My 2D homies

[Jade]

I will be moving from this location soon, and I am getting the most nostalgic about leaving our cast of critters behind to which we have grown quite attached. I'm going to post here to share some photos/stories as I gather them and say my goodbyes to all my good friends. The alternate thread title can be "Pictures From My Bedroom Window".

Yesterday morning, I woke with a jolt from bed, telling my husband we had to go get feed for the animals. We had just run out, our bird feeder also broke last week, but the temps dropped to the single digits and won't climb at all this week (today I don't think we're going to get above 0 ) We bought two bags of feed and two new feeders and headed home to replenish the supply.

2 minutes after coming inside, the squirrels started to emerge. We saw one that we recognize on sight, because he is the smallest and for a couple months has been battling a case of mange/mites. We call him "Little Scutter". A big fat squirrel had initially claimed the pile but Little Scutter found a spot on the periphery and was able to get some food, so we felt good.

About 20 minutes later I went to check on the squirrels and saw this!



A cute little squirrely seance. Eventually the clan ballooned to its full strength, 10 total.




They do have us trained well, however. Here is just one from a day we were out of feed and about 7 of the clan of 10 came up to my window and jumped on the screen and banged on it to get my attention. We spread seed on the window sill as well so it's often the last place the squirrels look (it's a nice little refuge space for the birdies mostly).




That's Little Scutter. He definitely is the most brazen coming up to our window (we've been a food source most of his life). Here's another one of him:



We actually don't name most of them, even the ones we recognize. Scutter got his name because he was a dirty little scutter with his mange, and there's also Big Scutter, an adult squirrel who has similar hair loss patterns. But really we just call all the squirrels "scutters" now.

The maple tree they are underneath is the only tree on our property line, and we're pretty close. I've actually lived on this property for about half of my lifetime, so she's been a long time guardian. Gonna be sad leaving all these buddies behind!!!

[Bluebell]

who's gonna take care a a dem?

[Spaced]

Nice squirrel posse.

We had a relatively warm November and December and all the squirrels around here are so chubby lol. It's funny to watch them scramble around.

[Jade]

We'll probably dump a a few dozen pounds of seed at the base of the maple before we go at the end of the month - that should hopefully be a sufficient amount to help them get through the rest of the winter. There's a giant oak tree across the street as well that I know a bunch of acorns are buried underneath for when the ground softens again. Squirrels are most resourceful at gathering food, I'm just trying to give them some of that leisure that we all enjoy so much, so they can do cute things like have little seances and and try to climb in my house to look for more yummy food. This house will be vacant for a while while it gets ready to be sold, in the springtime the plants from last year will start to come up in the garden which will give the little ones some other things to snack on. And I'll just continue my prayers and intentions that someone who is benevolent to animals will find this place where they have already been somewhat tamed by love.

And yes it's been fairly mild up until now here as welll, but I felt the urgency to get feed at the cold snap because of the two who are ill. I read up on squirrel diseases and whether it is mange or mites, most squirrels' immune systems naturally combat the issue (as they are communal and something contagious like mites/mange could wipe out a whole colony). The biggest danger is exposure - they have exposed skin. So I just wanted to be sure that the two, especially, didn't have to venture too far to look for food, to avoid frostbite on their bald little ears and cheeks.

[Diana]

 OMG Scutter is adorable.  On behalf of the animal kingdom, I want to thank you for your care.

I totally understand about leaving your friends. I feed (and water) all the animals around my property—birds, ground squirrels, deer, javelina, etc. I've named all the deer in the herd and they definitely have different personalities. Last night a mama javie and her baby were staring in the French window as they often do.

I want to sell my property at some point, and I know the hardest part will be leaving the animals—especially the deer, whom I have been friends with for years. I have seen several grow from fauns. I won't sell to anyone who does not respect the land and animals.

Some of my animal friends and visitors:


  animal_friends.jpg (Size: 416.16 KB / Downloads: 77)

[Jade]

What a variety of cuties!!! We can't be too sad because we are moving to Colorado, which will definitely have more nature and wild animals for us to befriend and dote on and smile with.

In the interim here, Little Scutter's ears must have been ringing, because he came up to the window sill all cute and munchin' on window seeds and covered in bits of snow. In this picture you can see the stripe of fur loss down his back. His ears and cheeks look much better now though.



My next detailed post will be of our woodpecker, but it appears I actually don't have that many pictures of her, even though she is our closest friend. I'll snap a few in the next few days.

--- or as luck has it, as I finished typing that sentence, I heard her signature kissy noises from the window sill...



I'll get some better ones, she'll be around. :3

[Diana]

Aaaawwwwww!!!! 

