It’s a fun time of year in some ways. Lots of new critters moving into the area. Not that they are packing their belongings, but they are just arriving. It’s the time of year for baby animals to start appearing.
It’s not always easy to spot them. Many birds don’t venture far until they are full fledged and ready to take on the world. Or they think they are. You get others, like ducks and geese that seem to enjoy taking their little ones on parade around their area. Carefully herding their new broods, trying to keep them as safe as possible, but also trying to show them the ropes.
A lot of animals seem to be like that. You don’t often see their young until they are ready. Although it’s fun to see them when you get the chance.
Last weekend I made a new friend. A young squirrel. At least I think he’s young, seeing as how he was only about half the size of the other squirrels in the area. I usually throw a few seeds out for squirrels, chipmunks, or birds that might be around. In this case, a tiny squirrel was the first to show up.
He seemed a little timid, but most squirrels are. But he also seemed curious. More of a “what the heck are you?” type of attitude. But he came forward and tried a few seeds. Once he was satisfied I wasn’t planning on having him for a snack, he seemed a bit more relaxed.
So we had a chat. I tried to explain the rules. No squirrels in the house is the big one. They are quite welcome to stare in the windows or perhaps even knock, to see if I’m around an willing to hand out some seeds. But no coming inside. And it is appreciated if you don’t start screaming at the top of your lungs at 5:00 in the morning.
I don’t think he or any of his kind will pay much attention to that last one. Although they risk a very grumpy human should it happen. And the food might be limited if the human is grumpy. The first one gets enforced a bit more. Even the dog, who pays very little attention to squirrels when they are outside, takes a dim view of squirrels trying to come in the house. Possibly because they have to pass close to her food dish if they do. And that will not be tolerated.
But it was nice to make a new friend. And we seemed to have an understanding. Although he was fairly quickly chased away by other, larger squirrels dropping by. I hope the little guy does okay and drops by more often.
The funny thing is, I think this is the first time I have seen a squirrel that young. Most that I come across are full grown. Whether something happened to leave him on his own, I have no idea. But I hope he does alright and drops by again for a visit.
To steal a line from an old movie, it could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
