Foxy's First "Words"!

It was so exciting. I've never heard Foxy make any sound before. I went over to the park late today. I had not been there for several days, due to a heavy schedule. Foxy's area was pretty empty. I fed the couple of grays that showed up, then walked around the empty space calling for Foxy. I crossed the sidewalk and went over to look in the cherry trees, as that was the last place I'd seen her.

Suddenly I heard a very loud sound coming from the winter tree (the tall tree by the bushes that a lot of them seemed to be living in all winter). I looked up to see who was producing the cacophany and it was none other than Foxy! She was not in distress, but crowing joyfully! She was making that classic squirrel sound - that sort of chuck chuck sound that every squirrel NEEDS to be able to make. I was so proud of her! She not only came when called, but she actually spoke! I like to think it was because she was glad to see me...

Sick Squirrel Caught

With the help of a tenant, Bernie managed to find and trap the squirrel with the goppy stuff covering his face, ear and eye (see more pictures in the Sick Squirrel post below). A lot of it dropped off with the peroxide bath he was given, and it looks like he should be ready to be released in a couple of weeks. We don't know what it is, but we don't think it's mange. Maybe a fungus?

Salad Days

As I was cutting across the park on my way to the grocery store, I saw Foxy darting into one of the big flowering cherry trees. I went over and found Foxy already up in the branches with her mouth full of pink petals! Then I noticed that the tree was swarming with squirrels. Everyone and their mother was there! Each looking for a bite to eat. The squirrels eat "salad" on days when they don't get "steak"!

I Kissed a Squirrel!

Well not really, but almost -- I could have, I was that close.  Bernie brought his new little Babygirl over to PCV in a shoulder bag. I actually got to hold her! And it would not have been hard to kiss that tiny pink V each time she yawned. This was the first time I've held a squirrel, so it was a real thrill. She is so precious. She only opened her eyes a few days ago. She is very curious and alert, but very calm and not afraid at all. Her gray and white coloring is beautiful, and she has a perfect little tail with a white stripe running through it. Sort of looks like a chipmunk tail. But she is all squirrel! She gets fed very well - all sorts of fruits and veggies and eggs are in her liquid diet. And because of that her fur is soft and shiny. I'm in love! And I'm going to need another Babygirl fix real soon.

Bernie put her down on the grass for a few minutes and she seemed to like that. Then he put her back into the shoulder bag where she was ensconced in tissues. He then bent down and started feeding all the squirrels that were circling around. He didn't realize that Babygirl had crawled out of her bag and along his arm to have a looksee, and there she was sitting on his wrist watch, watching all the commotion as the big squirrels darted to and fro for nuts. It was quite an outing for her! I would have pictures but my camera ran out of gas. Next time...

April Flowers

It's good to be back to normal April temps now, in the 60's and 70's. Much better in my opinion, my favorite weather, and the favorite weather of the squirrels. They don't like it when it gets too hot. And they definitely don't enjoy the cold!

We've been treated to the flowering cherry and apple trees etc. for a couple of weeks now, but today was a big breakthrough day when the pale green leaves started appearing on all the trees, turning Peter Cooper Village into a veritable paradise in the heart of New York City.

The playing field of Foxy and his friends has turned into plush green grass, strewn with violets. Lovely!

Unfortunately I saw another sick squirrel today, with those horrid red spots all over his back. Or could it have been the little one that disappeared after the big snowstorm? I was standing there for over half an hour feeding him and Foxy, both of whom kept eating nut after nut, like the nuts were keeping them warm. Foxy was sneezing and trembling from the cold, but couldn't seem to get enough to eat. All the larger squirrels had retired to their (relatively) warm holes and only the two little ones were out there with me. And a whole bunch of PCV kids, who were sledding and making snow balls. Suddenly giant snowflakes started falling and it was so beautiful!

I never saw that little gray squirrel again after that, and assumed he had died. But was that him back today? Either that or a squirrel that looked just like him...spots and all. He was acting very friendly like he knew me, and I fed him coconut and walnuts and grapes, as well as peanuts.

Squirrels are magic like that. They disappear, then they reappear. Sometimes a squirrel will seem to dissolve into a tree, as if the bark liquifies, allowing it to pass through to a secret realm where we cannot go.

