Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FORUM => Topic started by: Cindi on November 08, 2009, 11:26:55 am

Title: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 08, 2009, 11:26:55 am
About that black squirrel.

We used to have only the little grey Douglas Squirrel in our immediate area.  In a neighbouring town, there is the big black squirrel, not even sure of the name.

In the past few years, I have seen this big black squirrel becoming more and more common.  I recall a few years ago, a nursery (when I had the small gardening nursery I ran here at my place) client told me that the black squirrel was taking over the territory of the teeny tiny Douglas Squirrel.  I now think that it has.  I don't see the little squirrels anymore, nor chipmunks, they used to be very prevalent.  Oh dear.

Well, a little story.  Many times during a day, I sit out at my chicken yards and watch them. I have been hearing this strangest sound coming from the tall cedar trees.  Weird sound to be up there.  Coulda sworn that it was one of the chickens way, way up high.  Nope, I followed the sound and after a long, long time, saw what was making it.  It was that black squirrel, and let me tell you it is loud!!!  Is sounds kind of like it is going phew, phew phew, some particular sounds that I hear my chickens make (can you picture this sound in your mind's eye?).  Wonder where the teeny tiny little Douglas squirrels have all gone....kind of makes one go "huh".  Have that great, most awesome day, beautiful health. Cindi
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: annette on November 08, 2009, 01:31:44 pm
Out here all we seem to have are grey squirrels, not sure if they are the same type you are speaking of (not really teeny, tiny).  I have never seen a black squirrel.

Do you think they ran those little squirrels off??
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: vermmy35 on November 08, 2009, 02:17:27 pm
hey guy's, The Black Squirrel is an offshoot of the gray squirrel.  Just like some humans have blue eyes: some squirrels come out black.  As your black squirrel population grows you will start to notice more and more.

PS They are tasty :evil: :evil:
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: G3farms on November 08, 2009, 04:23:48 pm
lots of gray and ground (chipmonks) around here. My sister lives over in Hendersonville, NC and they have white squirrels every where. I can travel west over the plateau and find red squirrels. Never seen a black one theough.

They are all very destructive and a 22 works wonders on them as well as a loud radio.

G3
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Shawn on November 08, 2009, 04:41:09 pm
Here we have the Fox Squirrel. Where I lived in Indiana we had black and gray in the cities and Fox squirrels in the country.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: G3farms on November 08, 2009, 07:14:02 pm
Forgot to add in the little flying squirrel. They are sooooo cute. Had a family of them living in the block wall of the shop one year.

G3
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 08, 2009, 10:19:26 pm
Oh no!!!  There is no way on the good green earth that this black squirrel could be any part of the teeny tiny Douglas Squirrel.  It is massive.  I would liken it more to a cat than a chipmunk or grey squirrel.  This sucker is huge!!!  When it travels across our land, you can totally see it, big, black, ugileeeeeee.  Not a lover of squirrels, especially this monsterous breed.  But I do wonder what they would taste like, smiling.  Yes, Annette, I think that these dudes have taken over the territory of the little Douglas Squirrel and it breaks my heart.  I recall this particular client telling me that the black squirrel is taking over.  That particular breed of squirrel is a devil in disguise.  It inhabits places, like peoples' garages, etc., chews and eats wires, and the like, and so on.  She said that it is considered a real pest, compared to the teeny tiny grey squirrel that really does not do much harm to human "stuff".  I clearly recall these words of hers, so many years ago.  Wishes for a wonderful and beautiful day with great health.  Cindi

Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: G3farms on November 08, 2009, 10:40:55 pm
Around here a gray squirrel can do tremendous damage. They are destroying my shop, have chewed holes in the walls, chewed through the insulation on wire, clean the shelves off and shred all kinds of paper to make their nest. I will kill every one I see near the shop. I love to watch their wild antics but I have to draw the line somewhere.

G3
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 08, 2009, 10:47:14 pm
G3, wow!!!  That is unbelievable, no wonder you dislike these dudes, smiling.  I feel the same way about rats  :shock:  ;)  :-X  They have no place around my farm either.  Beautiful days, to love and live, health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: doak on November 08, 2009, 11:18:24 pm
The fox squirrel can be any and/or a combination of colors.
We did have a couple of Albino's here a few years ago. Haven't seen any in a while.
Plenty black, black & gray, black, and  red. :)doak
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: bfriendly on November 09, 2009, 04:31:23 pm
Cathy, the black squirrel that I think you are seeing is actually (I believe) a mutated sub group among the gray squirrel that we see mostly here at least, mainland western washington--- the Eastern gray squirrel which is not native to the area.  Here we see grey ones and black ones and every once and awhile the native douglas squirrel and native western gray squirrel but I have never in my lifetime seen these in large numbers.  Do not see chipmunks in urban areas but they are around...  Of course, like the rest of ya'll, I happen to like invasive species  :)

squirrel calls definitely sound like birds!
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: JP on November 10, 2009, 05:21:30 pm
Cindi, I don't know if you have fox squirrels where you live but if you do you could be seeing melanistic foxes or melanistic grays. Our fox squirrels are much larger than our grays.


