Wildlife, Unscripted

A Downy Woodpecker pauses while listening for life beneath the tree bark.

American Red squirrels.

When you didn’t ask for an audience, but you got one anyway.

Generally Life is good.

Preparing for a Photo Shoot

 

Squirrels are very curious animals.  The squirrel I met in last December even jumped onto a broken log to see what I was going to do. 

She balanced for a while, trying to get comfortable on the log.

I am ready for a photo shoot.  And you?

Generally, life is good.

Notes to Self. Life

 

What happens, happens, and nothing can be done about it. 

I limp due to a muscle injury in my left leg. And it seems that I don’t have much choice now.   Of course, I can give up on this "now" and wait until tomorrow or after tomorrow, but tomorrow will be another "now", so there is no point in waiting.

Today I went to our local park and, based on the situation I am in now, I decided to make this outing turn out to be cool.

As luck would have it, the pond turned out to be quite boring, dirty and unfriendly, but at some point it became generous and I met a squirrel, and a little later a beautiful female Mallard.

***

Случается то, что случается и с этим ты ничего не можешь поделать.  

Я хромаю, повредила мышцу на левой ноге.  И кажется, что у меня сейчас не так уж много выбора, а есть только то, что я могу делать сейчас.  Я, конечно, могу отказаться от этого сейчас и подождать до завтра или после завтра, но  ведь завтра будет очередное сейчас, поэтому ждать не имеет никакого смысла.

Выбралась сегодня в наш местный парк  и исходя из ситуации, в которой я сейчас нахожусь, решила сделать так, чтобы эта вылазка оказалась крутой.

Пруд как назло оказался довольно скучным, грязным и недоброжелательным, но в какой-то момент он расщедрился и на моем пути повстречалась белочка, а чуть позднее и прекрасная самка Mалларда. 

Generally, life is good!

Squirrel Saves Food For Winter

I encountered this squirrel accidentally,  I was warned with its short buzzing call.  

Most small woodland animals avoid drawing attention to themselves, but not squirrels.  They warn the intruder who has set foot on their territory. 

After watching me for a few second, the squirrel suddenly jumped out of snow and puzzled me.

In matter of seconds the squirrel rushed at full sail in an unknown direction barely touching the snow.

The squirrel uses both its keen sense of smell and a sharp memory to find its  catches of dried berries even under deep, crusted snow.  

 

The squirrel found its hidden dried berry.

It's time to run to the tree and move the berry to safety.

Life goes on.

A Runner

 

On that unremarkable day, our local Beau Pond was very reminiscent of sleepy kingdom,  its inhabitants were unusually calm, they weren't fighting, preening and flying.

Perhaps I would have returned home without a single photograph if it were not a funny squirrel that caught my attention.  She was very active running up and down the pine tree.

Life goes on.

Squirrel in the Beau Park

 

The squirrel I met a few weeks ago in the Beau Park was not skittish at all and I got the impression that nothing could disturb it.

Generally, life is good!

Marathon

 

A squirrel marathon up and down on the tree was very impressive. She was disappearing, then reappearing again and then abruptly took a short break and froze like a figurine. 

Generally, life is good!

Squirrel

What a place a squirrel chose to enjoy her cone!  But probably it is safe.

In a few seconds she would put a cone in a dent on the branch. Will she remember where she hid it?  Sometimes squirrels forget where they hide their food.

A hunt for cones continues. 

Food for Winter

Pine seeds can be so delicious for squirrels. 
They gather cones during fall and burry them close to their nests 
to have food during winter months. 

I Wonder What There is to Eat

Squirrel