Monday, August 6, 2018

Franklin's Ground Squirrels

While taking photos of the Moose cow and calves I noticed the long grass in front of the porch rustling. My wife then pointed to these two little critters playing on the lane. Last year we saw our first Franklin's  ground squirrel. Apparently there was more than one. It is an interesting ground squirrel because it can climb trees, although we have not seen that. Also up to a third of their diet can be protein, and they will eat mice, chipmunks, birds and eggs, etc. We still have Least Chipmunks but the slough in front of the cabin normally houses Barrow's goldeneye and Bufflehead ducks but we have not seen many ducks in the slough this year. The Red Necked grebes are here but they build floating nests. The Franklin's become habituated quite easily, I was standing behind the cabin when one of the adults came out of the grass some 3-4ft from my feet, stood up on it's back legs to look me over then continued on it's way. 





“Surely,” he said, “the great mountains of the world are a present remedy if men did but know it against our modern discontent and ambitions. In the hills is wisdom’s fount. They are deep in time. They know the ways of the sun and the wind, the lightning’s fiery feet, the frost that shattereth, the rain that shroudeth, the snow that putteth about their nakedness a softer coverlet than fine lawn.” 

from The Worm Ouroboros
by E.R. Edison

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