Cedge
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- Joined
- Jul 12, 2007
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On one of my property lines, a huge old oak tree succumbed to disease over the winter. The particular fungus made the wood decay quickly, turning the tree into a "widow maker" with a bad habit of dropping large limbs to the ground. Since there are children next door, I scheduled a tree service to come in and take it down.
This morning the crew arrived, climbed the tree and began making cuts in preparation to fell the main trunk. One of the limbs was large and hollow landed hard and we heard small squeals. Upon investigation we discovered 3 very small baby squirrels. These guys were the youngest I've ever seen, having no hair and their eyes still closed. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to have suffered any injury from the fall, but were quite frightened.
I picked them up and held them in my hand until they calmed down and went to sleep. We then began watching the trees to try and spot their mom. After 6 hours, I'd just about given up hope that she had survived the event and was making arrangements with the local wildlife rescue volunteers to take them.
I picked one of the little fellows up and he began squealing. It was then that I noticed a squirrel making very rapid progress to the ground, where she began wildly running around the area where I'd picked the babies up, hours earlier. I eased over to the area and she darted up a tree as I laid the towel containing her family on the ground. I then walked back up to my deck to watch the reunion.
She gently picked each one up, rolled it over and over in her paws until it was a tiny ball and popped it in her mouth, before scurrying up a tree to what I now know is her back up nest. I was unaware they had them, but according to the wildlife lady, they commonly have at least one spare nest in case a storm destroys one.
So... a small family was reunited today and and a soft hearted old geezer has a smile of satisfaction to savor for the evening. Seems a baby anything can get next to me with little or no effort. I do have to admit it's a bit eerie with her sitting in her tree staring down at me this past half hour....LOL
Steve
This morning the crew arrived, climbed the tree and began making cuts in preparation to fell the main trunk. One of the limbs was large and hollow landed hard and we heard small squeals. Upon investigation we discovered 3 very small baby squirrels. These guys were the youngest I've ever seen, having no hair and their eyes still closed. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to have suffered any injury from the fall, but were quite frightened.
I picked them up and held them in my hand until they calmed down and went to sleep. We then began watching the trees to try and spot their mom. After 6 hours, I'd just about given up hope that she had survived the event and was making arrangements with the local wildlife rescue volunteers to take them.
I picked one of the little fellows up and he began squealing. It was then that I noticed a squirrel making very rapid progress to the ground, where she began wildly running around the area where I'd picked the babies up, hours earlier. I eased over to the area and she darted up a tree as I laid the towel containing her family on the ground. I then walked back up to my deck to watch the reunion.
She gently picked each one up, rolled it over and over in her paws until it was a tiny ball and popped it in her mouth, before scurrying up a tree to what I now know is her back up nest. I was unaware they had them, but according to the wildlife lady, they commonly have at least one spare nest in case a storm destroys one.
So... a small family was reunited today and and a soft hearted old geezer has a smile of satisfaction to savor for the evening. Seems a baby anything can get next to me with little or no effort. I do have to admit it's a bit eerie with her sitting in her tree staring down at me this past half hour....LOL
Steve
