Chickadee Photo Art

But Mom – I’m not ready to leave home!

// October 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Mammals, Squirrels / Ground Squirrels

Welcome back to my website & thanks for visiting !

This squirrel baby clearly was not ready to leave its nest. A red squirrel took over one of the bird nests in my backyard and I happened to be home the day she tried to move her babies to another residence. She tried and tried to carry them out in her mouth but to no avail. The babies kept pushing their way back in and with little “wiggle room” at the opening for both mother and baby she finally, unceremoniously, dropped them one by one into the garden and carried them from there. One by one (there were four babies) she picked them up off the ground and carried them by mouth through the yard,  up a hydro pole and along a wire until she reached two doors down.  From there I am not sure where she relocated.  It was really entertaining watching her try to get the squirrel babies out of the nest. Heads, legs, tails, squirrel butts . . . Eventually they moved out and that winter she stored a stash of food in the birdhouse. I thought you might enjoy this squirrel story and photos.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

// October 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Rocky Mountains, Squirrels / Ground Squirrels

Another variety of ground squirrel in the Alberta Rockies is this Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel. At a glance, it looks like a chipmunk because of its striping and colour but it is much larger. Most squirrels are longer than wide but the Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel is quite rounded. These ground squirrels were living on the same rocky slope that the Pikas were on. I don’t recall seeing this ground squirrel before until this summer’s trip to Alberta.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Chipmunk

// September 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Boreal Forest, Squirrels / Ground Squirrels

Is there anyone out there that doesn’t think Chipmunks are adorable?  These two little chipmunks were busy eating seeds from a garden and planter, climbing the plants, picking what used to be flowers and scurrying about. One of them tried to “harvest” some fur from my moccasin one night under the cover of darkness. I only felt it when it ran across the top of my foot and discovered in the morning light that some fur trim was missing. I suppose it would make for a good chipmunk mattress.

Enjoy !

~Sharon