It had been awfully quiet on the squirrel front...

For a variety of reasons: the chill in the air and certainly the wind had kept the small mob from being out and about when I was making my work. I've also been away from the office and the times I've been walking past the squirrels have been nowhere to seen.

I had begun to suspect that the squirrels were breaking into the library and logging onto the internet;  recognising themselves on this blog and had moved on. Hey, stranger things have happened.

Earlier in the week I struck squirrel jackpot, I was walking in earlier than normal and four out of the five were there, trying to look innocent.

This one had ventured across the way and was rootling around under the yew tree next to the guildhall. Trying to look busy as you can see.  I think he was just part of the advanced party setting up a tripwire or else he was taking steps to getting into local government.

On the usual side of the path the other three remained doing their thing again trying to look innocent.

 

I think it's pretty clear that the foraging is a cover and they are keeping surveillance on the humans that walk past. I think they are planning their own rodent revolution.

The kicker is the one squirrel who showed very little fear, this one was very close to the fence and was seemingly unconcerned about his photo being taken.

 

Outwardly it looks like the squirrel  is just enjoying the morning. Don't let that fool you, look at the eyes and ears he's alert listening for opportunities.

They've obviously been regrouping and thinking tactics.

Morning Shennanigans

This morning I was at actually heading into the office first thing for the first time this week.  Three of the furry little buggers were out this morning foraging and keeping an eye on the general public.

 

The yew trees certainly seem to be their favourite place to hang out and they gather to plot. No screaming today but definite plotting.

Well one of them is a squealer

Again I was out and about in the morning and  only headed out of the office late on.

As I walked past the library and the yew trees I heard this terrible screachy hissy sound and I spotted a squirrel making the racket.

Apologies for the quality of the pictures but the squirrel was a fair way away.  Something had definitely upset him as he was making a hell of a racket. Maybe someone had stolen his nuts, or maybe he'd fallen out with his friends.

If he had been speaking english, I'm telling you the air would have turned blue.

Missing: presumed scheming

I had an appointment out at a site this morning which meant that I didn't get to see any squirrels around today doing any squirrelly things.  During the middle of the day they disappear which is quite disconcerting in it's own way. At least when they are visible you know for sure that they are planning and scheming.

Today was invasion of the students walking past the library and the guildhall the green was filled with students from all social stratas not just the emo/goths looking mournful on a freezing cold bandstand.

Bloody Students

My theory is that the students are an effect squirrel deterrent, they are noisy and they get up to allsorts, any squirrel worth his salt is not going to venture forth with shenanigans going on.

So what are the squirrels up to?

They  must be planning and scheming, I have no doubt of this; for it is what they do, in their drey, laying back; eating some nuts and listening to hip hop. I think they plot humorous ways to scam grannies out of their pensions and terrorise toddlers with there sharper-than-you-realise-teeth.

UPDATE:


Walking back to the car late this afternoon I spotted several of the little beasties.  One near the yew trees foraging for who knows what keeping a beady eye on passers by and probably reporting likely marks to his co-conspiritors. I did manage to get a picture of him, but he was a bit too far away for my iphone to work well.


Second blighter damned near blindsided me by one of the bins. I valiantly managed to not squeal like a girl.

Smug little squirrel

He taunted me a little while before darting across the path in front of me and daring me to chase.

Taunting Squirrel

I was not about to fall for that, it was surely an ambush planned and I've seen that movie. My suspicions were confirmed when I spotted another covert squirrel who was clearly back up.

Covert squirrel

I am so on to them.

Where Squirrels dare

On my way into work each morning I pass the library and normally I spy several Squirrels loitering and generally menacing passers by. Mugging them for their chips and generally acting like little grey hoodies. They seem to hang around in a gang, the most I've seen in one go is five but most days I see between two and four of them glaring at passers by and checking their stashes. One morning I saw all five with four at the cardinal compass points presumably worshipping the yew tree, with the fifth doing the high priest role.

Friday morning, I took my usual route past the library and there were four of the brutes seemingly going about their business when all hell broke lose. Squirrrels sprinting everywhere. A couple zoomed up the yew tree and whilst one of the others launched itself rather comedically into a rather small holly bush, the remaining one went a bit mental doing a kind of wall of death around the library's garden perimeter.

I had a bit of a look to see if I could identify what had set the blighters off but no external threat was spotted. Normally they watch you pass with a kind of beady eyed reproach or they get on with their business. Humans are their entertainment, they certainly don't seem to fear them.

I am sure that the squirrels are up to something and I shall be monitoring them more closely from now on.

Up to something? I think so!

This blog is going to record the comings and goings of the squirrels who live outside the library in Wrexham and maybe prone to flights of my imagination...