Gotta love those squirrels!

Walk around our Wildscape, and you'll spot "volunteer" sunflower plants popping up here and there. Volunteer? Hardly! They've been planted by our industrious, neighborhood squirrels! The eastern fox squirrels, to be precise. Last year, we had corn coming up, too!

Squirrels have been at this for a long, long time. Year around, they stash seeds away for anticipated meals in the future. Trouble is, they forget sometimes where they've squirreled them away (pardon the cliche, please...couldn't resist). As a result, we have wonderful trees and forests across our lands, no doubt thanks to our squirrel farmers. 

Now scientists say they've grown plants from fruit stored away by squirrels eons ago! Today, the New York Times reported, "Researchers grow plants from 32,000-year-old cells."

Gotta love those squirrels!

Corn crop

Remember our surprise crops? How I found corn planted around the Wildscape by our furry friends, the squirrels? I forgot to post some photos that James took of our "harvest" last month.

After he picked the two ears, James put them both in our squirrel feeder.

Way to go, squirrels!

Squirrelly corn

(Photo by James)

What do you get when you mix fox squirrels and a Wildscape?

Wild corn!

As you can see, the corn crop planted here and there throughout our Wildscape by our resident squirrels is coming along GREAT! If we'd planted the corn ourselves, I'm sure it wouldn't be doing as well as THESE are. We're getting a big kick out of the crop, which has begun to put on tassels and ears!

Mystery solved

So for the past several weeks, I'd been noticing these distinct shoots of grass, coming up here and there in the yard and in beds. Usually in groups of two and three. Inland sea oats, I wondered? But last fall I didn't notice any birds eating the seeds, the only likely way new grass could have spread. And to such "far away" places. Including the front yard. Our sea oats grow in one bed in the back yard.

Today, I pulled up dandelions, horseherb, wood sorrel and other unsightly plants in the yard. I decided to go ahead and pull up some of that grass. Well, mystery solved! Take a look............

Seems our resident eastern fox squirrels have been playing farmer. That's what they do, you know. They bury pecans, acorn, and other seeds for future meals. They actually remember where they plant everything, too. Only trouble is, some seeds germinate before they have a chance to go back and dig them up! Many trees species, particularly pecans, can thank squirrels for boosting their numbers.

We put out corn cob treats out for the squirrels. That's where the kernels came from. And now we've got corn seedlings growing in our Wildscape.

Forager

The eastern fox squirrels in our neighborhood love the corn cobs we put out for them. One squirrel has even learned how to jump on a "squirrel-proof" bird feeder and nab some sunflower seeds. I call her Squirrel Gurl. I'm not sure if this squirrel is her, but thought I'd grab a photo while I could.

Funny guy

When I saw this eastern fox squirrel plop down atop our owl nest box this afternoon, I dashed into the house for my camera. Talk about relaxed! Nature definitely has a sense of humor!

This gift's for the birds...

For Christmas this past year, my mother gave us this great "squirrel-proof" bird feeder. And so far, it's proven to be just that. Not one squirrel has even attempted to tackle it. Maybe they read the box? In the background is our suet feeder. We put it up last summer but didn't get takers. A few weeks ago, I washed the container and installed some fresh suet. We were hoping the new bird feeder, hung nearby, might encourage the birds to try out the suet. But so far, that hasn't happened.

As for our resident fox squirrels, I might add that they do have their own feeder. For more than a year, we've kept a corn cob holder filled, and the squirrels love it. From our dining room window, we enjoy watching them hang upside down by their toes as they gnaw on the cob and dine on the corn kernels.

Another adventure

Every new bird, every different insect I spot piques my curiosity, spurns my eagerness to LEARN more. I want to know the name for whatever and everything I see in our Wildscape!

So today when I saw this strange-looking wasp, I worked to get a photo. Every time I clicked the shutter, the thing disappeared! It seemed to feel or sense whenever my camera snapped a photo, and it'd take off! Finally, I got a few decent pictures, enough to identify the species, I hope.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 7, 2016 Below is a Texas wasp moth (Horama panthalon), also observed November 5, 2016.



