Must be a distant relative because this one lives miles away from us in Cedar Falls Park. He tried quite a few nuts before settling on a green acorn.
I see. He must be well fed if he’s going for a green acorn which he can probably get any time on his own. Someone at the Park left piles of corn – fresh corn, which is something different. I was wondering if it was canned and they dumped it, or they stripped corn on the cob then piled it up for the critters. Most times when people leave garden produce there, they just leave the entire cob.
I’ve heard of giving squirrels cracked corn, which is also good for them. I read that it is good exercise for their teeth to work on getting corn off of a cob. Perhaps I should be worried about that squirrel, though, the internet says that brown acorns are mature and more nutritious than the green ones. I understand that the periodical cicadas we had this spring negatively impact acorn production.
I have seen our local squirrels eat green pine cones, which always surprised me since the green pine cones often have resin on them. I took photos one time of the sap/resin dripping off some pine cones. How that doesn’t make the squirrels sick is a mystery to me. I heard a lot of stories about the periodical cicadas before their arrival, even up to a year before, but since Michigan didn’t get them, they didn’t get much press here. I didn’t realize they negatively impacted acorn production. When we got an influx of cicadas several years ago, we were advised to wrap all the ornamental trees, especially small trees, as they would damage them.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a squirrel dining on a pine cone! That must have been quite something to see. Google led me to this cool video showing how they do it.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=673137487555232
You would think the pine resin (or pitch, as my mother used to call it when we got it on ourselves climbing trees) would stick to their fur and be a lot of trouble to get off.
That was a fun video and those squirrels were sure enjoying the pine cones. I didn’t think about the pine nuts. And I think that pine resin/pitch on the green cones would smell strongly and so the squirrels wouldn’t go for them for eating or damaging their fur.
Glad you enjoyed the video, Linda! 🐿️
Very sweet Barbara!
I hope the cute little guy stays on his best behavior! I have one that keeps emptying a hanging pot to take a nap in.
Oh the mischief those adorable bushy-tailed rodents can get into! Last year I had one burying nuts in a pot of mums on the porch.
But I can HEAR her chewing!!! 🙂
Love that sound — imagine how sharp those teeth are!!! 🙂
🦷 😅
🐿️