A couple of weeks ago my sister and I took a stroll in the local park.
We arrived at the gates of Christchurch Park just after 4 o’clock and the shadows were already beginning to lengthen, but nevertheless there was plenty of blue sky and puffy clouds for a ‘Constable Suffolk sky’.
Most of the trees near the Round Pond were still wearing the heavy green of late summer although just at their extremities some leaves were turning dry and brittle with hints of the orange and brown to come.
As we leisurely made a rough circuit of the park the low sun began to set and those first oranges of autumn glowed in the dappled light.
Not everybody was having a relaxing time. The park’s squirrels were very busy with the horse chestnuts. And, clearly being used to humans they did not bother to scamper away as we walked along the path towards them. In fact some came up to us expecting food, obviously somebody must be regularly feeding them. I can’t complain as it made taking photos of this industrious chap very easy.
Share this:
Agnes Ashe 
Lovely!
Thank you. Still trees not really autumnal yet are they?
Have a feeling this year won’t be blazing colour
Probably not as certainly down south we’ve not had the cool temps or frosts yet.
Well, I’m not that many miles north of you, so it’s the same here
Beautifully documented walk with the addition of those gorgeous squirrels.
Yes, those squirrels live near one particular path of the park and they are the tamest I’ve ever come across. Mind you they soon scamper off if a dog comes round the corner.
I remember being greatly disappointed as a very small girl when told that squirrels were ill tempered, and would bite me if I tried to pet them (as if I’d ever get close enough to but I believe I was told this because I was trying to catch some). Now these squirrels you’ve mentioned, revives my faith that somewhere there is a squirrel that might welcome my attentions…
Oh I am not sure about that, they want food, but I expect if you tried to touch them they’d dart away or if trapped would bite as a usual instinctual response. One my friends who’s a keen birdwatcher calls squirrels rats with fluffy tails. Now there’s a thought!
Yes, I guess my dream of petting a squirrel must remain just a dream! One last squirrel story and then I will stop: my great-aunt lived almost all her very long life in Olney, Illinois, a small town where the tourist attraction is…white squirrels. I still have postcards she sent me from the 1960’s featuring these little guys. Take a look here if you are interested: https://quirkytravelguy.com/white-squirrels-albino-olney-illinois/
Wow they are amazing. Albino squirrels – one certainly learns something new everyday. Thank you.
A lovely record of a simple pleasure.
I am so delighted to see squirrels whenever we see them on our northern hemisphere travels, but probably a good thing they were not introduced here in Australia by nostalgic Englishmen. We have enough to deal with the rabbits and foxes.
Oh yes, the ecological damage done in times of innocence is sort of excusable, unlike nowadays.