Visitors

It could be a little warmer

2012-02-06T14:02:00.000+01:00

When these shots were taken this morning it was 1 Fahrenheit. It’s up to 12 at the moment, but should start dropping soon.

I’m not complaining, it wouldn’t do any good. We just have to dress warm.

A scamp has to eat

2012-01-29T10:49:00.000+01:00

Very little stops the scamps from foraging. A little snow didn’t stop this one from visiting the balcony. He ate shelled hazels then tried a walnut. He did take the safe way up to the feeder.

Yeah, we got snow

2012-01-28T11:26:00.000+01:00

I knew it was too good to be true. This is what I saw when I got up this morning. Someone came by and ate the shelled hazels in the bird house. I saw the little paw prints. I’ll be out this afternoon with the shovel and salt.

Ditto Jr. came with the sun

2012-01-27T19:22:00.000+01:00

The lad waited until we got a little sun before coming to the balcony. He ate a few nuts before moving on.

Eating a walnut

2012-01-24T12:50:00.000+01:00

We had a little snow this morning. You can see it on the railing. By the last photo is was almost gone. Still have some on the ground and the light flurries come and go, but I don’t expect much. This has been the best winter I’ve seen in Germany. If this is what they call global warming, I say bring it on.

The lad ate some shelled hazels than went into the planter for a walnut. He saw me and turned away, but decided what the hey, take your damn photos.

The Raven

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000+01:00

We have lots of blackbirds and crows in the area. Occasionally I’ll se a raven. Looks like a crow, but larger with a bigger beak. This one landed on the tree next to the balcony and I was able to get a shot through the window before it flew off.

Sunny, but cold, cold, cold

2012-01-18T12:21:00.000+01:00

The lad stopped by for a few shelled hazels. I braved the cold for a few minutes with the door open to get a few shots. He sure looked warm in his winter coat. He took a walnut before heading home.

Frozen water bowl

2012-01-17T13:39:00.000+01:00

The lads have been visiting and getting plenty to eat, but I haven’t taken the time to bother them with the camera.

The water bowl has been frozen for a week. It hasn’t warmed above freezing in quite a few days.

Shelled hazel nuts

2012-01-12T09:24:00.000+01:00

I’ve been setting out some shelled hazel nuts each day. I put them in a little glass bowl in the bird house. The lad enjoys the ease of eating them. When it’s empty, he’ll carry the regular ones off to bury or hide.

The weather is still mild. No snow.

Would you like some of this?

2012-01-08T09:29:00.000+01:00

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Now that I’ve given you an earworm, I can post. It was snowing off and on yesterday. The lad was sitting on a branch eating and collecting snow. I thought he was going to turn into a snowball, but he returned to the balcony for more nuts.

Happy to say the snow didn’t stick and it stopped a couple of hours later. It is cloudy today, but no more of the white stuff is expected.

Strong Winds

2012-01-06T18:51:00.000+01:00

Yesterday there were strong winds all over Germany. I thought the lad was going to be blown off of the balcony, but he managed. In the afternoon it was snow. A couple of inches, but it was wet and not much remains on the ground.

Last nut in the net

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000+01:00

There were lots of nuts in the feeder and in the brown planter, but this lad had to have the last nut in the orange net. He couldn’t get it out of the net so he ate chewed on it while holding on to it. Dedicated little scamp. Raining off and on, but no snow.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T16:30:00.000+01:00

Ditto Jr. came by on the last morning to 2011 for a few nuts. It’s been snowing lightly all day, but not much is sticking.

Shelled Hazel nut

2011-12-30T12:28:00.000+01:00

The lad made a quick trip to the balcony this morning. He ate a shelled hazel then took a walnut and ran off.

It started snowing yesterday evening and is expected to snow off and on all day. It’s not heavy and not sticking. Hopefully it won’t amount to much.

One of the lads

2011-12-28T09:18:00.000+01:00

Here are some shots of one of the lads over the holidays. I’m thankful that we haven’t had but a few flakes of snow. Lots of rain.

Happy Holidays from the Critters

2011-12-22T12:03:00.000+01:00

With this funny weather, cold, wet, and windy, the critter’s visits are unpredictable.

Here are two of them from recent days.

They want to wish everyone Happy Holidays.

The lad loves those nuts

2011-12-19T17:37:00.000+01:00

The first shot was taken some days ago. I like his expression and wanted to share it.

