Not what I was trying to Catch!

We usually open the mist nets 30 minutes before sunrise. Lately, I have been arriving a bit earlier just to be make sure I am not missing the even earlier risers.

This morning, as I opened net #6, something glided in from above and hit the top of the net. Not a bird but a Flying Squirrel! They are native but you rarely see them. Usually the only way to know they are around is by hearing the high-pitched noise they make as they roam around the treetops.

I turned my head to see what hit and in the glow of my headlamp I saw the squirrel land in the uppermost panel of the net, wriggle around furiously for a few second and then manage to free itself. It landed on the ground and made a quick dash to the safety of the forest.

Weird.

The squirrel fun was not over for me, though. When I got home at night I looked out back and in the dark I saw something move along the tree trunk where I keep a squirrel feeder to keep the gray squirrels away from my bird feeders.

I turned on the porch light and watched as a Flying Squirrel made mad dashes to grab a sunflower seed and retreat to the dark side of the tree to eat. It would come back and repeat this over and over. They are super fast.

I reported seeing them once before to the family and they had their doubts. The only image I could get then was a blurry blob. No concrete proof. Tonight, I was more fortunate.



What a day.