We have a hole. Two holes actually that have been actively lived in for quite some time but I have never seen the resident! Until today. While reading to Avery I noticed a head sticking out of our downspout, then watched it run across our front yard and into its hole.
It was a thirteen lined ground squirrel! No this is not my photo (stole it from the web). But you better believe I will be stalking those holes now to try and catch him on film!
Cannot believe we have had voles in our basement and now this little guy living underneath our driveway and sidewalk! Sam, Avery and I headed outside after dinner tonight to investigate the holes. This quickly turned into looking ALL OVER the yard for any other holes we could find. Who lives in holes? What do they have in those holes? What do they do down there? Where do the holes go? Lots of questions and stories about underground worlds developed! It was a great little backyard adventure.
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The Nitty Gritty!
So timely that I saw these great inspirational photos today about how to create great "hole" habitats. Thanks Let the Children Play for sharing the link on facebook.
I have some fun ideas I am excited to test out in the next couple of days! Hoping that what is sounding great in my head will not totally flop in practice, but we will see.
A blogging friend of mine had the HUGE honor of being featured on the National Wildlife Federation blog! This is HUGE so please head over here and show her lots of comment love.
Exciting news! I wanted to share with you all that I am co-hosting an Outdoor Play Link-Up (or linky!) on Friday morning. Kate, at An Amazing Child, came up with this idea and has asked me and Mama Pea Pod to host it with her. Super excited about this because outdoor play is so important to us! I also can't wait to see what other play ideas parents and educators will have to share. Be sure to come back Friday morning to check it out and link up your favorite outdoor play post or comment with your idea!
aww he or she is soo cute my girls would want to name it :)
we have a lizard in our brick wall where the mortor has broken free.
Posted by: butterfly wishes and wonderland dreams | 05/09/2011 at 07:35 PM
Now that ground squirrel is cute!
I don't think we have them here.
I've been hearing that the colder spring may have contributed to the higher population of voles, maybe they have come closer to human habitat (?) I'm glad you have a good attitude to them, they don't bother us too long.
Brenda
Posted by: Brenda | 05/09/2011 at 08:11 PM
First, we have some suspicious holes in our backyard planters, so now you've got me wondering what made them.
Second, thank you SO much for the shout out!
Third, I'm thrilled you're hosting a link-up on Fridays. Can't wait to check it out!
Posted by: Debi | 05/09/2011 at 08:13 PM
How exciting!
We are always amazed at the wildlife to be found in our garden. We live in a European capital city - not really the sort of place you'd expect to find a lot of wildlife. But we have lizards, snakes, stag beetles, woodpeckers, an owl, loads of butterflies, moles ... I can't even think of all the things we've found right now. (A friend of ours who used to live nearby even had wild boar in her garden!) Princess Pea gets so excited every time we find something, and she too likes to imagine what might be living in the various holes around.
I, too, am looking forward to Friday's link-up! :-)
Posted by: Mama Pea Pod | 05/10/2011 at 12:36 AM
That squirrel is almost too cute to be real!
Posted by: Tat | 05/10/2011 at 02:22 AM