These were taken this afternoon after one. We have had some light snow off and on, but not enough to turn everything white. Didn’t stop him from eating a couple of nuts.

Eating a Hazel

2011-12-17T10:03:00.000+01:00

I’ve neglected the lads, but here are a couple of shots from a few days ago,

Early morning visit

2011-12-12T10:13:00.000+01:00

It was foggy when this scamp made an early morning visit.

Ditto Jr. in the snow

2011-12-09T09:27:00.000+01:00

The lad looked like he was wondering what all of the fuss was about. He has his winter coat and looked warm, except for the patch of snow on his noes. I took these a couple of days ago, but I’ve been fighting a cold and haven’t felt like posting. Unlike the scamps, I can’t run around in this with no worries.

Ditto Jr.

2011-12-06T11:02:00.000+01:00

The Lad’s winter coat is getting full.

Orange sack filled with nuts

2011-12-04T10:05:00.000+01:00

I hung the sack near the bottom of the feeder a couple of week ago. This is the first time I noticed anyone trying to get a nut out. There were plenty of loose nuts, but going after this was a challenge. He didn’t manage to get it open.

Foggy and damp

2011-12-02T08:25:00.000+01:00

The lad did take a long look at the green nut bowl, but didn’t take one from it. He went into the brown planter for a walnut.

Ditto Jr. looking for interlopers

2011-11-29T12:23:00.000+01:00

He keeps watch for interlopers. Not a lot of places to hide and they know when he scurries home with a nut. That gives them a chance to strike.

Be vigilant, but don’t drop the nut

2011-11-28T13:39:00.000+01:00

The scamp knows that Ditto Jr. is somewhere near. He scans the area with vigilance, but doesn’t let go of the nut.

Two pines for the price of one

2011-11-26T15:47:00.000+01:00

The Volunteer Fire Department folks came by and were pretty efficient in taking out the pine. There was a smaller pine next to it and that one also had a visit from the power saw.

Here are a few photos I took. The VFD folks took the top of the pine to use as the hamlet Christmas tree.

After they departed, the landlord and I cleaned up the street and moved the branches to the back yard where he’ll haul them away next week.

Time for a break.

A woodpecker has to eat

2011-11-26T12:01:00.000+01:00

He sneaks in for a nut and carries it off. Then back again for another one.

The Volunteer Fire Department is supposed to come by today and cut the large pine down. According to my landlord.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T13:15:00.000+01:00

The lad passed the leftover turkey and headed straight to the Cornucopia where he selected a walnut.

The lads know that the Horn of Plenty seldom runs dry.

A good friend of mine, Josh Randall, has written three highly entertaining novels that have been published as E-books. In the spirit of Black Friday, he has reduced the prices from $2.99 to $.99 each.

They are available from Amazon in France, The United Kingdom, and Germany. All you have to do is go to Amazon in the country of your choice and type in the titles and J Randall.

Here are the links to the books at Amazon US.

Trip Wire

Gamal's Assassin

The Imam of the Cave

You don’t need a kindle to read them. Amazon has free apps for a multitude of devices.

For you Nook fans, they are available from Barnes and Noble as E-books.

Who’s the lad?

2011-11-23T14:03:00.000+01:00

He was calmly sitting on the rail eating. My snapping a few photos didn’t seem to bother him. I’m sure he’s been here on more than one occasion. I may have even mistaken him for Bruiser.

Ditto Jr.

2011-11-22T16:28:00.000+01:00

A couple of shots of Ditto Jr. as he starts his balcony raid. In the last shot he’s looking around before coming up. Always cautious.

Bruiser and the hawk

2011-11-20T11:04:00.000+01:00

Bruiser came by for a couple of walnuts this morning. I managed a photo then left her alone.

I was drinking a cup of coffee when I noticed a bird land on the hazel. I got up expecting to see a blue jay and was surprised to see a good sized hawk. When I opened the door it flew away. I looked around and there was Bruiser huddled on a pine branch keeping a low profile. She departed ten minutes later.

Hopefully the hawk won’t be back.

Gray in his winter coat

2011-11-17T11:38:00.000+01:00

Ditto Jr.’s winter coat is getting grayer.

Young squirrel on the rail

2011-11-15T09:19:00.000+01:00

It has been dry here, but cold. Dropping below freezing in the night.

