Winter foraging

 

Normally red squirrels are shy creatures and difficult to get close to, but in my experience they're much more docile in winter. Maybe it's because food is scarce and the squirrels are desperate to get their fill, so that you can get close enough for long enough to snap a few photos. This one accepted me standing a few meters from it for minutes without moving much, even though the blackbird next to it soon tired of my presence and fled. The squirrel stayed put and I was the first to leave.

 

A blackbird moves in

Another of the birds that has literally moved in with my family in Bogense is this blackbird. It stays all year in their backhouse which is used as a tool shed slash storage slash repair shop. Here the bird reside living off the old apples and flying in and out of a broken window or a hole under the door. Even though the dogs of the house hunts anything remotely resembling prey this bird is left alone; it's part of the household and the dogs know it.