Sick Squirrel

The weather has been unseasonably warm this week, and dry. When walking around I saw several squirrels lounging around. I had to go up to them to see if they were ill. One woman was on her cellphone while a squirrel lounged next to her on a bench. She was laughing as she told someone that she had this squirrel that was chillin' beside her!

Chillin'

The squirrels are no longer suffering from the cold weather, and they're surrounded by budding trees, shrubs and flowers, but now they get hot and thirsty, and have no readily available water supply.

The Baby Tree
I saw the babies today - Oatmeal and Duckling! They did not eat that much, and quickly disappeared, but at least I know they are still around. Their "spots" do not seem to be worse, but these cysts or boils are insidious things that are often internal, and full of pus and smelly, as we know from the ones we caught. They don't seem as happy and playful as they should be at their age. Mr. Operator's lesion has completely healed up. I've been feeding him lots of fresh coconut.

Sick Squirrel
Now here's a little fellow with a new problem. Here he is eating with Foxy looking on. I gave him fresh coconut, grapes and various nuts today. 

You can click on the picture, then click it a second time to enlarge it.  His left eye and ear are completely occluded. I'd like to find out what this is, and any comments would be appreciated. Here are more pictures:

I tought I taw a puddy tat

Springtime is lovely, walking around Peter Cooper Village, breathing in the perfume of all the flowering trees and bushes. Only one problem -- the nice weather brings all the dogs out. Every time you turn around, you see another dog being walked. It's stressful on the squirrels!

I was out there today when suddenly the squirrels were all atwitter over on the north side of the east park. I walked over to find out what was causing such a racket. One squirrel led the pack, making a funny noise that was a cross between a wail and the "chuck chuck" squirrel sound, its tail twirling like a pinwheel as it advanced down its tree. Once the alert had been sounded other squirrels chimed in, and it became a cacophony of frightened squirrel sounds.

I looked around for a hawk. The squirrels usually will sense one before I see it. But no... no sign of a big bird anywhere. Finally I saw the object of their attention -- and it was quite far away, by the back wall of building 6. I was surprised they had even seen it, as squirrels do not have very good eyesight. It was a very large tabby -- probably the largest cat I'd ever seen! And it was walking without a leash, its mistress nearby. It turned out to be 13 year old Riley, out enjoying the beautiful weather. Riley was curious about his surroundings, but did not pay much attention to the squirrels, who were not paying Riley the same respect. Eventually he walk right over towards the tree where the leader of the band was poised, causing the squirrel to go totally bananas. At that point I thought there might actually be a confrontation, as there sometimes will be with a hawk, but Riley finally turned and left, after which it took me a long time to calm down the little fellow, who could not stop making his noises. It seemed to be a reflex action, sort of like having the hiccups. I kept feeding him, but he continued to cry as he ate, until finally on the pecan that he stopped crying. He'd probably never had a pecan before, and it took his entire concentration.

I thought it was odd that the squirrels gave such a reception to a cat, because when a dog appears they simply run up the nearest tree. They reserve their caterwauling for the big birds, who they know as predators. So -- I wondered how they were able to distinguish Riley from a dog, especially from such a distance, and why they deemed Riley to be a predator. Another squirrel mystery. They obviously have some sort of 6th sense.

Easter "Bunny"

Happy Easter!

Good Friday Memorium

This post is in memory of the little squirrels that didn't make it through the winter. The little angels that were only on this earth a few short months, and that bore the brunt of winter without ever knowing the joys of spring. They had the mystery disease, whatever it is, and the storms were the tipping factor that caused the die-offs.

The little creatures just could not make it through the rough weather with their already weakened immune systems. It saddens me. We did our best and most squirrels came through it, but often the little ones died.

Then when we thought we were out of the woods, we were hit this week with cold weather and terrible rainstorms that lasted days and caused flooding on Long Island that is just now starting to recede. We worry about the newborns who have not yet made their appearance in the world. Between this strange illness that's very communicable and the recent rainstorms, will there be any babies this spring? We just don't know.

We'd been been worrying that we'd lost our last batch of babies because we hadn't seen them since last Monday while feeding them during a lull in the rains. These are the sweet little gray babies with that feathery fur that makes them look more like ducklings than squirrels. They have pink spots under their fur, but they had so far survived. Well I saw them today, out sunning themselves on The Baby Tree! It was a true spring day, absolutely gorgeous, and they were finally out enjoying the weather. I wish them a Happy Spring... they deserve it.

