April 20

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Red squirrel.

I believe red squirrels are much more common, around here, than they used to be.  I don't think I ever saw one, until relatively recently (10-15 years?). I just read in that wikipedia article (linked, above) that red squirrels depend on the seeds of conifers. Most (all?) of the conifers around here were planted by people, and, maybe, only fairly recently have had enough seeds to support a population of red squirrels.

It's easy to distinguish red squirrels from the much larger and much more common fox squirrels.

Red squirrels are more ... tetchy. More likely to be fussing about a possible predator. They are much less likely than fox squirrels to just hang around. Fox squirrels will lie on a branch, just watching what's going on, where red ones are always darting from one place to another.

It's not usual to see them just sitting, like this. I got several pics of this one, and then I walked away. (The camera was fully zoomed; I wasn't all that close, but this is the only time I've had a red squirrel sit still for me once it was aware I was paying attention to it.)

The view from my office window.

Walking home.  Daffodils and squill.

Squill, elsewhere.

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