Sno-Globe Daze and Knights

 On the first day of snow, a dear friend presented me with a Sno-Globe of, well surely that is Oscar and one of his lady friends? Not Honey but perhaps Missy or Jackie?

Addendum Seven - To-ing and Fro-ing of Squirrels

M-L writes this update:

 

The really good news is ..........(suspense).................. guess who is back????  Honey!!!  I had been watching this smallish shy black squirrel for a few days as she ate at the periphery of the squirrel haven. She seemed to feel at home, but was wary of attention from any of the other squirrels.  Today she got brave and came on to the deck to eat. She has no real distinguishing features, unlike the other of our squirrels, but her behaviour is the same as Honey's was inside. She and Missy touched noses, and then Missy ran her off. Missy did like Honey when they were inside, so I think Missy was just establishing who is boss. As Jackie never liked Honey while their cages were abutting, I'm curious to see how she will react to her return. Jackie was up the tree eating a walnut when Honey and Missy met.

Missy runs everyone off, except Jackie, Oscar and I, but there are degrees.  The red squirrel is run off to the fir tree.  The resident black squirrels are chased all around the lawn and trees for a while, then off 'her' property. The grey squirrels are run right out of the yard as quickly as possible and with a more authoritative manner.  Jackie is inconsistent on whether she will run off the other squirrels, I guess depending on how brave she feels on any given day.

Oscar is still not around and I presume off with the lads.  He is a teenage male. I miss him, but as long as he is having a happy squirrel life, I'm content. 

 

And Honey did come back, at least for a bit, and I had given up any hope of seeing her again.

Raining so Worms but no Squirrels

The rain is a warm one but rain, nonetheless, so the squirrels have stayed  in their nesting box.

Meanwhile, Harvey, my year-old orange and white kitten with a blue eye and a gold eye, he loves the rain as it gives him a chance to do what he appears to do perfectly, that is, catch worms.

Perhaps it's a dietary thing, maybe he needs more protein, but if there are worms in the driveway or garden, then Harvey, consummate "wormer" that he is, chases them, catches them and brings them home in his mouth to dump unceremoniously on the kitchen floor.

Well may you say, don't let the wretched beast in with worms dangling from his kitten maw but (said with consternation and a certain amount of defeat) I have a cat door!

I located a fake worm for him today and visually, he's attracted to it but once he smells it, he loses interest. The ersatz rubber worms just don't have the same aroma and taste as the real thing.

Harvey's not the keen on the fake squid, either.

Addendum Six - Oscar Off Being With the Boys

The four black squirrels, Oscar and his harem of Missy, Jackie and Honey, were released two weeks ago. Ottawa's weather has been Indian Summer-like which is a boon to these neophytes who are not used to searching  for food under leaf-cover much less under snow. Food will be provided for them all winter long so no worries there and this good weather has allowed them to adapt slowly, putting on extra fat and fur.


ML had an interesting time with her furry friends today:

Honey is still AWOL. Perhaps off with the squirrel who kept eying her through the window.  I still hope she comes back, but if she is happy elsewhere, that's what counts. The giant grey squirrels haven't been back, but there are still 4-5 regular greys and the same number of black squirrels, not counting "our" squirrels. And that crabby little red squirrel. Lots of birds showing up now the giant greys have gone.

I finally spotted Oscar today. He is being quite the man and not hanging around with home as much.  He would go for a week ignoring me when he was inside, so this isn't unusual for him. I got the camera going and tried to get a pic of him, but he just went off with another black squirrel into the neighbour's yard. Jackie is still shy.  She sits on the fir tree 10 feet in the air on a limb that was cut off and extends only six inches  from the trunk. That or she stares down at me from on high in the maple.  She listens to my voice, but won't come close unless there are seeds to eat, and then she prefers to be at least 4 feet away.

And then there's Missy.....  I guess I am her best friend because my blood must taste good. As soon as she sees me she comes running and leaps onto my jacket and rides around on my chest, back or shoulder as I check out to see what bird/squirrel feeders need filling. I really have to watch she is not under foot or trying to follow me inside these days. The little piglet had me in stitches today as she tried to stuff  two unshelled almonds in her mouth to bury elsewhere.  Jackie loves to eat the almonds after she shells them, but Missy is planting a forest of almond trees.

Oscar at six weeks old was carried in a pouch around my neck. This was part of the Infant Squirrel Stimulation Program that ML and I initiated to bring him up to snuff. Being premature, he was behind in development and needed extra attention to bring him into full squirreldom.

Oscar in Trust

 This A-frame sign was seen outside one of those investment places on Sussex Drive in Ottawa yesterday.
Made me think that perhaps Oscar should set up an education fund...for all his children that will be born in the spring.

Raining in Ottawa

I hope Baby Squirrel Oscar is snug as a bug in a rug this evening with his three lovelies, Missy, Jackie and Honey.

I am thrilled to see that people from Croatia, India, Romania, Tunisia and Bulgaria have taken a look at what Oscar 's up to.

Ah, the wonders of the Internet.

Best wishes, everyone!

Gentleman Baby Squirrel Oscar - Addendum Five

M-L mentioned yesterday that she was going to give the squirrels some nuts in the shell to see if  they can navigate their way through. Here's her report: The in shell almonds were a hit.  Missy got them first and liked them so much, she went up her tree and across the tree highway to another yard to eat it.  Oscar and Jackie just sat on the roof of the nesting box to eat their nuts. Blasted blue jays still take the unshelled nuts, but at least they cannot quickly gulp the almonds as they did the shelled nuts. I had a visit with Oscar and Missy this afternoon as I filled the various bowls, trays and bird feeders with seeds.  For the first time they just ambled around the deck as I topped up the food, while the resident squirrels raced to hide in the cedar hedge to watch me. I offered Oscar a shelled almond. He came over from the dish of sunflower seeds, rested his front paws on my hand and gently took it from my fingers. Sweet Oscar!  Missy was offered a cashew (her favourite).  She turned from the sunflower seeds and promptly bit my finger.  On reflex, I lifted my hand up and had a squirrel hanging from my finger! I dropped the cashew, shook her off and was given an annoyed look as her cashew rolled off the deck. I shook a few out of the jar onto the deck and tapped the wood so she could see them. She went over, still giving me the "you stupid human, you lost my cashew" look, and took another. I didn't like the way she was looking at my bare toes, so I went back inside to put on shoes. When I came out again, all three were munching on almonds they had shelled themselves. I pulled up a chair to watch them, with a jar of Oscar's shelled almonds for me to munch on, and to my surprise, Missy came over, climbed up my jeans and sat on my lap, eyeing the almonds in the jar.  She helped herself to a nut and ran off to bury it in the leaf cover. This was repeated twice. The third time, she got a nut and just hopped onto my shoulder and ate part of the nut. Then she climbed down my back and tried to bury the remaining piece under my sweater!!  Didn't I say she was a very confident assertive squirrel!  But, Oscar should teach her some manners.