Foxy Redux

Foxy is looking really fine these days. Her lesion is completely healed and she has a beautiful, soft and shiny coat. She is a very happy squirrel.

Here she is next to a pigeon ... you can see how small she is!

Squirrel Malady

Some of the little ones are showing signs of the "red spots" infection. This is what it looks like:

And here's a closeup:

And here is Red Fox's lesion back on February 12, which has totally healed now.
We still don't know if it's bacterial, viral, fungal or parasites. I'd like to catch one and bring it to the vet to see if we can get a diagnosis, but they get skittish when they have this disease which makes them more paranoid than usual and harder to catch.

We lost several of the babies this winter over in the west side of the park, in the area near the fountain. The snow storms hit them particularly hard as they were already weakened by the disease, and they just couldn't survive.

Unfortunately, the infestation has now spread to the east side of the park. A couple of the darling gray babies over there have become infected. Here's one:


And I recently discovered that Mr. Operator -- a fully grown healthy adult -- has the disease. He had a big red boil on his back that looked painful. It's starting to look a little better now, as he has a fully developed immune system which I guess is helping him to fight it off. Click for a slightly larger view:


The other day I gave him some avocado with red marine algae sprinkled on top. He ate some of it, but maybe not enough. If this is squirrel pox then it's a virus that might be treatable with the drug zovirax (acyclovir), which is used to treat viruses in the herpes family. Red marine algae is an inexpensive alternative to the drug, and is possibly even more effective. But it does have the taste of seaweed, which may be a turn-off for squirrels. So I try to bury the taste in avocado or peanut butter.

Today I gave him and the babies fresh coconut, which is supposed to be a great antiviral. And they liked it. Luckily the Korean Deli sells it, already cut up and ready to serve. It's a treat for the squirrels, sort of like ice cream. When they get a piece they take off for places unknown to enjoy it -- that's how you know it's a special treat.

Rain Rain Go Away

Rain rain go away and don't come back another day! Just when things were getting better for the squirrels, this massive rain storm arrived. It's been raining for 2 days solid so far. I went out during a lull and found a whole parcel of hungry critters. The sad thing was, they all looked like drowned rats. That tells me that a lot of them don't have holes to hide in from the weather.

On the outside looking in

They don't have lovely, warm, toasty homes to go into like dogs and cats do. It's not fair being a squirrel.

Surmounting All Odds

Where tails come in useful.

Spring Fever

Spring is arriving at last! I'm loving these cold days as we ease into it, being startled by a sudden glimpse of forsythia or a crocus pushing its way up. And the squirrels are loving it too. Chewing on tree bark and buds on the ends of branches is the latest fad, and they are not as hungry for the store nuts. The beautiful cherry trees are already in bloom at Peter Cooper Village. Click for a larger view:

BUDS!

Click to enlarge any picture

While walking through the melting snowdrifts of our recent snowstorm (20.9 inches) I found, to my surprise, BUDS poking through!

Nipping in the Buds

The break in the weather has made the squirrels playful and joyful, and much less dependent on me. Relief! I watched three young squirrels, high above in their tree, availing themselves of the nutritious nectar of tree sap that exuded from the bark of the tender branches.
They seemed eager for an alternative to their steady winter diet of peanuts! Of course they also got other wonderful nuts, avocados, and fruits like grapes and cherries, and the occasional cookie, but this was Mother Nature calling! In fact they have not been crowding around me at all right now. There's no doubt about it though, we helped many young squirrels get through a harsh, cold winter. We (Bernie and his Angels) did a good job this year, with not too many casualties.

This man who lives in the building by "the bushes" (a popular squirrel hideout) was going in the other day and yelled out to me "Please don't feed the squirrels." He came back out a while later and saw that I was still there, having ignored him. He then became rather persistent, attempting to harass me by stopping to talk to people then turning around to stare at me and give me dirty looks. I felt like saying to him: I busted my butt all winter trying to keep these squirrels alive and healthy, and where were you? So just butt out!

