Did you know that gray squirrels build their nests way up high in trees? I didn’t know that until our twins took a class at the local nature center years ago. I always thought they were more of a burrowing type of critter. They’ll also use hollows in trees made by woodpeckers.
Anyway, this is a good time to spot squirrel nests since the spring foliage hasn’t come yet. They are fairly big and made of leaves and twigs. My research tells me that squirrels build these for single occupancy only, but when it’s really cold in the winter, they might double up for warmth. And of course, when the babies come, the nests get a little crowded.
Next time you’re out for a walk, look up high in the deciduous trees and you’ll start seeing squirrel nests everywhere. They tend to be about two-thirds of the way up the tree and toward the center. I took the shots below with my zoom lens, so you can’t really tell how high up they were. Let me know if you find any.
Thus concludes our nature lesson today. Here’s a bonus poem for extra credit (which begs the question about who gets the credit. Naturally, I get the credit for writing it, but out of the kindness of my heart, I grant an extra credit to you for reading it. Unless you skip it. You wouldn’t do that, would you? I think I’m still in a parenthesis – time to exit.)
Squirrel Nesting
It takes a lot of twigs and leaves
To make a squirrel nest.
It’s a private little dwelling
For just one squirrel to rest.
It’s way up high and out of sight
When the tree is full and green.
But winter makes the branches bare
And these high rise homes can be seen.
On a frosty night when the moon is full
And windy is the weather,
A squirrel might knock on his neighbor’s door
Saying, “Let’s warm up together.”
I’ll probably delete this in the morning. Go find some squirrel nests.
Lynniebeemuseoday 
Any idea how far a squirrel tends to range from its nest? (And thanks for your musings! 😘)
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I read that squirrels will sometimes have two to three nests, but I didn’t see anything about how far they tend to range, so I will give you my unscientific, untested opinion: I think they stay fairly close to home. I base this on our observations years ago of a squirrel that we named “King Meanie.” This might turn into a blog post, depending on how desperate I am for content in the near future.
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