All of the scamps are getting their winter coats. This one is still trying to grow some ear tufts.

Where has the hazel gone

2011-11-12T14:53:00.000+01:00

Ditto Jr. is sitting on what is left of the hazel tree, eating a hazel nut. The scamps won’t miss it until next year.

A few odd shots

2011-11-09T13:09:00.000+01:00

It’s been a few days since my last post. Here are a few shots of the scamps. In the last three, the young squirrel has an itch that is driving him nuts.

Watching and being watched

2011-11-05T12:37:00.000+01:00

The young scamp is a cautious one. He was sitting up on the pine watching the area to see who was going to show up. When he felt secure, he came over to the planter for a hazel. I can’t blame him. On many occasions, he’s been chased off. It’s no fun being the smallest of the visitors and being hungry. When he comes by, he eats. I don’t believe I’ve ever saw him run down the pine to hide or bury nuts.

Bruiser and Ditto Jr. both came by. Not a the same time. These two scamps have an interesting habit. When they see me, they’ll sit on the railing eating while I take a few pictures. I think they want me to know they’re there. Sort of suckering me to put out more nuts. I’ll accommodate them.

The young scamp

2011-11-02T12:22:00.000+01:00

These are probably more photos than anyone wants to look at, but since the young scamp came by the balcony, I thought I would give him his 15 minutes fame.

The young ones are always characters as they explore a new place. He wasn’t nervous about me shooting through the closed door, but he did give a couple of tail wags then ignored me. He seems to want to smell everything. I don’t know what he found so interesting with the leg of the feeder, but it got his attention. I had to laugh when he took the walnut from the feeder. Seems like he really wanted that walnut. He was hanging by his hind legs but couldn’t get a grip and finally dropped it. He went back into the feeder, but ran off without a nut when Ditto Jr. arrived. You can see them in their original size by clicking on them.

In their Halloween costumes

2011-10-31T15:19:00.000+01:00

The costumes they wore today looked much like the ones they wear everyday. They still came by for their Halloween treats.

Ditto Jr. and Bruiser took turns coming to the balcony. Not in an orderly way, but when one ran off to hide or burry a nut, the other one made an appearance. They were “treated” nicely. I have treats for the two legged visitors who may or may not stop by later.

I spotted this young scamp in the trees. He is a little darker than Ditto Jr., but has red coloring on the legs. The ear tufts are just starting to come out. He, I use the term generically, may have made it to the balcony, but I didn’t notice.

Ditto Jr. in the feeder

2011-10-30T09:18:00.000+01:00

A couple shots of Ditto Jr. In the feeder.

Bruiser had the feeder to herself

2011-10-28T13:58:00.000+02:00

When she came by, she had the feeder to herself. However, she kept her eyes on the area in case Ditto Jr. come by. I like the sly smile she gave me.

Taking turns

2011-10-26T09:56:00.000+02:00

Bruiser came by first. She ate quite a few nuts.

Ditto Jr. came by next and did the same.

Guarding the balcony

2011-10-24T12:33:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. was sitting near the bottom of the rail eating a hazel when a black squirrel ran up the pine. When it saw D Jr., it immediately ran back down. That’s when the lad decided to stay on the balcony and guard it. Here are a few shots.

One way up or down

2011-10-22T17:31:00.002+02:00

My landlord came by a week ago. He brought a trailer and his power saw. He had made arrangements with the local volunteer fire department to cut down the large pine near the front of the house. The tree is hanging over the street and is a minor problem when various garbage trucks make pick-ups.

He was doing some preliminary cutting to make it easier for them when they come by. The tree with the red leaves, next to the hazel, is gone. A shorter pine next to the big one is gone. The tree on the corner near the rear of the house is almost gone. The Hazel might as well be gone. It has had an extreme pruning as you can see from the photo. I’m not sure when the big pine will go, but expect it will be this month.

The pine the scamps climb up is still there. Now there is only one way up to the balcony, but they’ll make due.

We had sun today, but the temperature dipped below freezing last night and it was cold when Ditto Jr. came by. He looks like he’s getting his winter coat. I think he is up on the pine looking around and wondering where all of the tree went.

It was after two when I spotted this one on the patio. I think it’s bruiser, but I’m not sure. When I opened the door and set out a few nuts, he stepped in for a quick look before going out for a walnut.