But we were not 100% successful. Some of the young ones contracted a horrid disease that ended up taking their lives. I posted below about Red Fox's lesion-- at first we'd thought it was the mark of a hawk bite-- a huge, ugly wound on his rear hindquarter that seemed to be arrive overnight. But then more lesions began to appear around his body -- much smaller than the original one -- and I began to suspect something else was going on. The small lesions never gained a foothold, and the large one healed, so Foxy is doing fine today.

After doing some research I narrowed it down to being either a bot fly infestation (unlikely), or squirrel fibromatosis (also known as squirrel fibroma or squirrel pox). My guess was squirrel pox, although it could also be a pasteur infection, or both. Pasteur is bacterial and can be cured with antibiotics, while squirrel pox is caused by a virus, and has no cure other than the squirrel's own immune system. I did find some talk of successful use of acyclovir serum. Acyclovir is used to treat herpes viruses, and is now generic, and much cheaper than it was.

Unfortunately we were unable to save the two baby gray squirrels who contracted the disease. They were such pretty little things, with fur that was still soft. Here's one of them.

The disease came on very quickly, with the lesions appearing right after the first big snowstorm. Bernie took her home and gave her a bath and discovered cysts full of pus all over the underside of the poor little creature, who only survived for a few days after that. At least she was comfortable and well cared-for, as the other squirrels were bullying her when she tried to eat, causing her to whimper, which broke my heart. No doubt they would not let her in the nest at night either.

I was feeding the other gray baby on the day of the second big snowstorm and he just stood there in the snow and ate and ate and ate - at least 12 nuts in a row -- and I never saw him after that. He must have died in the blizzard.
Red Fox was there too, standing in the snow, sneezing away (when Foxy sneezed his entire body rose up in the air) and eating like there was no tomorrow. Luckily he survived, and although he is thin and frail, seems to have good energy. Taz did not ever get sick. Here they are feeding together peacefully (Taz gets along with Foxy).


I had such a shock the other day when I went over to feed Taz and discovered a tell-tale angry pink boil on his hindquarter. I did a double-take -- this had literally developed overnight because Taz had been fine the day before! Then a little while later Taz came running over looking fine. So this was his twin, his doppelgänger! A squirrel I had not seen all winter (unfortunately) and have not seen again.

Squirrels are a magical mystery and never cease to surprise. Today again I thought I was feeding Taz, and was amazed that he came running right over and came up close to my foot, having lost all his shyness. Then I realized that it didn't quite have the same face as Taz (which is unique and so adorable). This one had a more pointy face and it also had the most beautiful, perfect glossy coat of fur I've ever seen on a squirrel. Now where did this little one come from? Where had he been all winter long? And how could he be so healthy and so fearless and friendly towards me? Another mystery!

Taz

The nickname Taz is short for Tasmanian Devil-- because this one is such a little devil! He's as fast as all-getout. This is the great and sometimes only advantage that baby squirrels have over their elders, who bully the little ones, especially where food gathering is concerned. Taz is so uber-fast that watching him move around in a funny combination of a sprint and a bunny hop -- makes one laugh. And nobody meddles with Taz. Taz pounces on pigeons twice his size -- you see the feathers flying during a Taz attack! These belong to the hapless pigeons who try to horn in on peanuts thrown by Taz's tree. And Taz also attacks the bigger squirrels -- he does not discriminate -- he's fearless! Except when it comes to me. Then he's very, very shy.

Foxy

Red Fox (aka Foxy), is the most beautiful squirrel in the park.
We think he may have survived a near-death encounter with a hawk, during which a big chunk was chomped out of his rear-end. Indications are of a hawk bite, because of the location, depth and severity of the wound. Hawks tend to attack in that spot on the back, in their attempt to crush the spine of their victim, thus paralyzing it.

After an unsuccessful trapping attempt, we've been worrying about Foxy constantly and trying to keep him well-fed in order to heal. Unfortunately, the snowstorm brought with it 2 days of no food, and in that short period he became pitifully thin. You can see in the picture above that he used to be quite plump and round, but he has lost all his baby fat.
But I'm happy to report that although he looked a bit bedraggled hopping through the snow, a scab has healed over his wound, which is still large and ugly, but no longer raw!

He had a huge appetite today and ate and ate - avocado, grapes, walnuts, cashews and peanuts. When he was finally full, he engaged in a game of catch with me -- where I threw peanuts at him which he caught and promptly buried --- and then he returned for more. This is a wild squirrel's way of bonding when it is no longer hungry and just wants to play!

