Gray squirrels don’t always make their nests in trees. Sometimes they use things like Nicole Murchison’s plastic watering can, as you can see in this video.
Murchison of Lincoln was cleaning out a shed in early April when she found a squirrel’s nest in her watering can that was stored on a high shelf. There were three baby gray squirrels that had not opened their eyes yet, nestled in the watering can.
Murchison was relieved when she caught the mother returning to the nest, which she captured on camera. She said she is putting pieces of fruit out to help the mother squirrel, which seems to be sticking around. Her bushy tail was spotted peeking out of the top of the watering can recently.
The eastern gray squirrel is larger than its red squirrel counterpart, but both species are herbivores and are common in Maine.
Gray squirrels live primarily on berries and nuts, especially acorns, beech, hickory or walnuts, while red squirrels like spruce, fir, hemlock and pine seeds, plus tree buds, fruit, mushrooms, maple sap and sometimes insects and bird eggs, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife.
They both love bird feeders and the free smorgasbord offered there.
The gray squirrel really likes oaks because they often have cavities where it can stash its food for winter or make a nest of leaves to give birth to its young. Squirrels usually have a couple of litters of babies each year.
BDN reporter Leela Stockley contributed to this report.