I had planned a quick hike on the Greenway. (hiking the section between SR 484 and Hwy 200)
But before I even had my camera on, I looked ahead and saw something unusual on the ground!
Sherman's Fox Squirrel
Of all the critters you might see in the forest, the fox squirrel is one of the cutest!
I saw the one next to the trail run into the forest so I watched him climb a tree.
And lo and behold I saw another one scampering at the base of the same tree.
I was trying to stand perfectly still so they wouldn't go deeper into the forest when I lowered my camera to look around.
And there was one in the tree right next to me, watching ME!
I got lots of photos of him.
They are such beautiful critters!
There were really only two that I could get good photos of but I enjoyed watching them chasing each other!
I think they had fun watching me too!
This one was ignoring me. Doesn't it look like a cat in a tree?
But after awhile, I decided to finish my hike.
It was hard to step away.
Right at the top of Bluebird of Happiness Hill, there was a big bird in the distance.
I love photographing this palm tree that grows in the wild.
And it turned out the big bird was an Eagle! WOW!
Bald Eagle.
When I turned to go back to the Jeep, I saw the Fox Squirrels again.
Two of them were together chasing each other up and down a tree.
One of the signs that a Fox Squirrel has been around is the stripped pine cones. They love to eat these.
I had fun watching them but they were playing their tricks to get rid of me.
Stretching out to be less noticeable?
This one was in a big hurry to get away. lol
And don't worry, no animals were harmed in the making of this post. They jump from limb to limb and keep on going!
What a fun sighting to see THREE of these critters in the forest! (two in the photo below)
Have you had a good week? Did you get out in nature to enjoy the surprises it holds? ENJOY!
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60 comments:
That fox squirrel has the most unique face! I've never seen one like it and yes -- he is a darling!
...I love your squirrelly post! Enjoy your weekend.
I love all those squirrel photos. I had a few last week. These guys look so big!. Hope you have a great weekend.
What a great series of photos.
The fox squirrel is really a beautiful animal, I do not know this one and have never seen it, so it will probably not occur here in the Netherlands.
Greetings Irma
Me encantó ver las ardillas, fue un hermoso paseo. Abrazos.
Those fox squirrels have amazing tails!! And that EAGLE--- that is a special sighting!! Hope you have a great weekend and great weather!-- looks overcast here today.
I loved seeing the pictures of the squirrels. They can be such playful creatures. I don't think I've seen a fox squirrel before. So, glad to add it to my list of things I've never seen but have now. hehe
Hello Diane, I have enjoyed hiking your trails with you! I loved seeing the Kestrels sitting together in the tree! The river and lake photos are so refreshing. The fox Squirrels are amazing and so playful. Flowers are blooming. Spring is here!! Love, Aunt Helen
I don't think I have ever seen, nor heard, of a fox squirrel!! We have a lot of bald eagles at a lake near our home - they are fun to watch!
I did not know squirrels eat pine cones! They must have pretty good jaws to chomp on them!
Diane, you took such great shots of the squirrels and the bald eagle! It looks like you had such a nice hike. I hope you have a happy Friday and weekend.
What fun to see the antics of the fox squirrel. I didn't realize there was such a squirrel. You captured some great photos of them, esp. the flying trapeze artist. LOL
Have a wonderful weekend.
I am so excited over these squirrel pics I have been through them 3 times. they are excellent and I have never seen fox squirrel. they are adorable and one pic looks like he has on a tiny vest. beatiful babies is what they are... Big also... what an adventure you had
Wow! That's a neat photo of squirrel grabbing for a lower branch. They rrally have long tails. Neat to see them Thank you
They have many antics. The bald eagle sighting was great!
I’m convinced that the squirrels in our yard do in fact know us, though they don’t approach us. I’m sure they resent the squirrel baffles on the bird feeders! We are so mean… but they would empty the feeders in just a few hours. I think those squirrels really were curious about you.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Those squirrels are amazing!! I have never seen one in the wild. WOW! Beautiful!! Happy weekend!!
Diane - I have never heard of this squirrel, and certainly have never seen one (much less three). Wow! They are stunning, especially the uber-long tails! So glad to get to see them through you!
How exciting to spot them and fun to get to watch them. You had quite an interesting outing between the squirrels and the eagle.
Oh you were so blessed to see the Fox Squirrels up close like that! They are elusive critters and hard to find anymore, but I love it when they put on a show for you! Such fun to see. And then that EAGLE! Now THAT'S definitely a show stopper!! We were traveling to Gainesville last week for an appointment, and I saw two up in the top of a tree, but we had passed by before I could get my camera ready and hubby was in too big of a hurry to turn around and go back. Of course they were gone when we returned later in the day. But at least I saw them and enjoyed the view. So glad you were able to get a good picture! You had a great day!!! Thank you for sharing it with us!!
I think your squirrel friends were very willint to be photographed. They are very talented, showing off as they did! Have a wonderful weekend! Cathy
It is a very handsome squirrel indeed, and I am sure they provided great entertainment.
Nice find and photos!
I've yet to see any fox squirrels in the wild.
Hello,
The Fox Squirrel is cute, they have adorable faces. Great sighting of the Eagle. Wonderful outing and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.
Squirrels are fun to watch, and those Fox Squirrels are beautiful!
Great photos! Have a wonderful weekend!
adorable squirrels, they are such rasquills, aren't they?!?! we have gray squirrels here, the fox squirrels are pretty!!
and wow...you saw a bald eagle, how exciting, that must have been a real thrill for you!!
