Hello & Good Evening

[Lady G]

I have been a member for a while now but been busy with other things to formally introduce myself.

I live in Southern California about 20 minutes North of Los Angeles, just above Pasadena. I { well its a long story so I will try to sum it up in a nutshell:rotfl } I started feeding the local birds about 15 years ago when one of my beloved Dogs passed away, then we got another one, I never stopped feeding them and so naturally came the Squirrels. One in particular stayed, I don't know how old she was but honestly she was a big bird feeder nuisance but she managed to carve out a spot in my heart so I gave up and started to feed her as well.

One day she had a tiny, tiny baby and the baby was just on the ground for the first time and there was a Cat, well her Mother gave her life to protect her and I got pretty clawed up in the process and so did my Dog.

The baby had no where else so she stayed, the Dog I had at the time was a great handful but I knew she was still here cause I would see her, but by this time my Baby Boy - Dog had Cancer and sadly he went to the Bridge late last year. :(

So during all this time the baby had grown up and I saw her last Spring / Summer chasing all around with another and put 2 and 2 together.

So on April 4 of this year she presented her 3 babies.

When my Baby Boy went I had to fill the hole so I started journaling all the wildlife in my yard so I am certain of the date.

Its hard to believe they are only a few months old, they are so big and happy and beautiful. Their Mother and I, I was sick a few months ago with a bad flu and had fallen in the back yard and she came down to see me, I guess she was worried, that was the first and last time she did that, now though when I go and fill up my soda bottle feeder she will run right up to it and stop just short. I don't really try to touch her I don't think she will let me.

I am wondering though, her babies, there were 3 now 2 but sometimes one will come back and feed in the feeder. The other 2 that stay all the time, they always flick their tails at me - any idea what that might mean ??

They will let me get a little close but they will stay in the tree and just flick and flick. ??

Well I have gone on enough, so I just wanted to say hello and tell my story. I hope to make some friends here as I can seem to find no one that loves these critters as much as I do. She did not fill all the hole my Baby left but she filled most of it. I am afraid to say that yes I love her.

[astra]

:Welcome
Hello and Good Evening to you, too, Lady G!

Yes, these creatures are amazing, aren't they?... You get to know one of them and then, you love all of them, and you are never the same...
So sweet that she brought those 3 babies.
Tail flicking can mean different things, depending on how intense it is and if it is accompanied by other verbal and non-verbal language.

If they see something/someone they are not sure about and they feel cautious, unsure, not totally safe, they would flick their tails lightly (e.g., flick flick... flick flick flick...). I've observed that about babies a lot: when they first step out into the big world, everything is new, strange and interesting. So, as they explore, they often flick their tails with caution and curiosity.
Tail flicking is supposed to let you know that they are not sure about you and you'd better watch because they are on guard (or smth like that).

If they flick very intensely (and you won't miss it), stamping their feet - that's a more serious warning "stay away" kind of thing. If all that is accompanied by cussing/other vocalization, then, that warning is even more of a threat...:nono :)

Of course, I don't know everything, I wish I did and am trying to read and learn more about it - very interesting. The above is just some of what I've read and observed myself so far.

But there are a lot of ppl here with years and years of experience of dealing with squirrels, so I am sure, they will share more about squirrel communication.:)

Welcome again!!!!:wave123

[Lady G]

:)
I see them stamp their feet at the Cats so I know that is a threat and a stay away warning. They don't say anything to me just flick.

:thankyou 4 the :Welcome

[UDoWhat]

:Welcome So glad you are here. I think the tail flicking is a littlle warning or an indication that they are a bit afraid of you but still want to see and investigate what you are doing. They will become at ease with you and soon see you as the food lady. When the squirrels in my back yard hear my gate open to the backyard feeder area the trees become alive with squirrels coming down out of the trees. Not all of them are my releases. Many are wilds that just see me and know that the food lady is here.:rotfl

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

:Welcome Good story always good to have another lover of squirrels here!

[island rehabber]

:Welcome Lady G, glad you found us! Yep, tail flicking means caution and "Stay back....I'm not so sure about you....." You have certainly come to the right place for squirrel lovers and other assorted nuts :rotfl:Welcome.

[mpetys]

Welcome Lady G. I have been watching my indoor squirrels (one pet and three non-releasables) and the youngest one, Tina, will flick her tail if she hears a new, scary sound. When she flicks her tail, her cagemate, who never flicked his tail before she moved in, will start flicking his tail. The other two squirrels in the room, in their own cages, don't flick their tails but they will come to an alert stand, tucking both front paw up to their chest and will watch Tina as she flicks her tail and they will look around, as if to try to find what the danger is that she is warning about!

I look forward to reading more about the squirrels you watch.

Michele