Do You Think a Cold Winter is Coming?

Late last week I was out to the farm hauling beans to the elevator. Driving up the driveway I noticed six squirrel nests near the top of a number of the trees. It has been a number of years since I have noticed squirrels nests in the trees. Maybe they were there and I did not notice them, or maybe they are larger this year and that is why I saw them. Do the squirrels sense a cold winter coming and that is why they are building larger nests?

I always see red squirrels out at the farm and gray squirrels in Faribault. I read that red squirrels like rural areas and gray squirrels are in more populated areas. I was thinking why do squirrels build their nests at the top of trees? Why not lower where they are more protected from the wind? I suspect they are more protected from predators higher in the trees. Why are squirrel nests bigger this year? Maybe there will be some cold weather this winter.