Spring Rodents

A chipmunk fills the pouches on either side of his head.

The red squirrel is a feisty new-comer to the crowd.

The red squirrel finding seeds in the grass and then burying them.

A black squirrel has discovered the banquet of seeds.

What the Spring Brings

Here, the black squirrel defeats the squirrel-inhibitor

meant to keep her from the bird feeders. 

A pair of Canada Geese feeding on young grass shoots. 

Spring in Ottawa brings many delightful sightings of Canada Geese, small rodents and a variety of birds drawn to feeders.

No wild turkeys today. Well, only one and she ran for the hills when I opened the door.

Here is the black squirrel again, this time, approaching the feeder
from the opposite side. She is persistent.

Canada Geese on the Ottawa River.

A Downy Woodpecker helps himself to some suet.

Spring Squirrels and Wild Turkeys

A chipmunk filling the pouches on both sides of her face.

One of the many red squirrels.

Wild turkeys on the run when they hear sunflower seeds 

being thrown for them. They've got to be the most 

ungainly bird!

It is mating season and the gobblers put on a show for the hens. There are usually two males, closely related but one is older while the other, called a jake, he's similar to a male escort. It seems that the males are 

more impressed with themselves than the hens. 

The theory behind the team-courtship is that the less dominant male would have a greater chance of passing along shared genetic material than if it were courting alone.

A young female is 

called a jenny, like a donkey? can this be so? and baby wild turkeys are poults. 

Of Rodents and Winged Friends

Spring is hinting at returning and so are the famished rodents and scavenging birds.

The red squirrel was certainly chowing-down today and, unlike the chipmunks who also come for the sunflower seeds, this hungry beast does not stuff side pouches but instead, eats as much as he can at one sitting.

The wild turkeys share the red squirrels' love of sunflower seeds. Unsalted, please!

Taking a Sun Bath

Outside my window today, a honey bear squirrel, one with a tawny belly and a black exterior.

Since Baby Squirrel Oscar had these markings, I can only surmise that this might be a relative: same neighbourhood, same trees, same colouration.

Despite frigid temps, with the sun out, the squirrels also come out. They sit huddled in the crooks of branches with their tails arching over their bodies and they bask in the warming rays.

And here are some Dear Wild Turkeys!

Wild Turkeys! Pilgrims of the world, unite!

Merry Christmas!

Dear little squirrels!