Snow Buddha

We found this artist's rendition in the easternmost park of Peter Cooper Village when we ventured out after the snowstorm. The squirrels love it!

Thrill-seeking Squirrel Banned from Theme Park Ride

THIS thrill-seeking squirrel has been going nuts on a theme park roller coaster. But now the daredevil scamp has been banned from the ride as its antics posed a health and safety risk.

The rodent was said to be causing headaches for operators at Alton Towers by getting in the way of improvement work on an attraction at the resort.

Workers noticed it riding the revamped Sonic Spinball roller coaster as it was tested in the mornings and joining visitors who were offered an early go on it before the official opening.

The grey-haired animal was also caught stealing food from the workers.

A spokeswoman for the Staffordshire theme park said: "It was getting in the way of builders who were painting. They couldn't carry on because they would end up with paw prints in the paint. And we can't have anything on the track when the roller coaster is going round."

Alarms were installed that emit a warning noise inaudible to human ears but designed to ensure the squirrel, nicknamed Sonic, avoids the ride in future.

Morwenna Angove, sales and marketing director at the Alton Towers resort, said: "Unfortunately Sonic's behaviour is a danger both to our guests and himself and so we're doing all we can to ensure that he stays away from the ride.

"Banning a squirrel from a roller coaster is certainly unusual but I suppose there's a first time for everything."

The Sonic Spinball ride officially opened to the public yesterday to coincide with the start of the February half term.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2853165/Squirrels-theme-park-ride-ban.html#ixzz0fcTTWIqP

Squirrels: State of the Union

 
So far the squirrels are doing just fine! I was thinking about how much better off they seem to be this winter than in previous years, when many suffered. We had an unusually abundant nut harvest this year, and they were fattened up and prepared for winter combat early on.

I did see one black one with a bleeding front paw yesterday, but it didn't look too bad. Other years there have been so many with wounds much worse than that. I recall one black squirrel that had a horrible open wound on his leg that lasted all winter. It just would not heal. I always wondered at how much he suffered. When we first saw these wounds we wondered if they were from... hawks? dogs? rats? We finally decided that they were fighting among themselves. I think that as long as they have food security they don't fight with each other.

Also, apart from our "White Christmas", the winter has been relatively mild so far. In fact recently we've been experiencing a "January thaw" with temperatures in the 40's. The squirrels have been responding to the clement weather with frisky frolicking. It seems to be converging with mating season!
It's a wonder to watch their agile gymnastics as they chase and evade each other in the trees with much squealing, devastation and delight!

Homeland Security, squirrel style...the system works!

 
(unlike another system we've been hearing about recently.)

I've voiced my concerns here about the hawks before. They come around the park almost daily during the wintertime. Is it because they are hungrier, need fuel for warmth, or because the bare trees reveal their quarry so easily? I was bemoaning the fact that wide open nests leave squirrels vulnerable, and was making the case for squirrel "houses" which would provide roofs to protect them from rain, snow and wind, and from the ever-present predators. Houses of this type were constructed some time ago in Tompkins Square Park, and are working well over there. Why not squirrel houses at Stuytown and Peter Cooper Village? We take care of our pets by making sure they have a cozy home with a roof over their heads-- why not do the same for our wonderful squirrels?

That said, today I had an interesting lesson on how squirrels are not completely defenseless, but actually have a rather sophisticated "homeland defense" system that includes a "terrorist watch list", an "early warning system" and even a few "combat troops". The system stops short of having a "no fly list", but that's a tough one to impose.

As I was feeding a rather large group of squirrels, I noticed that a young couple was observing them with great interest, with both their video cameras rolling. They told me that they'd never seen squirrels like this before. "We're French" they explained. Ah yes, that explained it!

"Early Warning System"
No sooner had the couple left than the squirrels in a nearby tree started their crying. I looked up and sure enough, there loomed a hawk, large and ominous, in a tree just behind where the couple had been. I was filled with dread, but at the same time was sorry that they had missed the excitement of seeing a hawk! They're French, after all.

