Day 5.032: Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus

For the second Saturday in a row, Exile #3 was away at a birthday party outing and the rest of us ventured out without her.  Five Rivers was our destination this time.   We walked the Vlomanskill Trail and even saw some birds.

Exile #2 pointed out this spectacular fungus:

I had another go at the perfect winter bullrushes photo:

We were pleased to see that work has started on replacing the bridge that was lost to flooding following Hurricane Irene.

And we saw a lot of downed trees - including this one swimming in the pond above the beaver pond.

But the highlight was undoubtedly a close and prolonged encounter with this American Red Squirrel who was eating above a pile that seems to be both larder and a place to dispose of the 'empties'.  Later he/she became suspicious of us and having first gone a little higher up the tree, then came down to lay claim to the larder pile before disappearing underneath it.

Even E5N1, hungry though he was, decided pine cones weren't his thing and we left it in peace.

Incidentally, the species is named after Hudson Bay rather than the river, but they are named for the same Henry Hudson, so we can claim some local connection (as well as an English one) to the little chickaree.  Apart from, you know, their actual being local.