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Squirrels

Grey and black squirrels

Look at their acrobatic moves, looking for food to keep their tummies filled. Enjoy these speedy tree climbers.

Update 21.01.22

Time for a drink

Is there still any water left?

Wildlife at the Vine

Black squirrel foraging, click here

What happened to my tummy, where is the black fur?

So much food, if only I could find it.

Squirrel drinking and feeding

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 17.12.21

Is my treasure still there?

Can you see what surprising food the squirrel is eating

If you look close you can see that it is eating a fresh young mushroom head. Who would have guessed?

Squirrel does it again

Isn't it cute?

No not this time

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 10.12.21

Munch, Munch

Is there any food here?

Found it

I just can't stop eating

Wildlife at the Vine

One happy squirrel

Update 03.12.21

What a poser

Magpies and squirrel

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 26.11.21

They seem to be coming from everywhere

Black squirrel enjoying the good life

This black squirrel certainly has bulked up a bit, probably feasting on all the nuts here. If the animal eats well it has a better chance of surviving the winter.

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 19.11.21

Squirrel enjoying it's time at the waterbowl (click on here to load)

Where did I bury my nuts? (clicker here to load)

Clever squirrel, look at the top right of the screen to see the squirrel hanging on the gate, which is quite slippery.

Enjoy your drink

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 12.11.21

Black squirrel

Lightning McSquirrel

Just relax with a nut

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 05.11.21

Caching

Is a tactic that a lot of animals use in Autumn or just before Winter. It is the process where small mammals, rodents and some birds bury their food (mainly nuts) in holes that they dig underground.

The reason animals such as squirrels or rodents cache is in order to have enough food to survive the Winter. That is why they do it in Autumn. The caching animal will usually bury its food in several different places, because some are dug up by other animals like foxes.

Foxes can cache as well (they will bury the caught prey to eat later), but usually dig up other caches instead. Caching animals are: mink, squirrels, certain types of mice and hamsters, nuthatch and jays.

Fun fact

Hedgehogs don’t actually cache, they dig up other animal’s caches in the winter!

Cache (said cash)

Caches (said cashes)

Caching (said cashing)

Some serious caching going on here

First you need to check if the nut is worth caching, so you have a little nibble, if so then you bury it. Look at its little paws covering the soil. Then you need to check that no one has seen where it's buried.

Well, well, well, what have we got here?

Black squirrel

Black squirrels were imported from North America and then escaped from private zoos. The first was spotted near Letchworth in 1912; today black squirrels are most commonly seen across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. It has been thought there are around 25,000 in Britain.

Someone's not happy with this black squirrel

'Get out of here' thinks the grey squirrel

Let us take a closer look at you

Wildlife at the Vine

Update 14.10.21

Now that's what you could call a gobstopper

Squirrels are really busy this time of year with collecting nuts, like this hazelnut, that they will bury until the winter arrives, when they dig it up and eat it. That is if the nut is still there, because some other squirrels keep an eye out to see if they can steel some.