Squirrels

Deep purple March crocuses opening in the sun

Squirrels are the naughty boys of garden wildlife. They are cunning, greedy, rude and inquisitive. And, of course, here in London, they are not our own native Squirrel Nutkins, with red coats and whiskery ears but Squirrel Greykins,  introduced to Britain by the Victorians from North America. They are a bit larger than red squirrels and more burley. 

                                                                     

They have been busy in the last week, digging into a thyme cutting I had just repotted in the hopes it might be a tulip and scampering around in general looking for mischief.

Impressionistic squirrels

I have had many a contretemps with them over the years including one winter-long battle to try and prevent them from raiding the bird feeders. I devised more and more difficult ways to prevent them reaching the feeders, all of which they solved. In the end I created a slippery pole made of an old plastic water pipe - very tall and flexible and smeared with grease. That did foil  them for several days. In the end they managed to make their way to the top, but didn't bother to do it again having proved their point. So I reckon we both won. But what it did teach me was never to let them know I am an adversary. It just puts them on their mettle. They like nothing better than a good fight. 

                                                  

I am much subtler these days offering an easy-to-reach peanut feeder to keep them away from the other bird feeders and, when they are not looking I spread chicken wire over newly planted bulbs, and hold it down with bricks.  

                                            

The far end of these very long gardens is edged with large trees such as lime and ash. The squirrels leap with abandon from branch to branch and when one of the trees was cut down recently, the squirrels were dismayed to find they'd lost their twiggy bridges and were not seen for a while in this garden. However, they soon found a new route through and are very busy here again.