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Richard - Out Walking's avatar

In our garden, not far from you I think (west of Montreal) the black morphs are quite widespread and growing in numbers. Observation tells me they are well suited to survival - especially "Black Betty" who can by-pass the baffle on a feeder pole and then by hanging by its back feet from the pole reaches across to a squirrel-buster bird feeder from which she can take seeds because using this approach reduces her effective weight and stops the shutter on the feeding ports form activating.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Black Betty lives in my heart now!🖤🤣 It's true, we're not terribly far apart at all - only a passport away!

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Kitha Cockrell's avatar

Yes everyone is special!!! Everyone!!! I love squirrels 🐿️ also!! I haven’t seen as many in my back yard as I used to. I’m not sure why. I do have pecan trees and some years they don’t have pecans, so this may be why.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Yay, a fellow squirrel-admirer!💕 Good point on the pecans - they may just be spreading out more to other food sources. I hope you'll see more squirrels again soon!

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Don Boivin's avatar

I first saw black squirrels in Michigan, where I lived in a Detroit suburb for a year. We have a white squirrel near where I live in Mass. I've learned they are not albinos, but also morphs.

I think the need to feel a little special is harmless in moderation, and even better is to recognize how easy it is to help someone else feel special. All it takes is a smile and an ear!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

So interesting! Yes, just a little acknowledgment goes a long way 💕

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Nancy A's avatar

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story and lesson! We are, indeed, all special! ❤

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thanks so much, Nancy!💕

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Lola Renda's avatar

YOU are part of the solution. A very sweet and caring part.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Aw, thank you so much, Lola! I definitely hope so 💕

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Brian Starr's avatar

Once again, Sydney, beautifully written beautiful story.

Thank you, you brought a warm joy to

My heart here 😊❤️

(And, several weeks ago I mentioned watching the birds in my backyard, and mentioned one we called “The Hunter.” You suggested finding some tools to help identify the birds and I now know The Hunter is a Black Phoebe 😃

And I was reminded of that joyful find with the black morph grey squirrel and Black Betty.)

Thanks so much

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you so much, Brian! Oh, a Black Phoebe?!? Phoebes are very close to my heart. We have the Eastern Phoebe here, and they are entirely delightful. They're so aerobatic, and they like to nest in the eaves, so we've had the privilege of watching new generations of Phoebes launch into the world 💕 I wrote about them here, actually: https://sydneymichalski.substack.com/p/theyre-at-it-again.

What a wonderful wild neighbor, I'm sure this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship 🤣

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Kendall Lamb's avatar

I love this story- the connection, the recognition that we actually can all be special, and the beautiful tension of being charmed out of our minds by our littles and also thinking ahead to the day to come. I also used to live in Bellingham (I'm just on the other side of the Cascades now), so I could picture this perfectly in my head. Thank you! ❤️

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thanks so much, Kendall! Yes, we lived in one of those little old cottages on Lincoln Street, and were walking up to Carl Cozier Elementary :) Where did you land on the eastern side? I was stationed in Spokane years back.

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Kendall Lamb's avatar

Oh I know that neighborhood! We were on Sunset Drive about 12 years ago. We're now in Winthrop in the Methow Valley!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Nice! I always heard lovely things about Winthrop, although we never visited - must be beautiful! :)

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Susanne Helmert's avatar

What a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing. I love squirrels. In Germany, we “only” have the red ones, but they always make me smile. They come and hide walnuts in my flowerpots on our terrace. =)

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

How cute, Susanne! Squirrels of all kinds really have such wonderful little personalities once you start to notice 💕

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Beth T (BethOfAus)'s avatar

Oh that’s beautiful. The whole thing, from beginning to end. You’ve encouraged your daughter’s sense of play and exploration and delight. I know we’re never the same later on as we were at the age of three, but I hope she’s retained those characteristics. And I’m sure she’s still aware that people are people, so similar and so different, no matter what they look like. (I was always the kid befriending all the different kids. It’s only later I looked back and realised all the different nationalities that filled my childhood.). Thanks so much for another lovely read. Hugs from afar (where we don’t have squirrels!)

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, Beth! It was such a fun memory to revisit :)

She does still have wonderful senses of exploration, wonder, and delight. And when it comes to people, as far as I can tell so far, my kids just want to connect with kids who are nice, and find it sort of mildly weird to make such a big deal out of differences in appearance. We also live in a very white area though, so there's not a lot of direct experience there, but I they seem to be on the right track. My heart is warmed to think of you befriending all the different kids, as I'm sure you still befriend all the different grown-ups! 🤣💕Hugs!

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Timber Fox's avatar

Thank you for a great read.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thanks for being here, Thomas!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Love this message Sydney. It's interesting too in that different places of my home province of Ontario have different variations of the Eastern Grey Squirrel. I grew up northeast of Toronto and we had more of the black morph squirrels in that city. Several decades later I lived down near Niagara Falls Canada and there were mostly grey squirrels. Now I am up here in Ottawa and it's a nice variety of both. Funny enough, sometimes I will see the odd black morph squirrel with a rusty red-brown tinge to their tail.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, Neil! It's really endlessly fascinating, all the slight variations in populations, once you start noticing. Thanks so much for sharing!

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

What a lovely story. Thanks for the smile. (And than you Blackie for your spunky spirit!)

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, Kimberly! I'm glad you enjoyed meeting these characters from my memory 🤣

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Jack McNulty's avatar

A beautiful story...with equally beautiful sentiments. Thank you!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, Jack, so glad to have shared this with you!

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Lindsay Hartley's avatar

Pics of a "black panther" from this morn :) https://substack.com/@lindsayhartley/note/c-71851606

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thanks so much for sharing, Lindsay! It really brings back the memories to see one in person :)

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Lindsay Hartley's avatar

You're welcome :) They're actually almost as common as the grey form out here now.

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Lindsay Hartley's avatar

So precious and profound.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, Lindsay!💕

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Lisa J. Marshall's avatar

a lovely little moment of truth

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you so much, Lisa!

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