A Squirrel and his Teddy

One of those not quite shots. Nuts were stuffed in the teddy's t-shirt in the hope the squirrel would pick it up and look like it was giving it a hug. But he's too clever for that and simply foraged out the nuts immediately. There's definitely just the one, the same one as yesterday, that's the bold lad - the others will come close, but grab and nut and bolt. Whereas this guy cclimbs your leg and sits on your knee.

Interestingly, reading up on squirrels today, the case against greys isn't quite as cut-and-dried as might be thought. And when it comes down to it mankind has been, and is, a greater threat to their red cousins with the continued planting of trees that favour greys over reds especially. And back in time (I think it was the 20s) there were squirrel shooting clubs set up.... to kill the reds. They were seen as a pest, and were virtually wiped out in the UK - most of the population here today was actually reintroduced from the likes of Scandinavia. Which is an interesting counterpoint to the 'non-native' grey.

AND while greys carry a pox virus that they are immune to, they weren't always, but survival of the fittest meant that the immunity genes persisted; interestingly some reds are now actually showing the same immunity. Small numbers for sure, but it's an indication that they could develop the same immunity over time if they are given the chance to get stronger and fitter, which means the planting of conifers and the like where reds can outperform greys. Not that they actually compete much for food - the greys forage on the ground about 80% of the time. Reds spend only about a third of their time on the ground.

Anyway, two squirrel blips in a row - next week might be worse as I have some plans for this chap. So I'm thinking a Monday-Thursday squirrel series... (Friday I'm meeting Mel for lunch).

Tonight was nice - dinner with friends Phil and Julie, then off to the Dominion to see the second Sherlock Holmes movie. Let's just say it didn't quite live up to the pace of the first, nor the BBC series, and leave it at that....

Sitting Pretty
#19 Wren