Look, no hands!

A squirrel showing off in more ways than one. Very definitely a male. Let's hope the moderators don't notice. It answers the age old question of "where does a squirrel hide his nuts?"

Wifie was disbelieving last week when I suggested that the strawberries put out as bait for Reg the missing tortoise might have been taken by a squirrel. I watched this one for some time in the garden. He climbed a sapling oak for what looked like one reason - to watch for where the blackbirds were nesting. I don't think he managed to pin them down, and he resorted to raiding the bird feeders. I was impressed by this manoeuvre, looking at this closely he is supporting himself by bracing his two hind feet against the metal of the feeder. Now I know why the feeder stand is listing to starboard after I corrected it to the vertical a couple of weeks ago. Presumably this is a regular occurence when we are out at work.

A relaxing day in the garden. I've planted the runner and french beans. Big Chick is getting bigger and more able to fly into cover when Bob appears, and his father is still doing all the feeding. He is definitely the only survivor of the brood. Before he left the nest there were at least three of them. It's good for him though, and a bit easier for his father too.