Buddy Squirrel

Meet Sciurus niger - the Eastern Fox Squirrel - the largest of the tree squirrel family.  The common gray squirrel is slightly smaller. 

At first blush you might guess this to be a Red Squirrel.  However, lacking in this photo is the Red Squirrel's distinctive bright white belly and white rings around the eyes.  The rusty coloring and large bushy tail are reminiscent of a fox - implying this is a Fox Squirrel.  

The bright reddish-orange pelt of this animal and it's loud, scolding call make it an easier visual and audible identification.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel this species has a wider home range and, as is evidenced by all of the photos, spends more time on the ground foraging. 

In the past six years they've been showing-up with increasing frequency on the trail cameras.  My conclusion is that as our forest has matured, along with acorn production from the oaks, is that the resident population has increased.  

They're active year-round and January and February is their mating season so there's likely more chasing of the ladies happening too.  This time of year their frequent appearances are a consequence of gathering stores for winter.

Fun to observe and without destructive tunneling in our septic mound I'm tickled (so far anyway) to have them around.

 

 

Who Dines On Acorns?

Just about everyone.  Squirrels, turkey and deer come to mind. 

If you take a moment to scan the forest floor beneath the oak trees you will find evidence of the critters dining on the acorns from above...

 

Situational Awareness

From one of our morning walks we kept a sharp eye peeled and took note of the acorn crop materializing on the swamp and bur oaks.  Deer hunting should be good this fall with natural mast food sources.

And we spied a nest.  My first impression was that it was a paper wasp nest.  Yet too small - slightly larger than my clenched fist.  It was of woven grass and paper birch bark bits all-over.  It was a cup-style bird nest and superbly camouflaged. 

Having never identified one previously Google Image tells me that a red-eyed vireo constructed this home.

Another first.  

Early Blooms

We planted this tree in the front yard twenty-one years ago.  It was one year-old bare root stock; a pencil-size twig.  And for the longest time we never thought it would amount to anything.

It's grown into a handsome young oak tree.  Further evidence of its maturation, it is bearing a sizeable crop of acorns again.  And if history repeats itself, when they ripen they'll barely last a week as the critters will hoover them up in short order.

The species has been forgotten so I asked a forester pal if she might ID the tree for me.  She is confident that it is a Northern Pin Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) commonly known as a Hill's oak.

Towards the end of last month I noticed that the tree had large numbers of catkins hanging from the branches as the leaves of 2025 emerged from their buds.

Yes, oak trees have blossoms too.  These are one of the flowers that are produced by the tree – the male flower to be certain.  This species is monoecious – meaning that it produces both male and female flowers.  Each male flower typically has six stamens (ranges from two to twelve) which have long spreading white filaments when the flower fully opens.  The female flowers are more reddish-green and appear as small slender spikes in the axils of new growth. 

I gave this tree a thorough examination and could find no flowers of the female persuasion. Not surprising inasmuch as they are not visible to the naked eye.  It is from the female flower that acorns are formed.  This species begins producing acorns around 15 to 20 years of age; give or take.  Large numbers of acorns won't materialize until the tree is fifty years of age.  Which makes sense for a tree that will live 90 to 120 years of age. 

As a general rule the acorns will mature in late summer and begin falling in September or October.  

This tree has been producing acorns for about 6 to 7 years.  From last week there is this. 

Overachiever..... 

Foxy Redhead

Meet Sciurus niger - the Eastern Fox Squirrel - the largest of the tree squirrel family.  The common gray squirrel is smaller.

At first blush you might guess this to be a Red Squirrel.  However, lacking in this photo is the Red Squirrel's distinctive bright white belly and white rings around the eyes.  The rusty coloring and large bushy tail are reminiscent of a fox - implying this is a Fox Squirrel. 

The bright orange pelt of this animal and it's loud, scolding call make it an easier visual and audible identification.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel this species has a wider home range and spends more time on the ground foraging. 

In the past five years they've been showing-up with increasing frequency on the trail cameras.  My conclusion is that as our forest has matured along with acorn production from the oaks is that the resident population has increased.  

This time of year their frequent appearances are a consequence of gathering stores for winter.

They're active year-round and January and February is their mating season so there's likely more chasing of the ladies happening too.

Fun to observe and without destructive tunneling behavior I'm tickled (so far anyway) to have them around.

 

Nuts

Just returned from running the trail camera trap line.

One smashed cam still strapped to a tree and two others on the ground with busted straps. All had their SD cards.

Just like all the household appliances self-destructing in 2024, maybe it’s the same with the cameras?

The smashed cam was way-old so no big deal. Perhaps the memory cards will tell the tale.

Meanwhile, from a couple weeks ago, the fox squirrels have been busy gathering acorns.

Stay-tuned….