Eastern Gray Squirrel
The diet of the gray squirrel isĀ comprised principallyĀ of seeds and nuts, with acorns, beechnuts, butternuts, and hickory the mainstay during the winter months. In autumn, gray squirrels clip nuts from the tree canopy and bury themĀ in the ground, relying on their sense of smell to retrieve during the winter–even digging through several feet of snow. I often observe them stashing theĀ birdĀ seed in the crevices of our old pear trees and find whole chestnuts buried in our garden. During periods of severe winter weather, gray squirrels may stay in their dens or nest for several days, eventually visiting their stores of nuts, as well asĀ bird feeders, during the warmest hours of the day.
When alarmed gray squirrels freeze, thenĀ flatten themselves to a trunk or limb and inch around to the other side to stay hidden.
Good Morning Gloucester 