flying squirrel on tree, Oswegatchie, Kelly Leahy Radding

Life throws us change every day.

I have mapped out a plan of blog posts. The second post of each month is scheduled to be about my work-in-progress.

And then this happened…

Embracing Change

A change of plans; I am working on a project based upon monthly walks at Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve in Niantic, CT. I will be announcing the project very soon. I had planned on waiting until the end of the month for my walk but embraced change and decided to go on Monday, July 11, 2016 as the forecast was predicting warmer, more humid weather coming our way. I walked for only a few minutes before I spotted a red-bellied woodpecker working very diligently on what seemed to be a new hole in a tree filled with several different holes of various sizes.

red-bellied woodpecker, Kelly Leahy Radding Oswegatchie Hills

 

An Encounter to Remember

As I was photographing him, I see through the camera lens a flying squirrel going after the woodpecker! Not only is the first time I can remember seeing a flying squirrel in addition to the first time photographing one; but I can honestly say I have never seen an attacking flying squirrel!

flying squirrel attacking red-bellied woodpecker, Oswegatchie, Kelly Leahy Radding

flying squirrel near hole, Oswegatchie, Kelly Leahy Radding

The squirrel thought it had won but the woodpecker came back for a sneak attack.

red-bellied woodpecker attacks flying squirrel, Kelly Leahy Radding

I saw the squirrel sail away in my peripheral vision with the woodpecker hot on its tail.

red-bellied woodpecker, flying squirrel, chase, Oswegatchie Hills, Kelly Leahy Radding

I managed to catch the squirrel remaining still as a stone on a nearby tree before the woodpecker came at it again and it ran/sailed off.

flying squirrel on tree, Oswegatchie, Kelly Leahy Radding

Tree with woodpecker holes, Oswegatchie, Kelly Leahy Radding

I hung around for about 30 minutes after the woodpecker left to see if the squirrel returned, wondering if it had been defending babies, and vice versa. But alas, no more action. Woodpecker 1, flying squirrel 0. You just gotta love nature!

Oh by the way – I am at the very beginning of several projects so I really didn’t have much to show in the way of works in progress. Monday’s score: Nature – 1, Kelly’s studio – 0. Change is good – back to the studio I go.