Squirrel Skills

The suet seed cakes we put in our bird feeder are very tempting to our native Douglas squirrels, as well as to a variety of small birds. Douglas squirrels are much bigger than those little birds -- they're 10.6-14 inches (270-255 mm) long and weigh 5-11 ounces (141-312 grams).

Given their size, I'm amazed  that a Douglas squirrel can make a surprisingly quick entry into or exit from the bird feeder, squeezing its body through an open space only 1.5 inch square (3.8 centimeters)!

I've included a couple of extras of this squirrel resting on the deck railing after exiting the bird feeder, and making it clear by her expression that she was not pleased that I was continuing to take more photos!

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