Piebald Red Squirrel

[robshap]

Hope were not getting too off track here but how do you like my albino swallow?

[OnewiththewilD]

now thats cool! your lucky to get a pic of one sittin still! and an albino one at that, i wouldnt go out in a storm if i was you!

[Ron Kelley]

I find it interesting how different animals react differently to our presents.
Just a few winters back we had four quail that would come to the bird feeder
every day and pick seeds off the ground. It seemed that they were not getting
much to eat so when I saw them I would go out and throw some sun-flower on the
ground. When I showed up at the feeder three of the quail would fly off to a
nearby tree. One quail would latterly RUN to my feet and follow me to the feeder
waiting for me to toss some seed on the ground. After I went back inside then
the other three quail would come back and join their smart friend.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey All, I just wanted to bump this thread up because of our discussion of piebald animals. We enjoyed watching that cute little piebald red squirrel for several months.

[cgode]

Neat squirrel Ron, I've seen piebald deer but never a squirrel. Now that that particular genetic trait has become prevelant  in your area, it will be interesting to see if you see more of them over the coming years.

[Havenhunter]

Ron Kelley wrote:

I find it interesting how different animals react differently to our presents.
Just a few winters back we had four quail that would come to the bird feeder
every day and pick seeds off the ground. It seemed that they were not getting
much to eat so when I saw them I would go out and throw some sun-flower on the
ground. When I showed up at the feeder three of the quail would fly off to a
nearby tree. One quail would latterly RUN to my feet and follow me to the feeder
waiting for me to toss some seed on the ground. After I went back inside then
the other three quail would come back and join their smart friend.

You are so fortunate to have quail. We've lost so much quail habitat to modern farming methods that here in SE VA we've started a quail habitat restoration program. Lack of native grasses -and- coyotes are our biggest challenges. Farmers no longer leave fencerows for coveys to navigate -and- trying to educate them that their fields along the treelines don't get enough sun to be useful for crops, -and- just let the fringes grow wild for the quail just doesn't seem to make good economic sense in their minds. Our pasture has been converted over to quail habitat -and- I hope to see them again one day.

[rvdave]

Fire ants and pigs have decimated almost all of our ground nesting birds here. Almost no quail very few turkeys and only a few roadrunners left on my place.

[Havenhunter]

Yeah, those wild porkers are making inroads into NC too! We need a pig cull badly.

[Ron Kelley]

rvdave wrote:

Fire ants and pigs have decimated almost all of our ground nesting birds here. Almost no quail very few turkeys and only a few roadrunners left on my place.

Hey Dave, That's a good point. I will add that raccoons, skunks, and possums are also hard on ground nesting birds. I like our Wild Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, Woodcock, quail and pheasants. It's nice when nature is in balance and in America pigs just don't belong in the woods. JMO
Hey Deb, I applaud your efforts. I sure hope you are successful in your back to nature venture.