"Terrorist Watch List"
The squirrels always somehow sense when a hawk is nearby. How do they do it? Their eyesight is not the best, as anyone who has ever tossed them a peanut that is not in their direct path knows. Squirrels do sense motion, but then a hawk tends to sit motionless until it's ready to strike. And the dogs, pigeons and people that are always moving about do not cause the same reaction. Only hawks have been placed on the squirrels' "terrorist watch list", which causes their "early warning system" to kick in.

"Attack"
Although the hawk will sit quietly and patiently, there's a tension in the air, and you expect movement at any moment. I watched as the hawk suddenly spread its huge wings and swiftly swooped down across the green where a gray squirrel was foraging. Hawks do have good eyesight by the way. The squirrel scurried into the safety of a nearby hedge, and the hawk landed on a tree above the hedge. Then I witnessed a most amazing scene.

"Combat Troops"
A squirrel (it may have been the same one that hid in the hedge) ran up the tree and headed straight for the hawk, making menacing sounds. I thought to myself: uh oh, this is gonna get bloody! The squirrel pitched itself at the hawk kamikaze-style, and the hawk at that point decided that it might be a good idea to take off. And off it went, flying straight out of the park! I looked around for the French couple, sorry that they were not there to capture the action on their cameras.

Once again I had seen courage being demonstrated by a squirrel. What a hero! And so we see how squirrels can actually protect themselves through their natural defense system. And if squirrels can do it, why can't the U.S. Government? But that's another story...

Heroes of the Storm

We had over a foot of snow last night, and in the morning the world was covered in white. I rushed over to see how the squirrels had survived the storm. The night before I had heard reports of gale force winds of 40-50mph on Long Island.

When I first got to PCV not a creature was stirring. Eventually squirrels started coming down from their trees to eat, most of them babies. It looked like the storm took a greater toll on the bigger squirrels. I called for Lucky but he did not appear. I threw a bunch of peanuts under his tree and came back a while later to see if they'd been taken. I saw a black squirrel in Lucky's usual spot, and at first was relieved, but as I got closer I saw that it was not Lucky. I had never seen another squirrel in Lucky's tree before -- he makes sure of that! This other squirrel was in the process of picking up the peanuts I had left and burying them... in the snow! As I got closer I realized it was none other than... Mr. Operator, doing his usual thing. That squirrel is irrepressibly true to form. He looked to be in fine shape.

I could only wonder if Lucky was high up there in his nest, frozen. He has always come (like a dog) when I called him, so his absence - and the presence of another squirrel in his tree - were ominous.

The other one I'm worried about is Tubby. No sign of her now for 3 days. If we lose Tubby we lose the Matriarch, the mother of these endless series of red squirrels that show up each season. The red squirrels are not the same as the blacks, being not only a different color but of a different disposition. They are not true reds, like the Russian and British squirrels, but a variation of the black squirrel. The blacks are shyier than the grays, which are the most aggressive. In turn, the reds are the shyest of all, to the point of being neurotic.

There was one red squirrel who could never face me, and always had to hide behind a tree when I threw the peanuts. We got to the point where it would take a peanut from my hand, but always from behind the tree so I couldn't see it! Which is a shame, because the reds are the most beautiful squirrels of all. Eventually they turn black-- not the pitch black of the others, but more of a deep auburn color. The squirrel at the top of this page, who is named Brownie, started life as a red squirrel and eventually turned black. There are currently 2 junior reds running around, probably Tubby's latest issue, and I only hope they make it through the winter. I did not see either one today.

Old Man Winter

arrived today in the form of a Nor'easter.



The savaging begins.

I've written before on this blog about the idea of building squirrel shelters.  Since then I found out about squirrel houses in Thompkins Square Park  and Washington Square Park: squirrel-houses-at-washington-square-park

Bernie Goetz,  who knows how tough winter is on squirrels, has been involved in both these projects. If they're not lucky, squirrels can freeze to death.

Speaking of being lucky, I saw Lucky sitting up in his tree watching the snow fall. He would not even come down for a nut. I believe Lucky lives alone in a nest high up in that tree (see picture below) because I've never seen another squirrel go near it. Lucky is very territorial. But alas it is a roofless nest and there's nobody else to snuggle with. I worry about Mr. Lucky.


