Squirrel Tails

This is Squirrel Alley, which we walk along on mornings like this when we go down to the village to shop, and on our return. This morning we saw a red squirrel both on our way down and on our way back - different squirrels as the first, which we've met before, runs quickly from the garden that's behind the hedge to the right of this picture, where the householder puts out plenty of very special squirrel food, across the branches that span the alley, and then into the forestry to the left.

We've come across this squirrel several times before. He's smaller and darker than the others, with a lighter tip to his tail, and he's so quick I have yet to capture him digitally.

On the way back a different squirrel was on the feeders. This one, when we approached, crossed the path to the relative security of the forest side but then stopped, not ten metres from us, with its tail in the air, pretending not to look at us - but evidently ready to flee if necessary. We stayed very still so it then....

....turned to look at us, as if further assessing the threat we posed. It obviously decided we were not an imminent threat as it then began to swish its tail back and forth, very vigorously....

....almost as if it was signalling that it would very much like to brush us away so it could return to the feeding station.

There's a PhD to be done on the signalling of squirrel tails.