And the Invasion can begin...


After nine long years of no squirrels, I finally have a squirrel pair living in Myrtle Glen. For several weeks there was only the squirrely-girlie watching me, following me along in the myrtle branches while I  did my garden walks and I was waiting every day to see another.







I like squirrels, we had them living in our previous yards and we always got along just fine. Ah yes, there were the occasional difference in opinion on what is squirrel food or collector plant, but seriously, this is not important enough to start a war.





The common Gray Squirrel eats nuts and fruit and smart advice is to not feed them with corn on the cob and squirrel food, since this will attract more squirrels than the natural habitat can support.



Since I do have bird feeders and don't plan on giving up feeding the birds, I now add special treats for 'my' squirrels but just once in a while, like  a piece of fruit, some dried corn kernels, or a handful of peanuts in the shell.



We will have to wait and see how it goes with the invasion :-)

Squirrels build nests of twigs and leaves high up in trees. They have 2 to 4 babies twice a year. Squirrels are a food source for their natural predators such as snakes, raccoons, hawks and owls. But more will come, there is never just one couple of squirrels per garden.





This means, if there is a valuable plant like an orchid sending out a juicy soft flower spike, I either move it to safety or place netting around it. I will lose bulbs, but bulbs are not expensive, I just will have to buy more.

Whatever trouble they will make, squirrels are here to stay and we will just have to get along ! :)

11 comments:

  1. What adorablel photos...makes me miss my Freddy...the squirrel I raised froma a baby....the nieghbor cat got him they have so much personality.....I ♥ sqiuirrels!!! the first and second picture warms my heart!!....

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  2. I didn't know it was possible to go 9 years without squirrels - I thought they were everywhere!
    Cute photos! My squirrels are rather comedic and always up to some antic or another - though I try my best to keep the little hogs away from the birdseed!

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  3. sie sind ja allerliebst
    es ist schon eine Freude was bei Euch alles für Tiere im
    Garten wohnen

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  4. you raised a squirrel, that is so nice! but I am sorry the cat got him :*(

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  5. nine years, yes. The developers flattened the area down to the dirt level, drained it all, raised it, plopped houses down and added oaks the size of matchsticks. No wonder it takes that long for wildlife to move back in *sigh*

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  6. sie werden sich auch Unsinn anstellen. Ich hoffe ja nur sie finden keinen Weg unters Dach. Das waere schlimm.
    aber soweit so gut, ich denke schon Eichhoernchen werden miteinander auskommen ;-)

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  7. What great pictures! They are so fun to watch!

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  8. thanks Kristin, I agree they are so much fun :)

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  9. Hi, I'm really surprised at the close up pictures, I could never get a decent picture of a squirrel unless it was by chance, zoom or no zoom. They are too quick for me. Nice post, hope your squirrels settle in nicely.

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  10. Thanks Graziella, yes, they let me come close, and those two even come close to me, but they just keep out of reach no matter how much I would love to pet them.

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  11. Great pictures and nice story.

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