Some random shots

2011-10-19T14:44:00.000+02:00

A few random shots taken over the past few days.

Guest post from Arizona

2011-10-15T23:03:00.003+02:00

I went on a three day trip up to Show Low, Arizona, with my sister and brother-in-law, we stopped off to see a friend in Pinetop and as we drove up to their home we saw this fella intently digging around the trunk of an arborvitae. I don’t know if one of the neighbors hid the peanut in the trunk of the tree or if he hid it there previously.

When we arrived in Show Low, Arizona, had lunch with a childhood friend, and his significant other that was a classmate of my sister in high school. Anyway their directed up to a small lake where we would have some wildlife photo ops. That’s where I spotted this little lady in an Oak Tree eating acorns.

She shook her tail at me repeatedly and scurried so high up in the tree I wasn’t able to get any good pictures. When I turned to walk away she came down again, and I got one more photo before she ran off into the forest.

She took a green acorn with her when she exited stage left.

Thanks to AZ for this post and the photos. The squirrel is an Abert's squirrel. Thanks again AZ.

Steady rain all day

2011-10-12T17:58:00.000+02:00

Nothing but rain and more rain. Ditto Jr. had cleaned out all of the nuts by the time I came upstairs.

I set out more nut and the lad would have taken those, but Bruiser showed up and he took off. Nice to see the girl, but few photo ops. Here she is eating a pecan on the wet rail.

Sun, rain, wind, and cold. We’ve had it all

2011-10-11T20:31:00.000+02:00

It’s fall. Here are some odd photos I’ve taken since my last post. I think the sensor in my camera is acting up. Hard to get a decent photo.

He was a little annoyed with me

2011-10-09T10:52:00.000+02:00

The lad was on a far branch eating a hazel when I spotted him. I opened the door and tossed some walnuts into the feeder. He didn’t waste any time getting back to the balcony.

He will sit on the rail and eat, knowing that I’m clicking away with the camera. However he did become a little annoyed and wagged his tail a couple of times.

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

2011-10-05T21:30:00.000+02:00

The first four photos, I shot yesterday. They are for today’s post. The last two photos I got today. They are for tomorrow’s post, but I decided to use them today. Supposed to rain tomorrow. Oh, and this is Ditto Jr. as you can see by the tufts.

Different visiting hours

2011-10-03T19:37:00.000+02:00

The black squirrel came by late in the afternoon. A few minutes before six. That is late considering the sun sets before seven. The days are getting shorter, but we have had over a week of sunny days. I watched him finally take a walnut. He sat on a branch and worked on it for about 15 minutes before he got it open and ate all of the meat. He’s starting to get a little fuzz on his ears.

Ditto Jr. came by around noon. There are no set visiting hours for any of them. Why they come by when they do is beyond me. Other than hunger being the driving force behind their visits.

Who’s Who? Hell I don’t know

2011-10-01T12:19:00.000+02:00

I have to admit, I’ve pretty much giving up on trying to tell who is who. Here is the black squirrel again. He, and yes it is a he, was able to do some shopping and eating without being chased off. It lasted for a while. Back and forth to take hazel nuts. I haven’t seen him take a walnut yet. Perhaps they’re still too large for him or he prefers the taste of hazels.

He eventually departed and the red legged guy, and he is a guy, came by. The one with no tufts. He, like the little black squirrel, has gotten used to me and the camera.

We have had sunny days for a week or longer. Much better than the past two months.

Tufts and no Tufts

2011-09-29T17:21:00.000+02:00

The first two photos are of the lad. Ditto Jr.. The second three are from another visitor that has no ear tufts yet. He’s a little nervous about coming to the balcony with me watching, but I did manage a few shots. There is a pesky Blue J that has been stealing walnuts. He has been too fast for a photo.

A subtle hint

2011-09-26T18:33:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. came across the hazel to the feeder. He wanted to see if I had put more walnuts in it. It was bare, but I did restock when he climbed down.

Looking for walnuts

2011-09-23T19:38:00.002+02:00

I don’t set out as many nuts in the evening. If I did they would all be gone by the time I get up. The scamps come by early and compete to hide and bury as many as they can. The young lad with red legs came by, but was chased off by Ditto Jr..

I placed walnuts and hazels out. When they were gone Ditto Jr. came up to the closed door and looked in the window.