What a wonderful performance the squirrels put on for you and a Bald Eagle for the grand finale. Have a great weekend.
Hello Diane:=)
Golly what a great sighting of the cute Fox Squirrels. I enjoyed all your photos of them, The image you mention looks like a cat in that position really does, and the one jumping down was so well caught. You even saw a Bald Eagle!! How I love your walks in nature.:=)
Have a great Weekend
All the best.
This is amazing! Those are really sweet squirrels. And then you saw an eagle! This is today's winner I think.
All great photos and the fox squirrel is very cute! Happy weekend!
They have such long tails. I think they enjoyed watching you & posing for shots. ;-)
These squirrels are very funny critters indeed.
And pretty too. Thanks for sharing.
Happy weekend to you too! 🐦😊🌻🌷🐶😸
You did get some great photographs of the fox squirrel :)
Happy weekend wishes.
All the best Jan
The eagle would have me transfixed with it's beauty. The squirrels are adorable (I don't think I've ever seen a stripped pine cone!)
Thank you for taking me along on this wonderful excursion of wildlife!
This fox squirrel is such a stunning creature! I too would have taken as many pictures as possible to capture its beauty.
Never heard about herman's Fox Squirrel. Beautiful! I love to watch squirrels.
I’ve never seen a fox squirrel. They are so freakin’ adorable! And I think they are a bit bigger than those we have here in western North Carolina. And how amazing to be able to photograph an eagle. That was a great hike!
Wow! What a photo day for you and us ~ the Squirrels are awesome ~ never seen them before and the eagle is wow too ~ Great series of photos ~ !!!!
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
You had a great day!
We love finding the fox squirrels. They can be so entertaining! As you proved.
Great time to be out in nature. We've been putting some miles on the vehicle and the feet! Lots of birds and things. Now, getting all those images processed - another story!
Enjoy your brand new week!
Fox squirrels are not an animal I’ve come across over on this side of the Pond, what a brilliant show they put on for you with those acrobatic feats. I’ve never seen an Eagle either so really enjoyed my visit to you today. After being absent from blogging for almost 2 years I’m dipping back in once again visiting my favourite blogs, bye for now. Maggie @ turning the page.
You always snap the most wonderful pictures. I believe that squirrel was posing for you for sure. I love watching them some mornings through my kitchen window. They are amazing. Well, until they put in to eat all my bird seed! LOL! Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Fox squirrels are very playful. Wonderfully captured by your camera.
I enjoy squirrels. I think they are underestimated. We have a bunch in our backyard but not as many as we had before we got the squirrelproof feeders.
The ones in the wild are more cautious except in the fall when they feel free to chatter at me when I get too close.
I get excited whenever I see a squirrel but it is no common here.
I love the squirrels' coloring. Our Westies would have a fit to see them. Their job is to bark at squirrels!
aww.... Sherman's Fox Squirrel looks so cute.... never seen in nature.
Thank you for sharing beautiful photos.
Hi Diane, You sure got some great pictures of the squirrels! I know exactly how you felt when you encountered these critters … I just freeze in position and try to move my camera around slowly to get some neat shots. And you sure got some great ones! And there is something amazing about these critters … the way they go straight up a tree. 😊 Very neat post … thanks for sharing! Happy week ahead to you! John
Wonderful photos Dianne! The Fox Squirrels are extremely cute - hopefully I'll see one in the wild some day.
(I had tried to comment on this post a couple of days ago but I don't see it. Not sure what happened - most likely user error on my part.)
Wow, you had a great day and you introduced me to something new. xo Laura
i enjoyed scrolling through again. i hope you have a great week!!
all critters look pretty...
we saw a bald eagle in our area recently. a fascinating bird.
WOW! The Sherman's Fox Squirrels are really pretty and cute, dearest Diane ❤️! And they look so big - I'm guessing they're cat size, is that about right? They are probably about as difficult to photograph as the monkeys in Costa Rica, but you managed to get great pictures. I couldn't get enough of them either and would certainly have taken 1000 photos :-D It's also great that you were able to see and photograph a Bald Eagle!
All the best and hugs from here 😘 - Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/03/costa-rica-8-kapitel-nationalpark.html
I've been seeing a spotted, feathery type squirrel in Arizona. I'd have to google it to learn the name.
We only have pine squirrels here. I miss the gray and fox squirrels we used to have in Wisconsin.
These are the cutest! Love their white noses and long fingers. They have almost human-looking ears, too! I've never heard of these - thanks for sharing! x K
I have never seen that species of squirrels, they are fun to watch for sure.
A bald eagle too, I get so excited when I see one in the wild, maybe because it doesn't happen that often.
That fox squirrel is something else. He does look like a fox and a squirrel. His tail is so long and bushy. It was fun to see them play and cross from one branch of the tree to the other in your photos. Yes, the squirrels do chase each other, and when they do, it's incredible how fast they are. My neighbor says the squirrels fly haha.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Diane.
~Sheri
I bet those squirrels work out too.
So dang cute they are!
Be well!
The other day I was reading through the March/April 2023 edition of Ocala's Good Life magazine and was delighted to see you and Ron on page 12! Good article!
Those little squirrels are just adorable! You see the best wildlife and birds and I love how you share it with all of us. The Ocala Life article did a great job of saying exactly that! All true and well deserved!
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