Are we psychic or what?  I just picked up the post, only to learn that today has been declared Squirrel Appreciation Day.  According to the Washington Post:

Saturday is Squirrel Appreciation Day. You may find the middle of winter an odd time of year for such a day, but think about it: Unlike some other mammals I could name (I’m thinking of you, lazy bears),
squirrels don’t hibernate. They’re out there 24/7, living la vida squirrela: climbing trees, foraging for nuts, chittering, trying to get into your attic, getting flattened by steel-belted radials.

In fact, come Jan. 21 — Squirrel Appreciation Day — they are probably running low on food. They could use a paw up. That’s exactly what Richard “Thor” Thorington — the Smithsonian’s squirrel expert — is going to give them.

“We’re going to celebrate tomorrow,” he told me.

How? “By putting out extra sunflower seeds.”

Thor is also scattering cobs of dried corn, a squirrel favorite, outside his Bethesda home. Peanuts would be another treat. (Squirrels have also been known to eat baby sparrows, but those are hard to find at the
This sequined squirrel is ready for the Squirrel Appreciation Day party, if there were such a thing. (Katherine Frey – The Washington Post) store this time of year. Or any time of year.)

The scientist said squirrel behavior can change during the chilly months of winter. Many squirrels will move out of their leaf nests — those balls you see high in the branches — and try to find a hollowed-out tree.

“You can stuff a lot of leaves in a hollow tree and have a nice warm place,” Thor said. “I’ve always wondered how waterproof leaf nests were. ”

So there you have it.  Squirrels love sunflower seeds and peanuts.  The ones in my yard turn their noses up at corn cobs and just leave them on the ground.  If I don’t set out good enough food, they go next door to where pickin’s are better. 

 

10 Thoughts to “Squirrel Appreciation Day: Saturday, January 21”

  1. Lafayette

    It looks like Squirrel Appreciation Day everyday over in my neck of the woods. The lady across the street leaves peanuts out for them. Then this week I discovered the lady diagonally in the back has a peanut butter jar feeder for them. Boy you should that rigged up deal. A wire coat hanger as a holder for the jar of peanut butter. She had nerve enough to post a picture of this pesky rodent on FB. No damn wonder it looks like a Squirrel Sancutary over here.

  2. Cargosquid

    Our squirrels have disappeared. Last year we had an extra-large bumper crop of acorns. Squirrels everywhere. This year…not on acorn. No squirrels.

  3. Weird. You must have migrant squirrels. Ours are resident.

  4. @Lafayette, send me the link please. I want to see this peanut butter jar.

  5. Lafayette

    Picture has been sent. Please, tell you aren’t not going to try to make your own for your neck of the woods.

    I might not like squirrels, but I do think those Arlington Co. black squirrels are pretty cool looking. They are still squirrels. I follow the battlefield on FB and you should check out their page. It seems as though there’s a Flying Squirrel population right here in good ole Manassas. They have some good close ups and action shots.

    1. @Lafayette, Neat! I will check that out.

  6. Red Dawn

    When we lived in Amberton apartments ( brand new at the time & on the 3rd floor ) our cat kept scratching at the bathroom vanity door and we thought it was a mouse that he might have been after. At one point, we saw it’s beady eyes at the hole where the trap is underneath the sink and we heard scratching the night before…. Long story short, I came home from work one evening and thought a fight broke out in our apartment. Well, it turned out that those beady eyes was of a flying squirrel that made it’s way out into the apartment and the fight scene was from the broom trying to shew it out! It got out unharmed!!

    1. Holy cow! Hi Red Dawn. What a great story. I think there were some in Westgate when I lived on the deadend part of Ashland. I know there were lots of gray squirrels also.

  7. Cato the Elder

    In honor of the occasion:

    2 squirrels – skinned, gutted, and cut into pieces
    4 large potatoes, quartered
    1 pound carrots, chopped
    1 green bell pepper, chopped
    4 onions, sliced
    2 cups water
    1/4 medium head cabbage
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    In a slow cooker, place the squirrel meat, potatoes, carrots, green bell pepper, onions, water, cabbage, salt and ground black pepper.
    Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.

    1. Don’t you take the bones out? Ewwwww. Bones! @Cato

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