I set out more nuts and left the door open. D Jr. took the walnuts on the balcony and made at least three trips to the open door. The first was to inspect the bowl. The second was to inspect the room. On his third trip he took the walnut I had set on the door ledge. He has become a friendly lad. Click the photos for a nicer view.

Friendly when there are no hazels left on the tree

2011-09-21T22:15:00.000+02:00

Here are some shot of a male black squirrel, who I don’t recognize and Ditto Jr.. They are bolder when there’s not nuts left on the hazel. I sat there with the door open and they really didn’t care as long as there were nuts. There was a little chasing, but gathering nuts took priority.

Yesterday it rained all day

2011-09-19T18:35:00.000+02:00

The weather wasn’t fit for man, but the squirrels sure loved it. Here are a few shots of Bruiser and Ditto Jr.. Bruiser ate most of the nuts she took, but D Jr. ran off and hid or buried lots more. By five-thirty in the afternoon, every nut on the balcony was gone. There were quite a few nuts, including the extra ones I tossed out. That's a corkscrew hazel that Bruiser has in the third photo.

From the hazel to the balcony

2011-09-18T10:19:00.001+02:00

There are few hazels on the tree if any. On Saturday, Ditto Jr. has returned to the balcony for nuts. I set out a few corkscrew hazels that I found. They are much smaller. I was curious if any of the scamps would eat them. In the last four photos D Jr. gets a sniff and decides it’s okay to eat.

There are fewer hazels on the tree

2011-09-16T20:38:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. is having to scamper around the branches to find the hazels he missed. They will all be gone in a week or so.

Bruiser in the hazel

2011-09-14T10:50:00.000+02:00

A few shot of Bruiser in the hazel. She’s not shy when she sees me with the camera, but does get a little irritated when she’s trying to eat.

The young squirrel

2011-09-12T09:11:00.000+02:00

It was after 6 in the evening when the young scamp came by. He took hazel nuts off the balcony and ate them on a pine branch. He finally ate some nuts off of the tree.

Bruiser on the balcony

2011-09-10T15:33:00.000+02:00

Bruiser came by for a drink and decided to eat a nut before going back into the hazel.

Almost the same as yesterday

2011-09-08T17:37:00.001+02:00

Ditto Jr. was the first scamp I noticed this morning. Running up and down taking the hazels off to hide and bury. I departed for an hour and when I returned the lad was still going strong. At this rate the hazel will be bare before long. Here’s a couple of shots I managed to take.

Like yesterday, Bruiser showed up. He was alone today. Through the branches I saw Ditto Jr. and Bruiser take a run at each other then nothing. Both seemed to vanish. Bruiser may be slower but she’s still the boss. She returned and came to the balcony and checked out the feeder. Even though she ate her share of nuts in the hazel, (I didn’t see her carry one off the hide) I think she prefers the lazy way of getting them. She did keep her eyes on everything in case Ditto Jr. returned.

Ditto Jr. did return after Bruiser departed. Here’s a few shots of the lad. I love the last two where he’s hanging by his hind legs and eating.

Bruiser owned the afternoon

2011-09-07T19:17:00.000+02:00

It was after two when I noticed a black squirrel on the far side of the hazel. He was on a branch eating. A few minutes later, Ditto Jr. returned. The black squirrel took off and Ditto Jr. followed him. The next time I looked out, Ditto Jr. was running and a black squirrel was after him. It didn’t make sense to me.

A little while later I noticed the black in the hazel getting nuts. It was Bruiser. Hadn’t seen her in quite some time. I recognized the black spot on her belly. I was happy taking a few shots of her as she scrambled around the wind blown branches.

That’s when I noticed another black squirrel in the tree. It was either Sam or one of her youngsters who followed her. Click on the photos for a nicer view.

Ditto Jr. finally returned. He outside eating as I type this.

Ditto Jr. owned the morning

2011-09-07T17:51:00.000+02:00

I watched as Ditto Jr. ran up and down the hazel tree. He was doing his best to take as many nuts as he could to where ever his hiding place is.

The wind was whipping the branches back and forth and I was surprised the lad could hold on, but he managed.

He finally took a nut break on top of the feeder before continuing on his quest. Click on the photos for a larger view.

I’m not sure who it is

2011-09-06T17:21:00.001+02:00

The scamp noticed me through the window. I only managed a couple of shots before he departed. Nervous black squirrel.