Call me Lucky

The Story of Lucky

Here's a little background on this squirrel called Lucky:

He was looking pretty bad when we first found him:
http://thenewyorksquirrel.blogspot.com/2009/11/post-mortem.html

We decided to try to catch him so we set out a trap:
http://thenewyorksquirrel.blogspot.com/2009/11/trapping-squirrel.html

As you can see, he was too smart for us! But there was a happy ending
http://thenewyorksquirrel.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-ending.html

And that's how he got the name Lucky:
http://thenewyorksquirrel.blogspot.com/2009/11/most-happy-fella.html



Housing for Squirrels

I'd like to send out an appeal to everyone, but especially to the pet owners of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, who love watching the squirrels with their dogs. After their walk the dogs go back inside their warm cozy homes, while the squirrels they were watching remain outside to brave the weather with nothing but their warm winter coats. Couldn't these good-hearted residents who lovingly care for their dogs, think about starting a project to take care of their beautiful squirrels? The squirrels belong to all of us.

There's a blizzard moving in now, and the youngest ones have no idea what they're in for. Some manage to squeeze into holes in the trees, but I hear a lot of squealing coming from the holes, so I guess there's not enough room in the inn for everyone.

There's one black baby squirrel on the other side of Lucky's park, whom I've recently befriended. He's as soft and fuzzy as a stuffed animal. Previously shy, he has learned to trust me and comes right up to me now with his large, beautiful eyes looking right at me. I wish I could bring him home and set him on my bed where he looks like he belongs! And there are two other black babies over in the western end of the park that are not even old enough to understand what's happening  when a nut is thrown at them! This is typical baby squirrel behavior. It scares them away-- maybe they're genetically programmed to dodge gun shots?

I hope they'll be able to weather this storm that is now moving quickly up the East Coast.

Cry Babies

It was sunny today but very cold outside, and had been in the 20's last night. Squirrels were crying all over the place as I walked around PVC East. Even Lucky was making the strangest noises! At first I thought they were crying because they were cold and hungry, and tried calming them with peanuts. I should have known better. Eventually I saw the demon hawk feasting on a small gray squirrel, over by Lucky's tree.

Well then I did a very stupid thing. I started lecturing the bird in an angry voice, telling it to scram (I know I know... I sometimes lecture squirrels, and they seem to know exactly what I'm saying, although a man came over to me once and said, "You know they don't understand a word you're saying"). Anyway, the bird understood something and took off without finishing its meal. That was my mistake, because unfortunately it then parked itself on a branch of a tree where it had a bird's eye view of all the babies that were out sunning themselves. This was on the big tree over by Tubby's area that gets the afternoon sunlight.

Although the more mature squirrels were sounding alarms all over the place, some even getting close to challenge the bird to leave, the babies were oblivious to their imminent peril.

Then I did something even more stupid. Thinking that I could protect the squirrels by standing near their tree, I ended up bringing more of them out and about, seeing the nut lady standing there with her bag of nuts. And of course I did start throwing out a few nuts to those that ventured down. Really bright move, as it kept them out and about. And the bird did not budge from its ringside seat.

Finally I made my third mistake of the day -- I left. I grew too cold and thought my presence was of no help and maybe a hindrance. Unfortunately the hawk was still sitting there patiently watching the tree when I left. I now know what "watched like a hawk" means. The only good news is that there was no sign of Tubby today. At least I think that's good news.

Who's been eating in MY nest?

I was walking in Peter Cooper Village with Bernie the squirrel rescuer, and he was taking me over to meet a new family of black squirrels he'd discovered recently. As we approached the nest, we joked about there being a Mama Squirrel, a Papa Squirrel and a Baby Squirrel. When we arrived at the tree where the squirrels nested I looked up and saw a large bird in the nest. It was, of course, a red-tailed hawk. The birds of winter are back. We saw him eating something. It could only have been Baby Squirrel, who had probably been asleep in the nest, as Bernie had not seen the baby that day. The bird was just finishing its meal when we arrived, then it sat there comfortably in the nest like a god, while it rested and digested amid the devastation. We felt like crying and had to walk away. It's so hard to tend to squirrels in winter and yet they need you more than ever now, so you just do it.

When you walk around the park looking up you see all these lovely nests in the tops of the naked trees, so totally exposed -- like a gift to the gods -- with squirrels in there ripe for the picking.

If you can see the nest, the hawk can too.


You can see Lucky's nest at the top of the tree, and Lucky himself near the bottom of the picture.