There was another trip to the veterinary clinic this morning but this time only for booster shots.
Lily and Dee Dee were obliged to endure a detour on the way home via the post office adding a few minutes to their incarceration.
No complaints were audible.
.
It is a bright, breezy but snow-free February day.
For snow, apparently one needed to be in New York City’s Central Park yesterday.
Everything is screwy.
.
We have come to the sad conclusion that our little friend Ghost is gone for good.
Not gone from the planet, necessarily, just gone from us.
He was absent for a long period once before but this time it’s been 9 months.
.
There were always lots of squirrels around but periodically they all vanished for a few days as if they’d gone to a seminar.
So last Spring when this happened we thought nothing of it until days stretched to weeks, to months.
.
Not a squirrel in sight, anywhere.
Finally, in August a couple of new squirrels arrived that were easily identifiable.
One by its unusual tail and another by a nasty-looking wound.
.
The wound which I’m sure you’d rather not see, was beneath its left shoulder. It seemed to be healing and the squirrel looked healthy enough.
It had rusty highlights to further identify it.
Another squirrel arrived with a left side wound. What was going on?
.
This pretty creature arrived too.
.
But they all disappeared as well:(
.
In October, some very different squirrels:
.
“Damn. I fink I broke a toof!”
.
I’d been discouraged by the disappearances but took snaps.
.
(Those same two in November)
.
Another October arrival.
.
“Catch my left side.”
“I’s pretty, don’t you fink?”
.
It wasn’t just that I was discouraged. When the new group of squirrels arrived, tentatively, they were quite shy and prone to flight if they saw I was watching.
.
Some of the differences are hard to catch.
In wet weather, the fur looks darker and the squirrels become quite bedraggled.
Maybe also their fur darkens with age?
.
Babies? In October?
Is that what had been going on?!
.
Mama squirrel seemed to be doing well days later and according to Google, squirrels may give birth in September.
In any case, as we’ve already established, everything is screwy.
.
This, I think, is the little coquette?
.
And this might be our wounded warrior from back in August?
.
More than a few times we’ve been excited by a flash of grey, thinking it was Ghost.
But it’s this pale fellow.
.
Also very handsome.
.
This could be that lad who broke his tooth, except it has a different face mask.
It’s not easy, keeping track.
.
Now who are you, exactly?
.
This chap arrived with the November gang.
We haven’t named him but I think he must be Big Red.
His ear tips are bright orange.
.
There he was, bedraggled in December.
.
Big Red and Little Red.
.
Big Red on Christmas Eve.
.
Big Red.
.
On December 28th…red tail…
…different face…
Not Big Red.
Not what’s his name either.
He had red feet.
.
Now wait a minute…
Could these be the kids?
.
December 30th.
Practicing for the Super Bowl.
.
January 1st. I think it’s brand new!
.
A good place to stop, I think!
Very squirrely indeed!
Interesting to remember the day when there was a bounty on grey squirrel tails, at least in my part of the UK. One shilling each. I think it was about controlling invasive species and protecting red squirrels.
Yes, Grey squirrels were the bad boys. Our little Adirondack Reds are quite stroppy and often chase off the greys but the red squirrels in Europe are a different sort. Meanwhile the populations we have here are a strange mix. It makes us wonder what they get up to during breeding season! Apart from fighting that is!
Maybe the squirrels at the seminar decided to swap out places (you know, like exchange students). Ha Ha, practicing for the Super Bowl – that’s so funny (but a good description)!
Wild squirrels can live for over 9 years, so Ghost may have just found somewhere else to feed, or been old when you first spotted him.
Thanks for the nice batch of squirrel photos, Carolyn.
Best wishes, Pete.