January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day – Celebrate it by learning more about squirrels and putting out some nuts for them (and maybe not only today 😉).
Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!
Bonus: NASA engineer designed a squirrel-proof birdfeeder. Or so he thought.
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Sometimes things happen the way you hope they’d happen 😉 Teddy shows up after only a few minutes of wait; he strikes a lovely pose where I want him to, and it even starts to snow! It doesn’t happen very often, but it is a pleasant change when it does.
Photography is preparation AND a little bit of luck, isn’t it?
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You’d think that photographing swans (or any other waterfowl) would be easy when you live on an island with plenty of birds around. And it is, most of the time. Not when you set out to photograph them, though.
During my usual walks along the coast, I could see many swans paddling quietly around the island, foraging, or cleaning their feathers, always close to the shore. So I’d think, “I’ll come back and take some photos.” Then I’d come back with my camera, and one of these two things would happen:
1) They wouldn’t be there. At all. Gone. Hasta la vista, baby!
2) They would be far away at sea, out of the reach of my telelens.
But time, patience, and perseverance paid off, so I could take the photos—eventually 😉. These are some of the photos I was able to take after several frustrating attempts.
Have you tried taking photos of birds or animals?
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This is one of my favorite photos, mating emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa). The top one is the male; females lack the bright blue color of the males.
Damselflies are most common in July and August, so I spent the last couple of weeks by the small lake near our house photographing them. Emerald damselflies are found mainly near stagnant water (lakes and ponds, canals, etc.), rarely along flowing water. Aren’t they beautiful?
A well-camouflaged winter damselfly (Sympecma fusca). They like to perch among reeds, where their muted colors allow them to blend in.
They’re related to the emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa) and, like them, can be found near stagnant water; but they don’t have their bright red or blue colors.
Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis)
Moustached Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum)
Another photo of that moustached darter.
Which photo do you like most? My favorite is the top one, the mating emerald damselflies, even though it was hard to choose, I love them all!
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A beautiful Eurasian jay with bright plumage, maybe due to ant bathing? Jays engage in a curious behavior called ant bathing: they climb an ant hill and let ants climb all over their body while moving around to excite the ants. The theory is that the formic acid secreted by the ants to protect themselves helps keep the bird’s plumage healthy and glossy. Then they’d take a bath to get rid of the poor ants!.
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The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) has exceptionally keen hearing and can hear the larva moving under the bark of the trees. This is why you can often see woodpeckers standing still in a tree and turning its head towards the trunk, clearly listening.
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This red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) had such beautiful fur! Darker reddish brown on the back and the tail and lighter on the side, almost orange when the sun hit it.
Isn’t Nature gorgeous? There are so many shades in their fur, from dark orange and red to dark brown, and all nuances in between. Red squirrels change their body fur twice yearly, but their tail hair only once.
The winter coat of red squirrels is much thicker than the summer coat, and their ear tufts are also longer. This young squirrel hasn’t started growing its the ear tufts yet. And look at that gorgeous orange fur!
You can see how much bushier and longer the ear tufts are in winter in these last two photos.
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January 21st is the International Squirrel Appreciation Day – what better excuse do you need to throw a party, especially if you live in the Northern hemisphere and long for summer and green pastures? Host a squirrel-themed get-together and have some fun in the middle of gloomy January. Or celebrate it by learning more about squirrels and putting out some nuts for them!
You may be mad at them for raiding the bird feeders, but they’re just small creatures trying to survive – as we all do. Instead of fortifying the feeders, create a squirrel feeding station someplace you can see from inside your house. Drag an armchair to the window and enjoy the show. In time, one timid squirrel will grow bolder, and soon, more bushy-tailed cuties will entertain you with their antics.
You’ll have fun watching them chasing each other or running around to burry nuts and seeds, and in the meantime, nature will benefit as the many forgotten nuts will grow into trees. A win-win!
Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!
Bonus: NASA engineer designed a squirrel-proof birdfeeder. Or so he thought.
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