A Day on Merganser Lake

It’s been about four years since a red squirrel visited my backyard (at least that I’ve seen.) In northern New England, this is the dominant squirrel species and I often hear their rattle-like call when I’m camping. In southern New England, the gray squirrel takes over. In most of the region, the two overlap. I have no shortage of gray squirrels (or chipmunks), but these guys rarely show up. It visited for a few minutes for two or three days and I haven’t seen it since. That was in April.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red Squirrel stands its ground on a branch in Tarrywile Park in Danbury, Conn., Sept. 2016.

Here’s a nice shot of a Red Squirrel taken last week in Tarrywile Park in Danbury, Conn. The Gray Squirrel is the dominant squirrel in New England, especially the southern part of the region, but Red Squirrels are common in the area as well. I appreciate my Red Squirrel sightings because I don’t see them very often at my home in southern New England. When I visit northern New England, I see plenty of Red Squirrels and hardly see any Gray Squirrels.

Of course, New England is also home to Flying Squirrels (which don’t actually fly, but soar) but I rarely see them, unfortunately. They are a sight not to forget when you do see them.