I glanced up toward the huge oak and saw what looked like wasps flying around a hole. Mmm, the same species as I just shot? Meanwhile, I saw one on the ground and took a photo of it. No, it was a different species, I thought as I followed it up the oak.

Then I glanced back up and saw.....


A fox squirrel peering out the same hole! I quickly aimed my camera at him, and he didn't budge. Snap! Snap Snap! Still, the squirrel didn't mind. He also didn't seem to care that a few wasps were buzzing around his head. One even clambered into the hole over his head. At first, I wondered if I needed to get up there and rescue a sick squirrel....

I took some more photos, then he disappeared. Back into the hole.

End of adventure.

Meanwhile, I'm on a quest to get that mystery wasp identified.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008–UPDATE–Entomologist Mike Quinn says the top critter is a Texas wasp moth (Horama panthlon texana). I'd never heard of one!

Third one saved!

I kept close to the window all morning, hoping I'd hear a familiar scream. I'd go outside, too, and peer way up into the live oak branches. Finally, about noon, I spotted the little fellow about two stories high on a thick limb. He just huddled there, all alone. I called to him and stood there for the longest time, looking up. (The neighbors probably thought I was nuts.) I went inside and threw a tortilla with cheese into the toaster oven. Then I went outside.

"C'mon, baby, c'mon!" I said over and over again. He looked at me curiously from high atop his perch. Around and around I went at the tree's base, keeping my eye on him, talking gently but loud enough for him to hear me.

Then he carefully climbed head first part way down the tree!

I was flabbergasted. He seemed to be coming toward me! Forget lunch. I had to save that baby! Nearly an hour passed while he sat in the crook of the live oak, probably about 12 feet high. He'd look at me, and I'd look at him. "C'mon, baby. C'mon! C'mon, baby. C'mon!" I said those words over and over and over again. How I wanted him to come DOWN.

And then he did! He started edging head first down the oak to where I leaned against the tree, calling to him gently. I was amazed. "C'mon, baby! C'mon" Here he came, slowly, a little uncertain. Finally, I could stretch my hand just enough to barely touch his tiny nose. His little brown eyes stared at me. I stepped up on the oak, stretched some more, and quickly put my hand around him. He struggled, but I hung on tight. I knew if I lost my grip, he'd surely try to escape.

We did it. In a few seconds, I had him safe against my neck.

Inside the house, I placed him in the same towel that had covered his sisters the evening before.


Once again, Lindsey and I loaded up for the trip to Wildlife Rescue near Kendalia. Diane, who'd been there last night when we delivered the other two, accepted our third sibling. Yep, a boy, she pronounced. However, this little guy had an indelicate health problem .... seems he'd tried to nurse on himself, and his penis had scabbed over. The staff vet would likely have to give him some anesthesia so the wound could be doctored. Otherwise, he likely couldn't urinate. Poor baby. But Diane seemed to think he'll heal just fine. And when the time's right, the three will be released back into the wild, probably on the Wildlife Rescue's acreage.

She also said it's not usual for baby squirrels to seek humans when orphaned. Still, seeing that little baby inch down the tree toward ME felt like a divine miracle .... and an answer to prayer.



Monday, August 25, 2008–UPDATE–I called Wildlife Rescue this morning and left a message, asking how our squirrel children are doing. A volunteer called me back this afternoon with a status report. "Katie says they're GREAT" exclaimed Sally, who was just as excited and happy as me to get the good news. They're ALL such nice folks at Wildlife Rescue!

Another wildlife rescue

Yesterday midday, I stepped outside in the front yard for a break and heard a terrified scream from somewhere high in one of our live oaks. I squinted up at the branches but couldn't see anything. I didn't hear anything more, either. Must have been a baby bird that got eaten by a snake, I thought sadly. I went back inside and didn't think anything more about the incident.