Last Scamp standing

2011-09-05T15:01:00.000+02:00

The rain arrived in the middle of the night and is still coming down. When I noticed Ditto Jr. in the hazel I had to think about a Bruce Willis movie. “Last Man Standing.” Seeing Ditto Jr. over the past few days, I realized that I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of any of the regulars that stop by.

There are other hazel trees in the area and perhaps they are closer to their drays. Ditto Jr. has laid claim to this hazel. He’s not only eating the nuts, but carrying them off to hide and bury. There are plenty of store bought nuts on the balcony, but he wants the natural ones. Here’s a few shots I took today.

Loves those hazels

2011-09-03T14:22:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. sure loves that hazel tree and those nuts.

Running around the hazel tree

2011-09-02T18:53:00.000+02:00

There was activity in the hazel today. There’s a black squirrel who runs away when he sees me. I think it’s probably a stranger to the balcony. I did manage a few shots of Ditto Jr. It was funny watching him climb on top of the feeder to get at the nuts on the branch near it.

Yesterday

2011-08-29T10:29:00.000+02:00

Rain to sun and sun to rain. The visitors come and go, but I haven’t paid much attention to them. I did pick up the camera yesterday.

Changing weather

2011-08-25T18:16:00.000+02:00

Instead of an early morning thunder storm, it pass through last night after nine. Lots of lightening, thunder and rain. This morning it was a little cooler, but soon turned hot.
Ditto Jr. was the first one I noticed. He was on the rail eating. He didn’t hang around long.

This fellow was next. I think it’s Sam, but not sure. He ate quite a few hazels from the tree.

Too warm during the day

2011-08-24T19:14:00.001+02:00

Even though we had an early morning thunder storm, the weather warmed up and was a scorcher. The scamps come by early, rest during the day, and come back in the late afternoon.

Here are a couple of shots of the young squirrel going after the hazels. Hard to get a shot through the leaves.

Two day heat wave

2011-08-23T18:32:00.000+02:00

I know I complain about the rain. For the past two days we have had hot and humid weather. I’m a little thankful, but it makes it hard to sleep at night.

Here’s some shots from the young scamp who waited until it cooled down before stopping by.

First visit to the hazel?

2011-08-20T19:22:00.000+02:00

When I came into the room, my wife said there’s a baby in the tree. I went into the next room with the camera and sure enough, it was a little scamp.

He was busy eating hazel nuts and exploring. He took tentative steps as he moved from branch to branch. It was fun watching him. You probably wondering how I know it is a male. Enlarge the second photo.

When he moved toward the rear of the house, I opened the door and set a bowl of shelled walnuts out. To my surprised and enjoyment, he came to the balcony for a drink and inspected the bowl. Finally taking a nut and returning to the trees to eat it.

I believe he is one of Bruiser’s litter. And I also think there is a good possibility that Ditto Jr. is the father. Mainly due to the color.

Low profile

2011-08-19T17:18:00.000+02:00

The past two days were hot and muggy. I don’t know if there were visitors or not. This morning I awoke to the sound of thunder booming. When I got up the rain was pouring down.

The sun finally broke through the clouds in the afternoon. I spotted Ditto Jr. in the hazel tree. This year the tree has more nuts on it than I’ve seen in a long time. With all of the nuts, the scamps don’t need to visit the balcony unless they want a store bought to carry back to their drey. Ditto Jr. didn’t.

Quick visit

2011-08-15T19:44:00.000+02:00

Sam wondered around the hazel eating nuts. He did come to the balcony for a walnut before departing.

Romp through the hazel

2011-08-14T12:42:00.000+02:00

It’s been a while since my last post. Thought I better get one up. Here’s Sam on a romp through the hazel.

Wet off and on

2011-08-07T17:49:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. was the first scamp I noticed this morning. He was running up and down with nuts. Rain does that to them. No photos of the lad. Sam was next and he was doing the same thing. I happened to get a couple shots.

Bruiser was the next one. She just wanted to eat. No running around and hiding nuts for her.

Hither and Dither

2011-08-05T17:37:00.000+02:00

Ditto Jr. braved the rain and was running up and down the trees with nuts to bury and hide. He had taken quite a few before I noticed him and took a few photos. It was dark and the lad was wet.

Sam and Bruiser

2011-08-04T17:36:00.000+02:00

The first photos of Sam were taken on 2 August. Didn’t get around to posting them.

