Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Flying Squirrels

Southern Flying Squirrel
(I took this photo)

Our good friends Mike and Cathy woke at 3am this past November to frantic scratching and scrambling sounds in their walls, right behind their heads. They're back. Teeny tiny big-eyed flying squirrels live in the woods that surround their home and on the mountain that clambers up behind them. Occasionally, these little nocturnal cuties get in their attic and into their walls. Seeking warmth? Perhaps a little companionship? Not being a flying squirrel expert and never having seen one personally, until now of course, I head to the World Wide Web. There's a website just about...you guessed it...flying squirrels! Link through and amuse yourself with the data and high cute factor should you so choose this wintry day. The photos of baby flying squirrels are so cute! (...there's that word again..."cute.")

Cathy calls the next morning to tell me about their long night rescuing these wee furry beasties, telling me they plan to release them elsewhere in the forest. I couldn't go along so Mike drove them by for me to see. Lots of "awwww!" and "ohhhh!" and "how cute!!!!" drifted along the breezes of our driveway as the family gathered to see them.


Mike sent me the release photos later. He said they are so fast it was hard to release them and then get a decent picture but he forwarded a few of the best to me to share with my blogging buddies.

He told me this guy hung around a little and chattered at him from above. He would circle around the tree trying to get a better photo but the squirrel would circle around as well. It was a Circle Game for which the squirrel was much better adapted.

Mike bade his farewells to these adorable rodents and trudged home.....only to implement Operation Flying Squirrel Rescue several more times before the winter cold set in. He's gotta find and fix that hole they've discovered before spring! All release photos compliments of my friend, Mike Kearney.

I'll be at the lake today through Sunday and may not be able to post in the interim. The Weather Service is predicting SNOW tonight and tomorrow and us Southerners do NOT "do" snow. That means hot toddies with my mom as we catch up, some movie watching and naturally some vino. The new Timberlands are packed so who knows? Maybe a road trip will ensue and I'll actually see the white pelicans this time!!! My buddy Carroll said the Cormorant migration went through yesterday on Wheeler Lake. If you've ever witnessed it you'll never forget it. For HOURS long v-lines of cormorants skim above the waves from the west, heading eastward for some reason. The black swath of bird bodies flying quickly and with such purpose is an amazing sight. Dang it - I missed it this year.

I'll see you guys on the flip side.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know they can be a nuisance in a house but they sure are fascinating when outdoors (cute too).

Unknown said...

Very cute! I love flying squirrels. We had some friends in Georgia that had one as a pet- so I got to hold one. They are very small- mostly skin. They are also nocturnal- so as a pet that only come out at night- which isn't so great for a pet. I have also found them in a bird house before- they had made that their home. They are fascinating and very cute! Enjoy the lake! Hopefully we will get snow!

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Ok, I will admit that flying squirrels are cute. We don't have them around here, so I can admire the photos of them without the least bit of angst.
Stay warm!

kate smudges said...

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good time over the holiday. Hopefully there wasn't any snow. I've enjoyed reading about flying squirrels. Great photos.

Gaelyn said...

Ahhh..... cute, but not in the walls.
Have fun at the lake and stay warm.

Unknown said...

Never seen these little guys up close before. My what big eyes you have!

Anonymous said...

One winter we had chipmunks nesting in the walls, and one of them died, and boy did that leave an imprint.

I love the flying squirrels too. They are so much fun to watch in how they are so versatile in how they move about the forest canopy. See, we don't need bird wings to fly.

Unknown said...

My what big eyes they have! Very cute little critters. Enjoy the lake.

Cheers!
Julie
Julie Magers Soulen Photography
Blog of Note

inadvertent farmer said...

Those are simply precious little guys! So much cuter the the possums we have here, Kim

Kriston said...

Awwww! These are cuter than the usual grey squirrels that we have here.

kendalee said...

Aww, sweet! I know most people think of them as a pest but I must admit I like seeing squirrels. As a city dweller, they're as close to wildlife as we get around here. Apart from the occasional fox. I've never had them in my walls though...

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