After supper, as usual, James and I went outside to check on the yard. I told him what I'd heard and what I'd concluded earlier in the day. All the sudden, there went the very same screech! But in a different tree. We looked and looked but couldn't see anything. Then I noticed Gabe, one of the boy cats, staring into a live oak on our adjacent lot. I looked up, and there was a tiny baby eastern fox squirrel, clinging to a thin branch at the end of a limb. We watched it for the longest time, and it screeched some more. It even almost fell a few times. Why didn't the mother squirrel come?

Then another screech sounded, this time from the front live oak again. Lo and behold, another baby was clambering around branches! And another one, too! We had thought about going inside the house and let nature take its course, but instead we opted to sit on the porch and watch. Thank goodness we did because a movement in the grass caught my eye. A baby squirrel had fallen to the ground! I ran inside the house for a towel. Then I gently captured it, and we put it in a plastic box. While I was calling Wildlife Rescue, James found another baby on the ground. Two! A third remained high in the tree.

After we got home and looked at photos, we noticed this little baby
had a nose injury from falling. So I called Wildlife Rescue and told them.

This time, Lindsey and I loaded up and headed for the animal rehab center located near Kendalia. They do wonderful work here. The volunteers gladly took our babies. "Little girls!" Katie pronounced after lifting them both out of the container. "Oh, you're going to be a friendly one," she added, after one climbed onto her shirt and into her hair. She told us that they were also not yet weaned so it was good that we brought them to the center.

James told me later that he had seen a dead squirrel in the street earlier this week. So that's probably what happened–the mother died and left orphans behind.

A sign at Wildlife Rescue asks visitors to watch out even for my favorite creatures–spiders.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to crack a window and listen for screeches. I'm praying the other one (or maybe two) will come within reach, and we can rescue them, too.

Wildlife Rescue 24-hour hotline 830-336-2725

Too much excitment...

Man alive, it's getting a bit too exciting around here.

Just now, I was in the garage, going through mail, tossing stuff in the recycling bin, when I heard a terrible ruckus out front. I dropped everything and RAN. My first thought was CORRAL THE CATS! They were already on alert on the front porch, trying to figure out what was making the noise. Me, too. I assumed another bird. Wrong! Something furry hid behind the potted succulent.

It was a black rock squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus), screaming bloody murder.

I grabbed the cats, tossed them in the garage, and closed the doors. Then I ran around to the front yard again. The squirrel had dashed along the house and stopped in front of the chain-link fence near my window.

"You can't stay here," I said, "go across the street or over there." I motioned to some nearby oaks in our adjacent lot. Like it was gonna understand me. But I do that–talk to animals, bugs and spiders. I crept a little closer. Then it sped through the fence. I tore back around to the back yard, just in time to see the little guy scamper across the field to the neighbors' woodpile. I sure hope it fares well. We've got PLENTY of eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) around here, but I'd never seen a rock squirrel in our yard before. Another first.

Back to how exciting it's been lately in our Wildscape.

Yesterday, I returned home from running some errands and spotted Gabe, one of our two boy cats, eyeing something in a front planter box. I thought UH OH, THE ANOLE! Then I glimpsed a bird in the garage window. Dang. Another one got stuck in there!

So I rounded up the cats, opened the second garage door, and grabbed a towel. The bird–a juvenile white-winged dove–had flown into another window and sat dazed on the garage floor. I was just gonna reach down and gently pick it up, but then it came to and flew out the garage door. Thank goodness!

That's the fourth bird to get stuck in the garage. We've had two hummingbirds and one wren. About two weeks ago, I nearly didn't get the wren out. We have a high ceiling in the garage, and it was TOUGH to catch it. I finally got it to grab onto the net I was borrowing, and then I walked it to an open back door. Off it flew, into the trees. Talk about relieved–we BOTH were.

I've lived in this house six years and never had a bird get into the garage. The first one was a hummer last year. James says that's because we have more feeders and bird baths in the yard now to attract birds.

And squirrels, too, it seems.