Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

It's been a cold start to 2020 at Lakeside Park. Not much activity you'd think with the lake being frozen, but in the trees, bushes and plants there was a lot going on.  Grey squirrels could be heard from up high in the trees munching on the plentiful supply of walnuts. Red squirrels also seem to prefer the higher branches of the trees where it's easier to keep an eye on their surroundings: I always seem to find this little red squirrel in the same location, sitting on a tree branch. I took a few photos and then edged closer, and then a little more. The red squirrel unusually did not move. Not even a whisker: I walked directly beneath the squirrel and then saw movement, not from the squirrel, but from two red-tailed hawks who'd been perched close by, high up in the trees on the edge of the lake. The two red-tailed hawks circled the park, gaining height before gliding off over the treetops on the far side of the lake: With the hawks now long gone thin