Camera Critters #155

When I settled in central Oregon, I didn’t think I would miss squirrels…but I do.  I never saw one when I lived in Prineville. 

When I moved to Redmond, once again, no squirrels.

Then one morning after I sat down at my computer, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement at a seed bell I hung in a tree right outside my window.  For a moment, my thought was, “What’s he doing here?”

Then I stopped asking questions, grabbed the camera and began shooting.  At that time, my camera was a Sony Mavica FD-90, which saved images to floppy disks.  I fired a few, then sat and watched as the Western Gray Squirrel made a meal of the seeds in the bell.

Western Gray Squirrels are found primarily along the coastal areas, but are also associated with the Ponderosa Pines on the east side of the Cascades where I live.  But there are no Ponderosa Pines near my house…only Juniper Trees.

The squirrel continued hanging out in the area for most of the year.  During the summer, I would toss unshelled peanuts out for it, which it would quickly grab and bury in the loose soil.  Unfortunately, a Western Scrub Jay also hung around for the peanut fest and as the squirrel buried a peanut, the jay would remove it, and rebury it somewhere else.

I guess the Gray Squirrel got tired of the game and took off for parts unknown.  I never saw him again.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.