As I was typing the previous entry here at my desk my eye was caught by movement out the window. When the leaves started to fall a few weeks ago I could see a huge nest in one of the trees in the back. I don't know who built it and was wondering; I've never seen anything like it here before. I still don't know, but I watched this squirrel, in the rain, dashing along the branches, biting off and harvesting twigs and all the remaining leaves, and scurrying with them up to the nest. He dove inside with them, and either came back out right away for more or hammered them into the existing walls. At times the whole nest shook as he did his renovation. Once he settled in briefly, but came back out; now he's been inside for awhile. The backyards here on my street lost no trees but some major limbs in Hurricane Irene. I wonder if he used to live in one? In any case, he's now settled in to his renovated and repurposed winter dwelling.




harvesting branches




harder to see, but here he is heading inside




nest in backyard context