Over the years numerous red squirrels have staked their claim to this large stump and the midden that surrounds it. Middens and squirrels are common in our woods but this arrangement is different from most.
I spotted the cone pile first, right on top. An odd choice as cones are usually stored underground.
Alongside the cones was another surprise — a nest of dried grass and moss. And sitting in the nest, the current owner, with a great view of the neighbourhood.
On top of the world, sort of. A cache of spruce cones and the current owner.
Both of us are curious about the other.
A good spot to survey your world on a dry day. Not so much when it rains.
On rainy days, the owner is absent so perhaps he (or she) is tucked down in the midden, safe and dry.
Red squirrel Tamiasciuris hudsonicus
White spruce Picea glauca
The Lens and I 
What a wonderful sight. I’m so glad you found this “secret site” and shared it. The last squirrel nest I found was in a palm tree.
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It was quite a surprise. I knew the cones and the nest were there, but it took several return trips to actually find the squirrel there. 🙂 Did you get pics of your squirrel in the palm tree? Was it very high up?
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It took me a while to find it, but I do have one photo. I actually was shooting down, since my third floor apartment is higher than the top of the palm tree. Still, I thought my palm squirrel was cute. In this photo, he must have been about 20′ up.
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Shoreacres, thanks for sharing this photo … I’ve never seen a palm squirrel before. Cute!
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Of course, he’s really just a garden-variety red squirrel. “Palm squirrel” is my non-scientific name for this particular group of them, who seem to adore the palm trees. And they’re a perfect place to get away from the dogs.
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Sounds like a smart squirrel, whatever name he goes by 🙂
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