I met friends in a different park today. After lunch, we bought a bag of feed and went off to cater to the ducks & ground squirrels that clamored for our attention. There was a colony of the little squirrels by the bank of a lake, and they ran up to us, four or six at a time. I confess I used poor judgement in feeding them from my hand, but I found them irresistable. I thought long and hard about posting this picture ("True Confessions"), but I decided it was certainly representative of what I did today.
Admonishment to to others: Do as I say, Not as I do!
I think he's cute and usually you can spot the crazy zombie squirrels by their green pallor and drool. :-) Oh and the way they all line up and dance to Thriller.
Well at least you admit it. I "accidentally" knock things onto the ground next to me when critter are around. Confessions. I love your squirrel series!
Louise, I am loving your squirrel pictures! I find them delightful. The next time I don't have a photo to post (who knows, with the week I've been having that could be today) I am going to post a picture I took of a squirrel in the Smokey Mountains last May that I think you will get a kick out of.
always try to take pictures of squirrels everytime i got the chance to meet one....and it's only when i'm abroad :(....just can't resist to do that...they're so cute....
I don't think I've ever seen squirrels eat out of anyone's hands. It amazes me that you have found some that are that "untimid" of humans. I love your series of squirrel photos, and the progression from watching to feeding. I have a feeling you're just a complete joy to hang out with!
Andrea, I think most people enjoy squirrels. They live in trees or, in the instance of this one, in burrows. They scamper and play in the open air. The little colony this one was a part of runs up to people on the walking path, and the restaurant nearby, sells the corn mix to feed them. It's been there for years, and if there was a problem, I have no doubt the city would have removed them. Still, I'm probably not altogether wise to feed them from my hand, but I tend to be a risk taker...
excellent job of one-handed photography -- don't be surprised if you return to that park in the near future and see this posted photo with the tag "Don't Do This!"
Here comes the squirrel rescuer to let you off the hook. I have raised MANY baby squirrels from tiny pink blobs into healthy, happy, wild squirrels. The ones in parks that will approach and take from your hand are only doing as their environment encourages them to do. and this is really not a bad thing as long as bad people don't harm them. The biggest risk from a squirrel is his claws. they are razor sharp...and I mean that. they have to be to climb as they do. So if a squirrel jumps up your arm, its going to run all about your head, face and shoulders, tearing flesh as it does. I don't think you're evil for feeding them by hand, just beware that they are jumpy and sharp all at the same time!
Thank you all so much for your comments! Erin, how much fun to have you here, someone who's actually raised baby squirrels! I encountered those sharp little nails the other day when one grabbed my fingers to take a peanut, but I know not to jerk back suddenly! We'll continue to carry peanuts with us when we go for our walks, but I'll try to not overwhelm these pages with squirrel pictures!
Scoldings from moi, your kiddo, who has seen you jump fences (baby pigs) and encounter wild animals in what some might consider too close a proximity? I would NEVER scold you. Glad you're having fun ;)
Oh, I would soooooo do this if one of these cute little guys approached me....um, yeah, if I wasn't worried about the little bugger biting my thumb and infecting me with a raging case of rabies...or wildly running up my arm and scratching my eyes out while madly screeching for backup from his buddies...or, um...so, yeah, I would soooo do this. (Wonderful photo, Louise, and brava for your courage and capture of a very tender moment between man and beast). :-)
If you don't have enough in Indiana (!!!), come see me, we'll go to lunch in the park, and just around the corner we'll be ambushed by the squirrels who'll happily eat from your hand!
Brad beat me to it!!! He said what I was going to say word for word!!! Too funny! and a great shot by the way. I have been tempted to do this myself. =)
@Kathleen - LOL!!! My mom keeps threatening me that I will be the reason that there will be a law on the books for no photography while driving (see X is for...). Rest assured I am very careful and the master of a one handed photo as well. LOL!
Louise - I just had to share the latest Chicago Red Eye newspaper's winning photo from their weekly contest. I think you'll appreciate that out of all the wonderful buildings, bridges, graffiti shots, etc. that were submitted with the theme: URBAN, they awarded this week's prize to a photo of....well...just go take a peek and be sure to click through the filmstrip pics until the end. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/redeye/2010/03/redeye-photo-contest-urban.html
I will feed any critter that wants to eat out of my hand! (As long as they don't want to eat my actual hand.) Adorable picture! So tough to get a steady shot when they are constantly twitching and moving with two hands, let alone one!
Amy, this little guy wasn't at all jumpy...I could feel his little tongue licking the food from my hand. I had a p&s camera in my other hand, and held it up, hoping for the best. It's a nice memory from my afternoon with them.
