I could reach out and touch the snag without much effort.
One big step off the trail and I would be able to feel the rough texture of the Douglas fir snag's bark.
Less than 2 blocks and I would be on the busiest thoroughfare in Lacey.
If it weren't for a couple of chickadees and a small woodpecker, I would have never noticed it.
I had been in the nature preserve for an hour or so. The dappled sunlight and emerging plants made it an attractive spot for birding. Lots of small birds darting about, eating bugs hiding in the lichen, moss and leaf litter. Small birds do dart a lot, so the best practice if you want to see and photograph them is to stop, stand in one spot, and wait for them to come to you. That's how I saw the chickadees, woodpecker and It.
'It' is a small hole in the side of a Douglas fir snag. The hole is about 6 feet off the ground and well-hidden by the stub of an old branch. It's about 2 - 2.5 inches in diameter and leads to a sizeable cavity inside the stump. I know that the cavity is sizeable because the squirrel disappeared.
That's what made me notice it. I saw the flash of a Douglas squirrel and then it was gone. At first, I thought it had gone around the back side of the Doug fir. Then I realized the squirrel had gone into the snag.
It quickly reappeared and ran down the snag and into the undergrowth. Just as quickly, the squirrel returned, a large clump of moss in its mouth. Out the hole, into the forest, back with moss. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
This is one of the more remarkable things I have seen recently. Most commonly, Douglas squirrels are heard before they are seen. They are the sentries of the forest, loudly warning the other animals of the danger of approaching humans. When you see a Douglas squirrel before hearing it, it is probably because it is chowing down on its favorite food, the cones of the Douglas fir. This is the first time I have seen a Douglas squirrel at its nest.
And I saw it because I took the time to slow down on a busy trail near a busy street in a busy city.
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| Douglas squirrels are named after the Scottish botanist David Douglas, who made several trips to the Pacific Northwest in the 1820's |
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| Douglas squirrels are one of four tree squirrel species native to Washington State |
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