Naturally Al Batt

How many leaves could a squirrel chuck if a squirrel could chuck leaves?

Naturally

The wild turkey hen in my yard chases squirrels, rabbits, crows and blue jays. She pursues the crows into the branches of trees. I figure the turkey is exercising in the hopes of losing weight before Thanksgiving.
It won’t be long before cheery Christmas cards appear in our mailboxes. Many of them will feature a photo or a painting of male cardinals turning a conifer into a burning bush just by perching in it. I love those cards. A woman told me she was motoring down a highway when a bald eagle flew low over her car. She told me she’d ducked when the big bird went over. That image probably won’t make it onto a Christmas card.
New eagle nest to be on Minnesota DNR EagleCam
A new camera will focus on the nesting behavior of a breeding pair of bald eagles that have successfully nested in the area for at least four years. You can watch an eagle soap opera (drama, humor and warmth) at the DNR website (mndnr.gov/eaglecam) or the DNR YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel/UCkibG4ONyUmGlnOR3F3qq6Q). Bring popcorn.

Q&A

“How many leaves are in a squirrel’s nest?” They may look like haphazard clumps of leaves, but they have a complex construction with layers of different materials. Leaf nests (dreys) are made from twigs, leaves, mosses and other material. Green twigs (often with leaves attached) are woven together to create the floor of the nest. The squirrels pack soft and compressible materials like damp leaves and moss on top of the floor to reinforce the structure. The squirrel weaves a spherical frame of twigs and vines around the base, creating an outer shell to the insulated core. The final touches involve stuffing in leaves, mosses, shredded bark, twigs or things like paper to line the inner cavity. Squirrels take advantage of locations offering built-in support, like the fork of branches. Some squirrels build nests in tree cavities rather than high in branches. In his fascinating book, “Winter World,” Bernd Heinrich found many dreys were “piles of junk” and suggested they may have been fake nests built to distract predators. Others were well-engineered. He counted 26 layers of flattened, dried green oak leaves in one nest and discovered the multiple sheets of leaves served as watertight interlocking shingles because the nest was dry inside. To address your question, I don’t know how many leaves go into the making of a nest. Squirrels don’t rake the leaves into a pile first, where I might have the chance to count them. I’d say hundreds. I recall reading 500 somewhere, but I’m unable to find a source. I suspect that was a wild guess. Speaking of leaves, I caught three falling leaves before they hit the ground this autumn. Folklore says that if you catch a falling leaf, you will have 12 months of happiness. A leaf is good fortune tumbling from the sky. Corralling a dancing leaf brings good luck and might require good luck. Catch a falling leaf before it touches the ground and then make a wish. I did that after I caught the first leaf. I wished I’d catch two more leaves and my wish came true.
“How can I stop the squirrels from raiding my backyard feeders?” The easiest way is to move the feeders to the front yard; then, the 800-pound gorillas disguised as squirrels will have no backyard feeders to raid. There is a 5-7-9 rule that could ruin a mischief-making squirrel’s day. The feeder should be 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from the nearest tree, and at least 9 feet below any overhanging branches. Squirrel baffles have proven helpful in my yard, caged bird feeders work, and bird seeds the squirrels don’t enjoy slow the onslaught (safflower, white millet and nyjer seed). Some squirrel-proof feeders can be challenging for the mammals, and providing food for the squirrels away from the bird feeders can lessen the crowd. I’ve had little success with seeds laced with cayenne pepper.
“Why are three straight strikes in bowling called a turkey?” The feat is named a turkey because bowling alleys once offered a free live turkey to those who rolled three consecutive strikes.
“What eats rose hips?” Tea drinkers, deer, squirrels, rabbits, mice, raccoons, bears and many species of birds, including grouse, waxwings, thrushes, blackbirds and others.

Thanks for stopping by

“No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power.”—P.J. O'Rourke.
"As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see."—Vincent Van Gogh.
Do good.

©Al Batt 2024

I get many reports of this raptor hunting the bird feeders. This is an adult Cooper’s hawk. Adults are blue-gray above with pale barring below, and have orange to red eyes. Immature Cooper's hawks have brown backs with brown streaks on the breasts, and have yellow eyes. Photo by Al Batt.