The feel good thread

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

I just love my little wild friends. The three Nutketeers are four years old now, and one of them has become quite familiar with me, does not flee anymore, stay sin the tree when I refill the nutbar, the other two also are far from panicking anymore when I come. They recognize me and got used to me.

Its a new cam, the old one got wet inside, the new one has better image quality, but I have changed the stand meanwhile, its too close and doe sleave oput a few spaces that shoudl, be covered in that tree/bush.

In Germany, only 2-3 European red squirrels out of ten survive the first year, only 1 in ten gets three years old, and not even 1 in hundred gets 5 years old. The species can live for 10, rarely 11 or 12 years in captivity and with good care. These three nutketeers, possibly brothers, are on a good way to triumphantly beat the statistics: after three years, all three of them are still alive, and well and strong. I allow to attribute some of that to my good care, limited however to only supply clean water in hot summer as well as freeezign winter, and always sufficient nuts for everybody. They do not take any fruits, vegetables or cushioning material for the cobble, I tried all that. Only hazelnuts and walnuts and sunflower seeds.

I could watch squirrels for hours. Thes ethree I can reocngoze not just by their colpours, but also by their hbehaviors and perosnalöity chracateristics. They are very different. All squirrels are. Its very surprising to learn how complex personalities they have if only one cares to spend some time and watch them closely. Just that they are not the brightest lamps in the lamp shop, I fear.
Enjoyably, the three are not alone. Last year no new squirrels showed up and stayed, but currently I have three new guests, plus a very small, unsecure fourth little cutie that you can see at the beginning of the video, it is very insecure, and lacks the maturoity of the others. Interestingly, the other, bigger and older animals do not attack it. I think it left its family too early, or the mother died, or she chased it away or left it behind.

[Jimbuna]

[Eisenwurst]

[Jimbuna]

[Eisenwurst]

Big Heart.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

These are so-called red squirrels, too, but its not the European red squirrel sciurus vulgaris, but the American red squirrel tamiasciurus hudsonicus, which is one of three conifere squirrels they have in the US (Douglas squirrel: tamiasciurus douglasi, Southwestern squirrels: tamiasciurus fremonti.). This one in the video prefers pines. Very noisy, very territorial, very "hectical", very aggressive to their own kind - and thus very funny to observe. But no comparison to the supersupercute red squirrels in Europe.

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

The couple maintaining this squirrel rescue station, are years-long pro rehabbers. The circumstances of the situation (its their living room) seem unusal, and they are, but they make the best of the conditions available to them, and for the final phase of preparation for release, they are cooperating with a forest zoo where they have two aviaries available to "acclimatize" the animals and wean them from humans for another 2-4 weeks before releasing them to the wild.

[Jimbuna]

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I just love my little wild friends.

...could U please refer to the bushy-tailed rodentia as your Feral friends...your wild friends R all yer half-dozen squirrelly buddies!