These are Bruiser from this morning.

He’s one of a kind

2011-08-01T18:30:00.000+02:00

It was after three when I saw Sam running along the balcony railing. He leapt into the pine and ran down.

Since I had more shelled walnuts, I filled up the bowl and set it out. It was ten minutes later when he returned. He recognized the opportunity and headed for the bowl.

He took the nut to the rail and put a foot up like he was at a bar. Then he stepped up with the other foot and faced me. Nice of the lad. He does have manners and cleaned his paws when he was finished.

What he did next made me laugh out loud. Enlarge them and you’ll see what I mean.

I assume he planned on carrying the bowl onto a branch where he wouldn’t have to share with the birds that were also after the nuts. Yep, Sam is one of a kind.

Sam likes them shelled

2011-07-31T18:49:00.000+02:00

Sam ate the last of my shelled hazels today. I set out some shelled walnuts and he enjoyed some of them also. He did take a few nuts and crack them on his own. Got to watch out. Don’t won’t to spoil the lad.

Shelled hazel nuts

2011-07-30T19:27:00.000+02:00

I was sitting at the computer this morning when I heard something behind me. When I turned there was Sam eating shelled hazel nuts. I had set a small bowl filled with them in front of the door and he decided it was easier than cracking the other ones open. He ate six or more and got thirsty. After a drink he returned for some more. After he departed the rain started. This must be the wettest July I’ve seen in a long time.

Mama returns

2011-07-27T18:02:00.000+02:00

It’s been seven days since I last saw Bruiser. Doesn’t mean she hasn’t snuck in for a snack, I just haven’t seen her. It was close to four.

The first scamp I saw was Sam. He came to the door and was eyeing the nut bowl, but couldn’t get up the courage to step in. Sam did managed a drink of water before darting off in the trees.

Bruiser was the reason Sam departed so quickly. When she arrived, she was concentrating on eating and drinking. I don’t think she had chasing on her mind.

Bruiser was up on a branch with a nut when Sam dashed onto the balcony. He looked in and made the decision to go for it. He ducked down into the bowl and had his paws around two nuts. The first one rolled into the room and the second one he couldn’t get his mouth on. He made a hasty departure, sans walnut. I’m sure he was worried about Bruiser.

Bruiser returned and selected a couple of pecans to eat before going back to her litter. Click on the photos for a larger view.

Sam and the Walnut

2011-07-26T17:20:00.000+02:00

Sam took a walnut from the bowl holding the door open. Only problems was, he couldn’t get a good grip on it after carrying it over to the rail. He dropped it and came back, but decided not to go for another one when he saw me.

He’s a character

2011-07-25T17:16:00.000+02:00

Sam’s a character. I spotted him this morning sitting on a limb with a walnut. Took him forever to crack it open and eat it. I opened the door a little and set the bowl down to hold it open. When he returned he inspected the nuts on the balcony and them climbed under the slightly opened door and came in. He looked around then went back out. He took a nut from the bowl, which I haven’t seen a squirrel do in quite some time. Curious little guy.

Ditto and Sam

2011-07-24T18:21:00.000+02:00

Still no sign of Bruiser.

Ditto came by first. I wasn’t sure who it was until I compared a few older shots. He was calm when I took the shots.

Sam came by next. The lad is funny to watch. He managed to take a walnut into the tree. He was in there the longest time working on getting it open and eating it. When he came back he had to sniff everything. He tried to take a pecan, but gave up. Finally took a smaller hazel.

I may have jumped the gun

2011-07-22T16:39:00.000+02:00

My thinking that Bruiser had had her litter based on her nipples being prominent, may have been wrong. The reason I say this, is that I haven’t seen her in two days. She may be in her drey. Time will tell.

Sam has been spending more time around the balcony. He probably know more than I do. Here is a shot of him from yesterday and today.

Return visits

2011-07-20T15:28:00.000+02:00

Bruiser and Ditto Jr. returned in the afternoon for a few more nuts.

Too much rain

2011-07-20T13:37:00.000+02:00

I’ll trade two days of rain for a day of Midwest heat.

The scamps cleaned out the balcony by the time I got up. I set out more nuts and it wasn’t long before they were back. Sam and Bruiser took turns taking nuts. I have one shot with Sam on the balcony and Bruiser sitting on a branch eating. Ditto Jr. waited until the coast was clear before coming by. More visits since I took these, but I have set the camera down.

