The Rescue of Pattertwig

We found this baby squirrel (actually, Arrow found him) holed up in the carport between the trash cans and fence. It was pretty far from the nearest tree or bushes, so we figured he must have got away from his nest and gotten lost. Funny thing is, Scott pointed out that he hasn't seen any nests since Hurricane Charlie stripped our four big oak trees. In fact, once I started paying attention, I didn't see another squirrel all day.

When we moved the trash cans, he scrambled so frantically that he twisted with two feet on the ground and two in the air! He wouldn't run off, just kept trying to find cover without going anywhere. He was pretty frightened and let out quite a squeal when we picked him up. He didn't look injured, so we decided to relocate him to a more squirrel-friendly spot.

(I'm reading Prince Caspian right now, so I called him Pattertwig.)

We moved Pattertwig into the bushes near the big oak by the canal. He'd be in the shade and could set out in any direction if he chose. He clung to a branch and didn't leave that spot for several hours. Once when I checked on him he stuck his head out of hiding to peer at me; but the next time when I pushed a little food in his direction, he ducked and growled a tiny, feisty little growl. I hoped that meant he was feeling more active. Scott was sure he would stay there and die, but by 7PM he was gone. I hope he's found some family and not been carried off by a predator!

In other news, we had a very productive day finishing the bottle blue paint job in our office...