Laughing Dog Arts

Friday, March 26, 2010

Critters


These little Douglas squirrels are terrors.  They chase the little chipmunks around.  I once watched one jump on my peacock when he got too close to the food.   I tried to slowly go up to one in the bird feeder below, with sunflower seeds in my hand.  He held his ground, watching me get closer and closer.  I thought "oh, he is so tame and cute, maybe he will eat right out of my hand!" When I finally got my hand right up there the little #@!!&*!! charged me!  He hit me with his little paws bam bam bam then went back to eating his seed.  Needless to say, I just watch from a distance now.  They are beautiful and I enjoy them, but I don't try to tame them any more. In the photo above is a California ground squirrel.  They are so big that I saw one saunter past Charlie cat (wish I'd had my camera in hand then!) and Charlie didn't twitch a whisker, just sat there and watched it.  They have big cheek pouches like the chipmunks do, and load up before heading off to stash it.  The Douglas squirrels just sit and eat their fill, they don't seem to carry food away for later.

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14 comments:

Marlene said...

Great pictures, I love watching the squirrels, they are such clowns. My DH doesn't like them eating the birds food, but I don't mind.

audrey said...

The squirrels are so cute, Jan. You are right - the tails on your squirrels are so much thinner than the squirrels here. I love watching them, but I get angry when they eat the bird food I put out for the birds. I put vaseline on the poles the other day so they couldn't climb up to the feeders. So funny to watch them slide down the poles. They finally give up after a while.
I wonder if the birds appreciate what we go through just so they can eat. LOL!
♥ audrey

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

That is hilarious with the squirrels! My gosh---I never knew there was a species that territorial!
My chipmunk was sunning himself on my studio steps yesterday; obviously the squirt runs this place, as hard as I have tried to encourge it to GO ELSEWHERE!!!
And it's much faster than I am....LOL!!!
Great photos!

XXOO!!
Anne

Jan said...

Hi Marlene, yes, some people hate having the squirrels at the bird feeders but I'm with you, I welcome them all. I do have a few feeders that they can't get to so it works out pretty well.

Jan said...

Hi Audrey, I will remember the vaseline trick in case I ever need to resort to that. My cousins have squirrels like mine and squirrels like yours and the smaller Douglas squirrels are the top dogs. They are tough little guys, chase everyone else away. Even the crows won't come into the feeder if there is a little Doug in there. I watched a battle between a rat and a Doug and the rat won, so something is tougher.

Jan said...

Anne, I'd take your little chippy from you if I could, give him a home here although I might have a different attitude later in the season, once gardening gets into gear. They do like to bury their seeds, usually in the fluffy new soil. But then we have sunflowers growing in unexpected places, so I figure that is a bonus.

Jan, always trying to see the bright side!

Robbie said...

What little darlings! Well, until they 'charge', right! We used to feed the squirrles by hand at our old house. The squirrles here in Florida are so little and SKINNY!! I feel so bad for them but guess they're happy! Thanks for sharing pics!

yoborobo said...

Lovely pictures. We have all sorts of critters at our feeders. I have a favorite chipmunk that I feed. :) He cracks me up, stuffing his cheeks. They are all so interesting to watch, aren't they? Happy weekend! xo Pam

sjmcdowell said...

My neighbor next door to me has her bird feeders down lower than mine and she gets some deer every now and then coming to have a feast. I may have to leave mine down just a bit lower as well...I have yet to see them. Take care Jan!

Cheers,
Susan

Jan said...

Hi Robbie, today I crouched down with my hand full of sunflower seeds on the ground and waited to see if a chippy or a squirrel would come to me. A squirrel finally did and sat there on the ground next to my hand, helping himself. That seems to be a better way to do it, let them come to me rather than the other way around. I admit I was a teensy bit nervous, but he didn't make any aggressive moves so I was able to hold still. It was fun!

Jan said...

Hi Susan! I have a fenced yard and although I see plenty of deer outside the yard, they aren't jumping my fence. I'm fine with that, I sure enjoy seeing them but I don't think I want them in my yard, eating my roses and what not.

Jan said...

Hi Pam, yeah the little guys can sure stuff a lot in those cheeks! Always a kick to watch them.

DVArtist said...

Jan, I hope you accept awards. I have one for you. Come by my blog to receive it.

Nicole/Beadwright

Anja said...

Remembering America, thinking at Squirrls, I love them cute and very very hungry