The Nut House... Literally

Early this evening, I was able to get a couple of photos of Mama Squirrel in the birdhouse that her family has chosen to call home. I was able to get pretty close with the 'tail' photo (she couldn't see me coming), but had to stand a bit further back while taking the other as Mama S. was getting quite nervous as I approached.

Last weekend, we actually watched Mama S. move her babies, one by one (five, by our count) from the birdhouse to a makeshift nest in the oak tree next to our deck. Alas, that only lasted a few days. I went out one morning to find all the twigs, leaves, and nesting material laying at the base of the tree. We weren't sure where they'd gone, but it's now apparent that Mama S. carried her babies across the yard and back up into the birdhouse. Once the babes are on their own and Mama and Papa S. have moved out, we need to refurbish the birdhouse... It's gotten quite shabby looking over the past fourteen years (and not the good shabby!)...

Here's one of Mama S's relatives who came to visit me on the deck this afternoon. Actually, he/she came for a handout of peanuts rather than to visit, but that's okay... Maybe I'll have 'baby' pictures to share with you before long...

Donna