Two visitors

2011-07-19T17:58:00.000+02:00

Bruiser made a quick visit a little after twelve. She ate a few nuts, drank some water, then carried a walnut with her when she went home.

Sam was here when we returned from shopping this afternoon. He was on a branch eating a walnut. The little guy still has problems holding on to the bigger nuts, and dropped it. He came back to the balcony, got a drink and inspected the nuts. He picked up two walnuts but didn’t take them. Too large is my guess. He finally found a smaller one in the feeder and carried it over the the roof of the neighbor’s garage. A steadier place to eat it.

She’s had her litter

2011-07-18T17:21:00.000+02:00

That’s my best guess. Perhaps yesterday. I did see her for a few minutes yesterday evening, but it was starting to rain and was very dark with the cloud cover.

She came by at noon today and drank some water and ate some nuts before departing. She returned around two. I don’t know where her dray is, but it can’t be far.

The first photo show some newly used breasts. They will get a little more ragged as the little ones get bigger. She did try a few green hazels, but dropped them. Still too green. She stayed for twenty minutes, eating as many nuts as she could. Bruiser needs to keep her energy up.

A strange visitor

2011-07-17T15:02:00.001+02:00

I say strange only because I have been unable to find out what kind of bird it is. I‘ve seen it around a few times over the past couple of weeks. It usually takes off when it sees me. Today is the first time I was able to take a few decent photos. I did have the door closed and took these through the glass. I’m sure it’s a herbivore and has been attracted by the hazel tree, as well as the nuts I put out. The first two photos haven’t been cropped or reduced in size. Click the photos for a larger view.

I have an odd feeling

2011-07-17T14:38:00.001+02:00

I have an odd feeling. Not that I don’t get them on occasion, but odd just the same.

The young black squirrel, who is now named Sam, thanks to Vista, was roaming around the hazel tree this morning. He has been waiting until late afternoon when there were no other visitors about. He was relaxed as if he knew he wouldn’t be chased. Bruiser, who has been pretty active lately was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Sam knows that Bruiser was in her drey taking care of her new litter. Just a feeling I have.

After eating, Sam went up into the pine near the corner of the house. I managed a few shot of him and his leap into the pine next to it. From there he disappeared.

Tasting the hazels

2011-07-16T15:14:00.000+02:00

Bruiser was raiding the balcony for a few nuts before deciding to try the green hazels.

Woodpeckers

2011-07-15T12:55:00.000+02:00

The woodpeckers don’t eat as much as the squirrels, but they have become pretty good thief's. If I have the door open, they’ll fly by and take a quick glance to see where I am. If I’m in the chair near the door, they won’t land. If the door is closed, like it was when I took these shots, they become a little braver. He couldn’t see me though the glass or he would have taken off. They mainly go after the walnuts.

He has manners

2011-07-14T21:06:00.000+02:00

Squirrels might have fleas and tics, but they are fastidious about cleaning themselves after eating. Interesting how they use their tongue to clean their paws. When he finished, he gave me a glance then went into the feeder for another nut.

The young black squirrel

2011-07-14T21:05:00.000+02:00

He came by a little before seven this evening. I had the door closed and was shooting through the glass. If I would have opened up, he’d probably run away. He’s still a little skittish. His late visits almost guarantees he won’t run into anyone else.

He’s funny to watch. He was working on a hazel and instead of pulling the nut up to his mouth, he kept lowering he head until it was empty and he dropped the shell.

Any suggestions for a name?

Still eating store bought

2011-07-14T17:14:00.002+02:00

The scamps have been making daily visits. They are still eating the store bought nuts. The tree hazels aren’t quite ready yet. I gave them a break with the camera, but decided to take a few shots today.

Here’s Ditto Jr., who came by this morning, and Bruiser, who followed him an hour later. Bruiser hung around for a long time and must have eaten a dozen or more nuts. Her belly appears to be getting bigger.

Bruiser gaining weight

2011-07-08T14:16:00.000+02:00

Bruiser has been making numerous trips to the balcony each day. She also looks like she is putting on weight.

On the rail in the sun

2011-07-06T15:31:00.000+02:00

Bruiser enjoyed a hazel and a pecan on the rail this morning. It was sunny and warm.