... I was going to have to post yet another blog about the weather - since that seems to be the only topic of conversation at the moment - too cold / too hot / too windy / too dry. Enough to say, it became too hot and is now cooler again, to the relief of our latest set of guests.
But no - this is not a post about the weather, but a post about our wildlife - one in particular - a red squirrel.
We know red squirrels are in this part of the world having seen them occasionally take their lives into their hands and scamper across the main road into town. They are smaller, sleeker than the grey squirrels we knew in the UK. One house we lived in had them in the loft and we kept cages up there to capture them and release them in the woodland the other side of the M25 in the hope that they wouldn't find their way back. Clara, our then Airedale, used to be the epitome of "barking up the wrong tree" - sat there, head thrown back, nose pointed up the trunk, yelling her head off, when the grey squirrel above her would be long gone.
Until today, we have never seen squirrels in our garden - of any hue. He (or she) has just whisked past an open French window, almost on the threshold, red tail waving in the breeze, feathery ears erect.
The word has obviously gone round about the quality and quantity of the hazel nuts we are growing this year. The other day I googled "when are they ready to eat?" I'm guessing the new addition to our wildlife will shortly be letting us know!
How wonderful I love watching squirrels and where we used to live 9 weeks ago we had a lot, skipping along in our garden. Here there is very little wild life, not even birds. We have set up a bird feeding station and we've had some sparrows, even a few butterflies on the flowers we brought with us and planted.. but then last week my husband saw a grey squirrel running along next doors fence behind our hedge. I am watching all the time because I want to see him too!
ReplyDeleteHello Christine, thank you for dropping by. Here's hoping the wildlife will find your new garden soon!
DeleteI love the way that they run up a tree on the other side so that you 'can't see ' which way they have gone. To be honest, I like red and grey ones - but then I'm not a nut producer! Lesley
ReplyDeleteHello Lesley, I know what you mean. We had a big oak tree and the squirrels used to play chase in it, much to our dogs' annoyance.
DeleteThat is lovely!
ReplyDeleteWe had red squirrels in the grounds of the last house in France and they seemed to have colonised the banks of the river at the bottom of the garden as we saw them when crossing bridges further upstream.
We have a squirrel population here, a dingy grey with black tails...they come for the jocotes and are, as you say, the first sign that the fruit is ready! A constant battle between them, the toucans and the parrots for possession.
I had to look up the word jocotes. I'm surprised I didn't come across them in Brazil. I love the sound of your wildlife! Ours is much less exotic, except for the Golden Orioles.
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