Lifecruiser

September 5th, 2006

This animal life is tough

Posted by Lifecruiser in Swedish, Nature
ekorre 002

Why do I have to be a squirrel and not a pidgeon…?

This is one of our daily visitors, an European Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). It’s a little bit smaller than the American Red Squirrel. It has started to collect food for the winter.

We live in an old apartment area in the outskirts of the city, with nice green surroundings and a lot of old trees, which is probably the reason for why we get visitors. A lot of birds too - the woodpecker love the old trees.

Mr Lifecruiser too, because he is waiting for them to fall this fall because of the storms. Preferably not on our house…

Earlier this summer we had a Wood Pigeon couple that tried to build a nest in the pine tree in front of our balcony. I think they were beginners, they didn’t do so well and went away again. Now suddenly the other day, they came back and started to build on the same nest again!

It’s a little bit late for the last litter - the really bad weather will soon be here. Probably they realized that, because after a couple of days, they’ve given up again. Or maybe it was because the nest really where too small and difficult to reach even for them. Surely youngsters hah?

I guess even their youngsters having problem to get hold of own homes with enough space!

Those Wood Pigeon’s are going to let down good ol’ Sweden. They’ll move in October as the latest, to warmer places in East Europe.

It’s not fair! I wanna be a pidgeon too! We’ll be left here in this cold dark place all winter… *sigh*

I’m badly influenced by that squirrel. I’m so hungry all the time and just have to collect all this food… My cheeks are full all the time, you never know when you can be without food. It’s pure survival instict I tell you.

I’m not running up and down the trees, but believe me, if I could I woo(ul)d!!!

I tell you, this animal life is tough…

Maybe I should just lay in the nest and let my mate feed me…?

Cruise list: Kasia, Dot, Fruitful Spririt, Mandy, Martin, and Mick Gordon.

6 Responses to ' This animal life is tough '

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  1. Mick Gordon said:

    As a little European red squirrel you might get away with that lazing around stuff but you should see the ambition of the black squirrels where I live (Canada) they are relentless. All day they travel back and forth across the top of my fence with huge walnuts in their mouths, stashing them away in some hidden spot for the winter. My appearance in the hammock near the fence agitates them greatly and they chatter noisily at me.:razz:

    Lifecruiser: Aha, you know, I wouldn’t even have known that there were black squirrels if it weren’t for the fact that I looked up the facts of this little red one and stumbled upon the black one at the same time. Oh, my, I wouldn’t have wanted to be influenced by these, eating more than this and I’ll go *bang* lol.

    September 5th, 2006 at 2:59 am

  2. Martin said:

    Hello folks!

    Sorry I have not visited recently but it has been a hectic couple of weeks!

    Summer was great … hurray!!!
    Winters coming … Booh!

    Love the red squirrel, all the grey ones in England have killed the red ones unfortunately (big bullies)!

    Hope you are both well!

    Bye for now!!

    Martin

    Lifecruiser: Yes, I read something about that, that your red squirrel in UK had almost vanished, what a pity, they are so pretty with their red fur! Hm, don’t know about the well thing, besides we’re crazy you mean? *lol* Oh, I’m dragging along well with my cold so far… Otherwise all is well and I think it sounds like you’re well too :-)

    September 5th, 2006 at 8:40 am

  3. Mandy said:

    Reading your story reminded me about the other day. I saw a red squirrel. Maybe that’s not so unusual for you, but I have never seen one. We always used to have grey squirrels in our back garden back in the UK but never red. I just wish I’d had my camera with me!

    Lifecruiser: They are beautiful red I think. Hope they never vanish :-)

    September 5th, 2006 at 1:26 pm

  4. Fruitful Spririt said:

    Good morning (my time) Mrs. L. I hope your day has been going good. Yes letting the mate feed us while laying in the nest is a good life for all animals! I love squirells. They are so fun to watch. We only feed as winter sets in to keep them from digging the bulbs up out of the beds! But we only have gray ones not pretty ones like you! My MIL has a few black ones and they are neat to watch!

    I am just haning out today catching up on my reading while doing laundry! Hubby needs clean tshirts for work!

    I know you don’t look forward to the cold dark winter but for me having lived most of my life in the south , I am fascinated by winter. I love snow, ice and the cold to play in! And given how hot this summer has been I am ready for the changes. But first we get to go through the trees dressing in fall colors, the mums putting out their finest blooms and the smells of fires burning in fireplaces.

    Bring on the seasons! Happy day to you!

    Lifecruiser: Well, this seem to be a pretty good day, so far, my cold is getting better finally. Funny, I’m doing laundry today too :-) I think I wouldn’t mind the different seasons as much as I do now, if we had a shorter winter season. As it is now, we only have about 2 months of summer - if we’re lucky. And if we’ve unlucky it can be cold and rainy summer. Luckily enough, not this summer, which makes it easier to cope with the winter. But I have my reasons for that too - my back pain is getting much worse by the cold and moist. That fireplace sounds heavenly though!

    September 5th, 2006 at 4:14 pm

  5. Dot said:

    I just caught up with the pastposts. Would love to be in Holland when the tulips are in full bloom.
    I am not in a rush for cold winter weather. It was in the low 50`s F this morning, so it isn`t that far off now. With me it`s the Arthritis that hates the damp chilly weather.
    Pretty red squirrel in your picture. I have never seen a real red squirrel. We only have the gray ones here. Every spring there are more new babies, but as soon as they are a few months old, we never see the older parent squirrels around here anymore. I have never figured out where the older ones moved on to. Every year there are just about 4 new babies hanging around. It has me wondering if the parents realize there is not enough food in our area to support them all, so they leave. This continues every year.
    I enjoyed catching up on reading your posts. Give my best to your Mother and tell her I am thinking of her and wish her the very best.. Thanks.

    Lifecruiser: Ah, how nice with a visit from you Dot. Yes, we’ll see if I evener manage to go to Holland an photograph the Tulips so I can show them to you :-) Oh, I so know how it is for you with the Arthritis, partly beceause of how my mother has it, partly because my own back pain. Peculiar thing, that with your squirrels. I’ll go for your theory though, it sounds logical. I will tell my mother that and I’m sure she wishes you the same! ) I haven’t been able to visit her with this cold, I don’t want to pass it on to her.

    September 5th, 2006 at 7:58 pm

  6. Kasia said:

    That is really a nice idea. :))I will tell my man to do so too. I wonder what he will say about that. :lol:
    And oh yes - the bad winter is coming. I can already feel it the northern wind. [sigh]

    Lifecruiser: I’m sure he’ll love the idea, after all, he loves you ;-) I can feel it too and I really detest it. I hate the winter because it’s too long and it brings me pain. And this year, we might not be able to go to some warmer place, because we have a lot of things to take care of at home. *heavy sigh*

    September 6th, 2006 at 7:30 am

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