Squirrel news

Remember Myrtle?

She's the squirrel that knows how to ask and waits patiently for me to see her and put nuts outside.  I think that last time I mentioned her she was pregnant.  That was some time ago and she has since had her little family - three little squirrels we believe, which began coming down to the deck with her.  They aren't so little now and some at least seem to have moved on.  It's hard to tell because when the real heat of summer arrived all the squirrels molted and their markings suddenly changed.  The only way I could recognise Myrtle was by her behaviour.  Here she is, in classic asking pose, but wearing the new season fashions.

Much sleeker and more colourful, too.  In the winter the squirrels are almost all grey, and in the summer they really go to town with the brown.

Anyway, Myrtle isn't looking quite so sleek recently and we are fairly sure she's pregnant again, so in a little while we can expect more little squirrels visiting.  I can't resist Myrtle's charm so it's a good thing that the offspring don't seem to pick up all of her asking technique or we'd go bankrupt buying nuts for the growing clan!