...JP
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Bee Happy on November 12, 2009, 10:13:18 am
I think they are native squirrels (I never saw the black squirrels in my life until I visited Ontario) if they really are native north american squirrels I hope some envirokooks dont decide they need to get involved because one naturally occurring creature has displaced another naturally occurring creature.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 13, 2009, 12:41:55 am
I will try one day to get a picture, these are really massive black squirrels, I kid you not!!  Cindi
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: poka-bee on November 13, 2009, 01:04:46 am
I've never seen a black squirrel here.  We have tons of the little grey ones that tear apart your bird feeders & chew into your plastic garbage cans holding the food..Once saw a small red one with shorter hair, mighta been a flying squirrel.  I used to have tons of the chipmonks, they were so fun to watch & didn't do much damage that I could find.  Once the larger squirrels, possoms & people moved in they all but went away.  Maddy kept the squirrels in line when she was younger but rarely hears them anymore and can't see them .  She sorta shuffles out but forgete what the mission was kinda like me!
Jody
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Natalie on November 13, 2009, 07:40:07 pm
Aw, we just have the regular ol squirrels around here, tons of them but nothing exciting like you guys.
I did see a bunch of strange little ones and I could not decide they were chipmunks or a squirrels at a campground last year and the ranger told me it is what they call a chirrel, which is a cross between the two species.
They were very cute. So there is my exciting squirrel story.
Oh and last month I was sitting on a chair watching my chickens antics when a squirrel ran down the tree next to me and it had a tiny little baby squirrel in its mouth.
I have never seen that happen before, I don't know if it was moving out or if it needed food and didn't have a babysitter.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: poka-bee on November 13, 2009, 07:48:49 pm
Did you know that squirrels growl?  There was a youngster climbing on my barn & didn't notice me walk out.  I had it cornered behind a gate trying to catch it (I know...dumb) I was on one side, my littlest cat on the other. It made the most awful noises & sprang into the barn & through the top open part. Was kinda cute but I'm sure it woulda torn right through my glove.  I just wanted to touch the tail... :roll: they look so soft!

Jody
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: JP on November 13, 2009, 07:50:25 pm
Aw, we just have the regular ol squirrels around here, tons of them but nothing exciting like you guys.
I did see a bunch of strange little ones and I could not decide they were chipmunks or a squirrels at a campground last year and the ranger told me it is what they call a chirrel, which is a cross between the two species.
They were very cute. So there is my exciting squirrel story.
Oh and last month I was sitting on a chair watching my chickens antics when a squirrel ran down the tree next to me and it had a tiny little baby squirrel in its mouth.
I have never seen that happen before, I don't know if it was moving out or if it needed food and didn't have a babysitter.

Natalie, momma squirrel was relocating.


...JP
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Natalie on November 13, 2009, 09:34:49 pm
So what, my tree wasn't good enough for her?! humph!!
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: JP on November 14, 2009, 09:15:00 am
So what, my tree wasn't good enough for her?! humph!!

For whatever reason, she felt best to move her nest. Maybe she just got tired of all the checker games. :-D


...JP
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Natalie on November 14, 2009, 12:21:36 pm
 :lau: could be Jp. We get a little wild around here. But I will have you know that tree is a beautiful old cedar tree that any squirrel would be lucky to live in. Her loss.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 14, 2009, 06:44:51 pm
Cindi, I think your huge black squirrel is a hybrid.  somebody let a pet loose and it cross bred with the local stock, either the grey douglas squirrel or the larger Oregon Grey.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Sparky on November 14, 2009, 08:08:46 pm
This post brings back memories of a time when I was much younger. I found this little squirrel that looked so cute as it just sit in my hand as I pet it and then the little turd bit into my finger like he thought it was a peanut or something. There I was waving that bugger around like he was a flag and when he finally left go, I went to get a tetanus shot and chalked that one up to lessons about wild animals.
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 15, 2009, 10:39:54 am
Sparky  :lau: .  That was really funny!!!

Brian, no I don't think that that is the case.  I used to see these big black squirrels in the park near my Mother-in-Law's place in Burnaby, about 40 km southwest of my area.  They have migrated northeast....I really need to find out what type these are.  I will find out, I belong to a local forum for gardening, they have a forum in there about pests.  I'll be checking it out soon and I will get to the bare bone facts about it.  Beautiful days, to love and live, with great health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: homer on November 21, 2009, 12:45:00 pm
Cindi,

About 10 years ago I spend 2 years living in and around Toronto, serving a mission for my church.  Those big black squirrels are everywhere over there.  They far out number the greys.  Might I also mention that they LOVE a good Tim Horton's Doughnut!
Title: Re: Hmm, an outdoor activity? not really sure of the forum
Post by: Cindi on November 22, 2009, 12:38:30 am
Homer, living in Utah, on a mission -- you are of the same religious belief as a good many of my siblings.  My next down Brother went on his mission to Ohio, I think in around 1973 (oh that was a very long time ago, wow).  I am not involved, was, many, many years ago, but not now.  Those big black squirrels are very amazing creatures, nice to hear that someone else knows how many numbers there are of these, and they are not hybrids....beautiful days, to love and live, health. Cindi