Of a grown-up Nutkin

I guess Nutkin the happy hopping squirrel has grown up after all. I am glad he made through last winter and through spring and summer. Now, in the late Fall I see him still at his antics. There is this hickory tree next to my deck in front of the house that every year made plenty of nuts. This is the tree that Nutkin and his furry cousins like to play and collect nuts from. They say hickory nuts (the meat in it) is second to none. They taste better than walnut or pecan. The only problem we human have is that the meat in it is so little and not worth cracking them up. Not with the squirrels which have little sharp teeth that can nibble the thick hard nut in seconds to get to the tasty meat.

Recently I saw Nutkin playing chase me around the tree with his cousins and friends. It was fascinating to see them chasing each other. They circle the tree trunk by hanging on to each other's tail. they go round and round up and down. They look so fat in their shiny brown coat. Their bright eyes look so intelligent and so happy.

They like to tease the dogs. Now that Buddy has the whole front yard to himself, the squirrels have to make a detour every time they want to get to the hickory tree. They just run near enough to excite Buddy and jump on to the tree. That makes buddy mad and that makes Nutkin and his cousins and friends jubilant. I could see that Nutkin and his friends were applauding themselves. I guess danger makes life more exciting even to the critters.

Here is nutkin

Here is nutkin enjoying a nut under the oak tree.

Nutkin, the squirrel with an attitude

I tried and tried to get a picture of Nutkin, but he is so elusive. Today, he played hide and seek with me. I saw him hunching over the corn cob ontop of the feeder and the moment i got the camera out, he went to hide under the feeder. The nearer I got to the tree, where the feeder is, he moved to the other side of the tree. oh well, however Nutkin has an attitude.
Usually during late winter and early spring, i like to put out feed for all kinds of critters in my yard. I like to look at Nutkin because he is like a naughty kid. he would steal food from under the chicken mouth (beak?). He would rush out for the food I throw out for the chicken and eat with them.
However Nutkin can be very irritating. I used to put nuts on the deck and Nutkin with his clan would come and steal the nuts and eat them. For a while they behaved quite well, but Nutkin, being braver than the rest would come and shake the door screen if there was no more nuts on the deck. Soon, he would come frequently to shake the door or window screens for the nuts. He was not interested anymore on the corn on the cob. he was also tearing the window screen. he was not scared, he would hang on the door screen showing us his big manhood (big for a squirrel). He did this a few times and even when poke from inside, he would not budge until one day when my husband had enough of Nutkin's attitude. he warned Nutkin to quit, or face the consequences. with pallet gun, my husband shot near enough to scare nutkin. Until today he has not done his show anymore. he only comes to eat at the feeder.