[AlArchie]

Monday morning, I was assuming my couch potato position in the living room and looking out across the patio to the bird feeder when a big crow flew down and was picking seeds off the ground. In the feeder, over his head, was one of our usually timid dark colored gray squirrels. Shortly. Mr. Squirrel climbed down and ambled off across the yard to the big spruce on the property line.

I went back to watching the crow. So, apparently did Mr. Squirrel. Head down, in a very aggressive pose, he charged, full tilt across the yard, leapt from three feet back and landed square on the back of the now quite startled crow. For about 30 seconds, they rolled arcross the yard with fur and feathers flying, till the crow managed to finally extricate himself and flutter off about 10 feet to catch his breath. Mr. Squirrel (think I'll call him Buster) climbed back into the feeder, his turf apparently established.

Not quite! Another crow swooped in from the empty lot next door and the two crows were having a little "discussion", or perhaps it was a mating ritual; not sure. Either way, Buster didn't like it and decided it was time to exert his influence on the political nature of the yard, once more. Another 30 seconds of fur and feathers and his dominance of the feeder area seemed to have been permanently established. Buster controlls the feeder and the immediate 20 foot area around it, and the crows now lurk outside that turf waiting for Buster to leave.

Had a pretty good laugh watching these three in their power struggle. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

Al

[mdallensr]

That's a great story, and well told! Mike

[rick-in-seattle]

Al,
I would have liked to seen that.

Thirty-some years ago when I was still in the Navy, I saw a large tom cat jump on a wharf rat.

They fought for about five minutes.
At one point they fell off a sea-wall about five feet to the rocks below but never let go of each other.

Finally the cat got free and split. The rat just walked slowly away.

(The wharf rat was nearly as big as the cat)

[whitecree]

That story would make a good caricature carving, if you could figure out how to present it.

Squirrels are so cute and cuddly looking with such an adorable way of ducking and darting about. But that is just half of these jekyl/hyde type critters. I've seen reports where they have terrorised entire streets, and had to be put down.

[AlArchie]

I'm looking forward to see what happens when the hawks and kestrels return. This squirrel just might hold his own, although we loose a few each year.

Al

[carver6]

Al, You may have to start carrying a big stick with you when you mow the grass. That squirrel might take exception to you getting too close to his grub.
Garon

[squbrigg]

You might watch for round two.....crows have been known to fly down, snatch a squirrel up by the tail and then drop them from height! Then it's squirrel a la road kill! Maybe the crows aren't P.O'ed enough yet!

Bob