A little help please....

[carysmuffin]

Hi
I live in the UK and a couple of months ago I noticed a squirrel in my back garden. I read up on grey squirrels and decided to leave a few nuts (Hazelnuts, brazils almonds) out and some water. The squirrel would come up to 4 times a day and eat on the window ledge, then bury any he didn't eat. Although not brave enough to let me touch him he would sit patiently below the window until I'd put some nuts out and then jump up and have a feast. However, a couple of weeks ago I stopped seeing him although the nuts in the morning had dissappeared. Around the same time I noticed a magpie hanging around eyeing up the extra nuts. He was so bold as to jump onto the window ledge and peck the window whilst getting the nuts.
The nuts I left out in the evening (around 11pm) were always gone in the morning (the earliest I checked was 4am) but some nuts from during the day are still left.

I was wondering whether this sounds like the Magpie had scared the squirrel away during daytime and s/he only feeds now in the early hours of the morning?

But I also noticed that before the squrriel stopped aprearing s/he got considerably fatter (I put this down to all the nuts) but recently read that June/July is when they may have young.... so could this be the reason?

Just looking for a little peice of mind really

many Thanks
Jayne

[island rehabber]

:Welcome carysmuffin! It does sound as if your squirrel was preggers (in the vernacular) and now she is spending more time with her babies. Magpies are unbelievably fierce, as you probably know, and so the magpie probably is intimidating your girl squirrel. I have seen my truly mean, alpha male cat Sinbad cower under a bush in terror while being attacked by a magpie, so I would guess that this is what's happening. See if you can find where the squirrel's nest is; maybe another spot to leave nuts would be best until that bird gets bored and moves on! Good luck :)

[Timber]

Well Jayne, Both senerios are possible. But if she/he was getting fatter it is most likely she went off to have her babies. However, Brizal and almonds are both quiet fattening and it is best not to give them a ssteady diet of those. Hazel nut, pecans, and walnuts are better. Also some dry corn and some fruits and veggies like collieflower,kale, carrots ( cut up in small pieces ), apples, grapes, a few rasins if they like them, you get the picture. No ice burge lettuce though. If it is a female and she has just gone off to have little ones, when she feels that she can leave them she will more than likely return.
Do you have more than one window ledge? Maybe on the same side or around the corner from one another. If so, put some nuts and maybe bird seed out for the magpie on one ledge and some for the squirrel on the other. It could help, wouldn't hurt anyway.
Hope it turns out to be a Mother and maybe one day she will bring her babies to meet you.

[carysmuffin]

:thankyou Thank you so much for your replies
I will leave the suggested food on a different ledge as I know the squirrel would sit on all of them at some point.

I'll keep my eyes open and update you if theres a return

You do a great job here
xxx

[carysmuffin]

Hi,
I left food out on another window sill yesterday and it wasn't touched all day... so I put fresh food out around 1 am and by 7 this morning it was gone again.... I am hoping this means that squirrel is still visiting but just when no one else is around... or I would have thought the birds would have eaten it during the day....

Fingers crossed.