Today, we were privileged to witness our second sighting of a red squirrel at High Blean, the last being in October last year.
Alas, so shy is this red squirrel that we were still unable to take a photograph to prove our sighting.
In the late afternoon we were sat in the garden, enjoying a glass of something cold and refreshing, when our Fox Terrier Bitch alerted us to the fact that the little red squirrel was in the garden. A hasty grab for the collar of both the bitch and the dog, set the squirrel on his way, down the garden to the back wall and along and out of eye shot but kept him safe from a Fox Terrier encounter!
We were surprised that it had ventured so far into the garden and had been very close to where we had been sat. Had it not been for the dog smelling the squirrel, it is doubtful we would have known it was there.
I then placed a few nuts on the back wall, to try to tempt it back before getting on with other tasks.
About 15 minutes later, the squirrel had decided to come back, and had gone right up to the back door and was taking a drink out of the dogs outside drinking bowl.
Albert, the Fox Terrier dog, takes exception to anything going near his bowl, and had previously warned off a chicken, which had pecked in his bowl, with a quick nip, so he was not having a “ginger” rat near his bowl.
He took chase but the squirrel was never in any dangers, and it deftly climbed a tree out of danger. We just hope it has not been put off visiting us again and that we might finally get a photo of this beautiful creature.
