Nature

Still shots of birds and squirrels

/ Roadtirementvintage / 23 Comments
On a cold but sunny day we had quite a bit of wildlife activity in the backyard.

Dove and squirrel

A variety of birds

Two squirrels munching away

Blackbirds congregating

Puffed up staying warm

Watching the wildlife in our backyard is one of those special activities we enjoy when we’re not out on the road. With the temperatures in the teens and snow on the ground, it is a tad bit uncomfortable to sit outside. Our backdoor has provided a decent enough window to both observe and allow for some camera work. Hope you enjoyed the images.

A couple of squirrels

/ Roadtirementvintage / 29 Comments

 

 

 

 

It is a very cold day, highs only in the mid teens. These two squirrels were “frozen” in place for several minutes on the trunk of this maple tree. There were no predators visible from our back door, however these guys seemed to be in the classic “Don’t move or that thing will catch and eat us!”

Birds we saw back in May 2021

/ Roadtirementvintage / 27 Comments

It’s still pretty cold here in Indiana. Let us reminisce about our backyard birdwatching last spring.

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Pair of Grosbeaks

Flicker enjoying suet

Pair of Cowbirds

Chipping Sparrow

The short video is of a female Pileated Woodpecker. We did have a pair show up several times during May and June. This is when they are feeding their young in the nest. We named them “Woody” and “Wilma”.

A shade of red in that squirrel’s tail

/ Roadtirementvintage / 46 Comments

The gray squirrels we always see

We see lots of gray squirrels in our area of Indiana. Within the past week we have seen several squirrels that have a noticeable reddish color to their tails and along the center of their backs. Their coats are not red like the red squirrels we saw at our son’s house in Austin when we visited a couple of weeks ago.

Note the red color of the tail

These are not red squirrels. Reds and grays are two different species, and are incompatible for cross breeding. Reds have much more red coloring all over their bodies. These grays have gotten some reddish tints in their tails and their backs. Anybody seen these kinds of colorations in your area’s populations?

Some folks like squirrels. Others think they are just “tree rats”. I’ve heard it said that squirrels are nothing more than rats with a good Public Relations Department…