Red Squirrel

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, everyone!

This little Red Squirrel was busy feeding in a wooden sign down in Weaselhead when we were on a walk on 7 February 2016. It was another very slow day for both birds and photography. I only took five or six photos during the whole morning walk.

These native Squirrels are such fun creatures, timid, but they do seem to like to perch and watch as we walk past. They defend their territory with a lot of loud, fierce "chattering".

"The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of three species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus, known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, T. douglasii and Mearns's squirrel, T. mearnsi). American red squirrels are also referred to as pine squirrels, North American red squirrels, boomers, chickarees, and fairydiddles. They are medium-sized (200–250 g) diurnal mammals that defend a year-round exclusive territory. The diet of these tree squirrels is specialized on the seeds of conifer cones. As such, they are widely distributed across North America wherever conifers are common, except on the Pacific coast, where they are replaced by Douglas squirrels. Recently, American red squirrels have been expanding their range to include primarily hardwood areas." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_red_squirrel

theweaselhead.com/

www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Weasel...