Climate deniers point to this very cold winter we are having as proof that there is no such thing as global warming. All it proves is that scientists should choose their words more carefully.
And that you cannot force people to confront inconvenient facts they refuse to acknowledge.
Future generations will curse us.
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“I’m glad we didn’t get that blizzard. Life is hard enough as it is.”
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Grant called me to see this poor creature that appeared to be missing its left ear.
Of all the wild animals we see, squirrels tend most frequently to sport injuries, often quite devastating in nature, though these creatures appear to be very hardy.
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Most squirrel injuries are inflicted by their own kind.
They are savage to one another, fighting over food even when there is plenty on offer.
Mating season becomes frantic.
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Little Red is fearless and regularly chases off the much larger grey squirrels.
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While the greys chase off the poor little black squirrel who chases no-one.
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It’s hard to be sure, but we suspect that it’s a female.
Black squirrels interbreed with greys and we wonder how the offspring will turn out.
Will we even see them? The little red squirrels seem to stay around but the greys move on quickly and the black squirrel is more like them in appearance, so…
Time will tell. Foolishly, we’ve become attached. One never should.
Of course.
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Little Red needs to keep an eye on the sky.
The Cooper’s hawk was out searching for a meal on Saturday.
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Later on there was a loud thud as a bird hit a window as it attempted to escape.
When we went to look, there was Coop sitting on the porch.
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It fluttered up onto the table and stared in the window.
Coop isn’t quite big enough to poach a pussycat.
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Frustrated, it went to fluff its feathers in the waiting room tree while keeping an eye out.
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Small birds are Coop’s most frequent victims but Little Red or a passing chipmunk would provide a tasty morsel.
Chipmunks are safely tucked up for another couple of weeks or so.
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Flesh is what a hawk needs, so I cannot placate Coop with peanuts or suet and I try not to mind all those piles of feathers we constantly find, doves, mostly – they seem to be the perfect target for a Cooper’s hawk.
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Thank you, Carolyn, for the wonderful photos and your thoughts on climate change! I am glad that the blizzard passed you by. I am not fond of hawks in my garden and successfully defend my birds.
Joanna
The hawks are beautiful and a necessary link in the food chain, but it is always sad when you see the results of their meals!
Granted we have trashed the planet, but Mother Nature has wielded weather we couldn’t even dream about over millions of years and assuming after any fashion that we have any control over something alive and large as the planet is not only silly, but arrogant in the extreme. We the planet angry enough all she has to do is sneeze or whip up another ice age or a few too many volcanoes and we’re history. I’ve stood on a petrified tree that was 2,000 years old when a mountain blew up 7 miles and 3.5 million years ago and leveled that tree like it was a twig. We got nothing on Mother Nature. And the planet is shifting again. We could be selling ocean front resort property inside the old arctic circle here in a few years. I wonder what future generations or alien investigators will think of the giant lumps of plastic fused into some new indestructible material by Mother.
Of course climate is affected by natural influences, but the planet has never before been so massively populated and by beings that fill the air and seas with toxic gases and substances that do not dissipate or degrade. Substances like plastic ought never to have been allowed. I imagine Mother Nature will find a way of disposing of humans and the sooner the better if other species are to survive.
We are not the first nor the last. 3.5 million years from now whatever becomes of plastic, like what became of dinosaurs will be a national park where some species will marvel at “what the hell was that”🤣 or maybe they’ll power their pollution machines with it😫
The Hawk has to live, but it is still sad to see the aftermath. I watched Buzzards over on Beetley Meadows taking small prey, (field mice, voles, etc) and it always upset me. I wish we still had red squirrels in East Anglia, but we settle for Greys, although they drove out the Reds. Well done to Little Red for standing his ground. 15C/59F here today, and tomorrow might be 17C/63F. Climate change deniers need to have their ears boxed and their legs slapped!
Best wishes, Pete.
This winter animals has suffered as it has been so cold. I an so happy now the very cold days are gone and it’s a little bit warmer.
Squirrels are fighting against each other. You have such a lovely hawk living in your neighborhood. Lucky you!
Here’s a challenge for you: Find a small animal that can be chased by the black squirrel 😉. It’s hard to believe that the squirrels can fight so fiercely among themselves … especially when you look at those innocent little faces!
The climate is changing, that is unarguable. It may be possible to argue over why – although the proof is clear enough – but you can’t argue that as we know what we can do to alleviate the problems we should just ignore it.
Blimey. I have become anonymous again! Oh well… amazing photos of the hawk and the beautiful red squirrel. Hope they both make it through the winter.