Squirrel Visiting My Rooftop Garden (which is the setting for my book series) |
Squirrel Visiting My Rooftop Garden (which is the setting for my book series) |
As I mentioned in a recent entry, A Day in the Life of my Pyracantha coccinea (7-8-2020), here on blogger, I've had a new visitor to my rooftop garden and he/she can be seen in the images atop this entry.
During all the many years that I've had my garden, I've never seen a squirrel here, nor have I seen one in the trees within my courtyard. Upon my seeing this quirky character, I did some research to see what poets as well as scholars have said about squirrels, and I was thrilled to come upon the following words of Saint Francis of Assisi:
I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the Sacraments –
he got so excited
and ran into a hollow in his tree and came
back holding some acorns, an owl feather,
and a ribbon he had found.
And I just smiled and said, “Yes, dear,
you understand:
everything imparts
His grace.
As you can see the creature seemed right at home in my place and I discovered he/she spent the majority of his her time in the container housing my Pyracantha coccinea (Orange Charmer).
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
A number of years ago I featured this shrub in my garden-themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame...almost, which you can view on Vimeo and/or You Tube. Moreover, this shrub is referenced in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak.
MY BOOK SERIES |
But getting back to this new visitor, at first it seemed as if the squirrel was spending time (in the home of my Orange Charmer), digging up the soil in hopes he/she would find peanuts buried there, which, and, I'm not naming names, Blue jays tend to do.
BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE |
BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE |
This behavior (peanut hiding) of Blue jays was also discussed in my 7-8-2020 entry here on Blogger. However, on closer observation of the squirrel's antics when he/she was in the Orange Charmer's home, I realized that in addition to digging up the soil, this critter was rolling around in it; as evidenced in the next sequence of photographs.
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
Squirrel with my Pyracantha coccinea
(a shrub featured in volume one)
|
The behavior of rolling in soil/dirt, eminded me of birds taking a dust bath to cool off (such as I have seen in my garden by an array of birds, including Mourning doves) and I was prompted to do some research see if squirrels roll in dirt or soil to get relief.
A variety of sources seem to concur, that because the lumps grow where squirrels can't scratch - on their back or behind their legs - they roll around (in soil and dirt) or rub up against things out of discomfort.
Evidently the home of my Orange Charmer is not only appealing to Blue jays and squirrels, Mourning doves and American robins enjoy it too, as you might surmise from the next sequence of pictures.
Mourning Doves + American Robins are featured in my books. |
Mourning Doves + American Robins are featured in my books. |
Mourning Doves + American Robins are featured in my books. |
And there you have it dear reader, my follow up on A Day in the Life of my Pyracantha coccinea (AKA Orange Charmer), but do stay tuned, as I feel certain that with the arrival of a squirrel and so many different birds, this shrub will have many more stories to tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.