[Phoenix]

Aahh, yeah, they do look like in that shot in the first post where six of them are spread out like that that they've all gotten in a big ol' fight.

[native]

Haha..I wasn't sure if what I was looking at was real at first. Thanks for sharing!

[Spaced]

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Squirrel

[Bluebell]

lol they're group channeling Squi-RA

[Jade]

Hi friends, I have finally arrives in Colorado and have settled into my new place! I have a few more backyard photos to show you so you too can enjoy my "upgrade"

Deer buddies snuggly the other morning:


One (of four!) deer visiting my backyard for a snack vs. one of the feral kittens in the area. Shortly after snapping this picture, the cat tried stalking the deer who was basically ignoring it, but spooked and ran away as soon as it caught the deer's attention.


Pink mountain in the morning sunrise:


Some other buddies of indeterminate density :S


Peace friends!

[tamaryn]

Then i just remembered cars have funny eyes and inhabit second density bodies too!

[Bluebell]

more like 1st density

[Bluebell]

i love those pics! ((thekitty))

[Spaced]

Nice to see you are settling in to your new place Jade, it looks lovely!

[Jade]

Thanks guys! Glad I can share! We're so stoked to live somewhere so beautiful! I hope to catch lots more interesting photos. We have been given bear warnings by just about everyone (in fact that's why most of the fences are in shambles). The old lady next door also told us a puma lived under our home, so we're excited to see that (mountain lions are also common but humans NEVER see them. Bears on the other hand come into the park for free meals out of the trash cans)

We've been trying to tempt some of the birds with nyjer seed but the conifers are bursting with pine nuts and they seem happy out in the trees. I am happy to have the internet back so I can start IDing the new ones I'm meeting! Also, this close to wilderness, squirrels are uncommon! The ones in town are very tiny though, so they look like little babies.

[Bluebell]

i thought pumas lived in africa

[Jade]

Mountain lions are also called cougars, panthers, pumas, and a bunch of other stuff. These guys:

[Bluebell]

majestic

[Bluebell]

I really wana roughhouse & cuddle w him. Gosh.

[mjlabadia]

Hi Jade,
   I tuned in late to the thread, but this reminded me so much of my wife Michele, I just had to show her your pictures. 

  We know it must have been heartbreaking to leave your "children", but we hope you get to adopt a new menagerie of "trainers".

  Looks like you've already passed the qualification interviews.

                                                             Best Regards
                                                        Michele and Michael 

[Jade]

Thanks Michele and Michael!!! I'll gladly keep them coming! I bet spring is going to be absolutely beautiful here.

Bluebell, if I ever do see a mountain lion or a bear, I will definitely be doing the tackle-hug snuggle attack. So pray for me friends lol.

[TickledWizard]

Thanks for sharing Jade! I enjoyed the pictures of the "scutters"! Just pokin' in to say thanks

[Jade]

Thanks! I should dust off some of the other pictures I've taken soon to share. I do miss my scutters and my woodpecker terribly but a small family of juncos has found our feeders so we have almost constant visitors of the small winged type now, which is great! We would see the occassional junco in the winter mixed in with sparrow flocks, but this is a flock of ~12 and they are all three different varieties. I'm not sure if they're just wintering here or if they will stay. There are also TONS of ravens around, calling all the time - boy, are they cool. We had crows back in Iowa, but the ravens are bigger, and have a distinctive air about them.

[Matt1]

I love nature and animals but i often feel they should be viewed but not interacted with unless they are domestic pets.

[Jade]

I get it, Matt. That is why I don't force interaction but create a space where interaction is possible if the animal is willing (ie offering food). Wild animals need some investment too!

We went hiking in the park behind our house yesterday. It was pretty muddy and icy but we had a good time. Watched a golden eagle soaring for a while, stood 30 feet from a deer while it ate, saw some fox tracks. On our way back down the trail we saw some other unusual tracks - turns out we found out where our eagle friend stopped down to have a drink.




Eagle tracks!!!

Still haven't caught sight of the animal that lives in the burrow by our fenceline. I think it might be a groundhog, I'm just sorta hoping it's not a skunk!

[Shemaya]

There is an eagle cam online. She laid two eggs which will be hatching in a few weeks. So cool! What a majestic creature.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/ser...549&mode=2

[AnthroHeart]

There is an eagle cam online.  She laid two eggs which will be hatching in a few weeks.  So cool!  What a majestic creature.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/ser...549&mode=2

How does she not get bored?

[Jade]

I love watching the eagle cams, the one in Decorah has had some trauma in the last week (one of their three hatchlings perished and the only surviving hatchling from last year was electrocuted ).

Gem, while the parents brood they are very busy watching out for predators. They take turns hunting/brooding though. Also, I think many birds can slow their metabolism down at will.