Peek-a-boo!



A few hours of sunshine amidst what seemed like weeks of grey weather saw me working my way up the path on the side of the frozen lake at Lakeside Park, snapping a photo here and there as chickadees foraged their way down from the treetops to ground level. I walked further and soon veered off the path, seeking isolation at the top of the lake. I chose a secluded area where I believed I could blend into the background, camouflaged against the trunk of an old willow tree that closely matched the patterns on my jacket.

I watched and waited, but the juncos and cardinals which had graced me with their company on other days did not present themselves. A lone wren let me know it had seen me as it appeared for a split second before disappearing under the loose thatch of reeds which edge the perimeter of the lake.





I could hear nuthatches and chickadees to my left. Cardinals to my right and at the far side of the lake, bluejays were complaining. I was certainly not alone and little did I know; I was being watched. No sound attracted me, but by chance, my eyes met with the apparently critical gaze of a motionless little red squirrel who had been watching me all of this time from up high. With my attention now fixed on it, the squirrel started knawing on the walnut it was holding, which was just as big, if not bigger than the red squirrel's head. I took way too many photos of this almost stationary target before the scuttling of claws on bark caused me to look down and to my left.



Another red squirrel was seemingly headed in our direction, scampering along fallen tree trunks, pausing for a second here and there, calling out with a chirp of a squeak to the other squirrel, who dutifully responded in the same fashion. I had the opportunity for one photo only. The little red squirrel was caught in mid-air as it leapt forward along a dead tree trunk. And the squirrel seemed to be well aware of me.
The little red squirrel was really close and now hidden from view behind a tall tree. I expected the squirrel to either climb up and away over the crisscrossing bridge of branches or take off unseen through the undergrowth. Instead, the squirrel gave me quite a surprise as it appeared out of nowhere from around the side of the tree trunk.

The squirrel let out another series of chirps and squeaks, that I can only guess in translation as shouting, "PEEK-A-BOO!"

Copyright © wildlakeside.blogspot.com 2020 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.
Location: Lakeside Park, 206 Lakeside Dr, Kitchener, ON N2M 4C5, Canada

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