Flat out

This is a squirrel we've dubbed Fertile Myrtle (the squirtle), sprawled outside our back door.  More on why she is sprawled below.

She's the most friendly of the squirrels that visit, the one that actually comes right up to the window and looks in at me to ask for more nuts.

She's also the one that we thought was a fella until her pregnancy became very obvious.  We think she's delivered, now, and judging by the nuts she's squireling away it was quite a litter.  We'll probably have six little squirrels asking for nuts in a couple of months.

If Myrtle sees that I'm near the window she will usually run down the hill and ask for nuts.  Sometimes I don't see her, but she is persistent, as you can see.

Usually she'll stand patiently on her hind legs until she catches my eye, but on the day the top photo was taken things were a lot hotter and muggier than usual as a storm front approached.  She's actually cooling down in the traditional squirrel fashion, spread-eagled on the ground.

I hope her kids realise how much effort she goes to so they can eat, slaving over a hot deck all afternoon...