Bird of Prey vs. Prey

Can you believe this sight?! Check out that daring little squirrel headed in the wrong direction -- right toward a red shouldered hawk.  I'm 90% sure that's Henry squawking.  I really expected him to pounce on the squirrel and remind it about their respective roles in nature (bird of prey vs. prey). Instead, Henry screeched several times...the squirrel stood its ground...and Henry flew away.  Wow.  Gotta love the wild kingdom!  By the way, no news from the nest.  I have one or two more pics I'd like to post from Henry and Henrietta's daily activities, then the SDP staff will place this series on hiatus until the little ones are spotted.

Stop! Thief!!

We suspected a furry thief was on the loose when we discovered an unripe mango still hanging from the vine -- with distinct nibble marks around it. Someone had enjoyed a furtive fruity feast (which was a smidge annoying to learn since fresh mango plucked from a tree is such a delicious treat to this human). But, who was the thief? And, how did he possibly reach the mango? After all, the fruit in question was dangling high above the ground on a pencil thin vine. Who possessed the dexterity, the agility, and (perhaps most importantly) the sheer nerve to pull off such a daring feat? The answer arrived when, right in front of me, this squirrel scaled down the vine and streeeetched its itty bitty body as far as it could in order to sink its teeth into the juicy pulp. I could almost hear the 'Mission Impossible' theme music playing. Little dickens with a belly full of filched mango!

Define 'Trespassing'...

Does trespassing include sitting atop the warning sign??? I spotted this sassy little fellow as I was leaving the disc golf tournament -- and still had my camera at the ready. He sure was acting guilty. Maybe the crime was theft...not trespassing.

Squirrels? What Squirrels?!

Despite hoping and hoping that a squirrel would (safely) scamper across the street while I was taking this photo, it just didn't happen.  Perhaps I was too focused on the sign to notice anything else.  

Perched

What is so gosh darn cute about a squirrel squatting on the edge of a tree trunk nibbling on a nut?    Although someone had scattered nuts and bird seed around this area in Ken Thompson Park, and there was plenty for everyone, this little fellow scampered to this perch with his prize as soon as he spotted me.

Diggin' In

I guess this is the wildlife version of dumpster diving!  This squirrel was so absorbed in what it was doing, it really didn't care what I was doing.  This photo was taken at Ken Thompson Park on City Island in Sarasota.  It's popular with animals and humans alike.