I didn’t realize that sycamore seeds are ‘helicopter-like.’ I always associate that kind of seed with maples. Still, as your photo makes clear, the shape of the seed’s not the first concern for the squirrel.
When I was a child I used to pick these up on the way home from school and throw them in the air and watch them come spiralling down. Sycamore is part of the same family as maples.
They can be a bain here, too as they freely seed quickly and you have them growing in the footings of your house causing damage if left to do so. Found one growing in the front garden this year and had to pull it out.
Voracious squirrels! Our sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) seeds are round balls of aggregate seeds that open in late winter releasing fluffy seeds on a windy day. Is this one what they call Maple Sycamore (Acer psuedoplatanus)?
Here, Gray and Red Squirrels wreak havoc in our red maples harvesting seeds in early summer, littering the ground with broken stems and leaves. But the trees seem able to handle the abuse and enough seeds are left to grow new seedlings.
Nice behavior capture, Pete. Voracious little guys. Any seed will do as well as our always emptied bird feeders could attest. It took a long time to out fox those little raiders but I eventually did it. Now we don’t put seed out because the winters are warmer and last year bears were roaming almost the entire season. Must have just napped. 🙂
Fortunately I have not had an up close and personal with one. But we’ve lost a few feeders and one left a sizeable calling card in our yard…no they don’t always dump in the woods…so we’ve been visited a few times.
A trowel can handle a bear pile too but it takes more than one scoop. 🙂 A friend of mine came home one night to find one had been in his kitchen raiding the seed bucket kept in there. Got i through an open window. His partner got up for a midnight snack and found the bear had returned and was half way in the window. A scream sent it packing. :0
Nature Journeys 
A beautifully clear photograph of a very pleasant looking creature. Such bright eyes – and I enjoy the sight of the back foot wedged against the twig.
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Thank you, Anne 🙂 I heard a bird twittering above, I looked up and there was a squirrel munching. Don’t know what happened to the bird.
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I didn’t realize that sycamore seeds are ‘helicopter-like.’ I always associate that kind of seed with maples. Still, as your photo makes clear, the shape of the seed’s not the first concern for the squirrel.
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When I was a child I used to pick these up on the way home from school and throw them in the air and watch them come spiralling down. Sycamore is part of the same family as maples.
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Ahhhh, once the Bain of my existence. The helicopter seeds. Another big plus for the Lowcountry… don’t see them often, or have them in my gutters.
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They can be a bain here, too as they freely seed quickly and you have them growing in the footings of your house causing damage if left to do so. Found one growing in the front garden this year and had to pull it out.
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When we lived up north it was a ritual to clean the gutters every year. When the wind blew they came down like snow 😳😳
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Voracious squirrels! Our sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) seeds are round balls of aggregate seeds that open in late winter releasing fluffy seeds on a windy day. Is this one what they call Maple Sycamore (Acer psuedoplatanus)?
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Yes, it is Acer pseudoplatanus. I normally see the squirrels feeding on acorns or chestnuts, so this was a first for me.
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Here, Gray and Red Squirrels wreak havoc in our red maples harvesting seeds in early summer, littering the ground with broken stems and leaves. But the trees seem able to handle the abuse and enough seeds are left to grow new seedlings.
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very nice capture –
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Thank you, Laura 🙂
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A cute little thing, Pete. Is this Grey Squirrel taking over the habitat of the Red one or is it another kind?
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Yes, the Grey Squirrel is non-native and has pushed back the Red Squirrel further north. I have yet to see a Red Squirrel.
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Sweet photo! That squirrel looks well fed 😊
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Thank you, Belinda 🙂 There is plenty for them to eat around here.
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Nuts abound! Cute capture of his balancing act, Pete!
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Great shot. I wish we had squirrels here in Australia. I think they’re the cutest little critters I’ve ever seen. 🙂
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Thank you, Vicki 🙂 Unfortunately as much as I like the Grey Squirrel it is invasive here and has pushed back the native Red Squirrels.
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Nice behavior capture, Pete. Voracious little guys. Any seed will do as well as our always emptied bird feeders could attest. It took a long time to out fox those little raiders but I eventually did it. Now we don’t put seed out because the winters are warmer and last year bears were roaming almost the entire season. Must have just napped. 🙂
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Thank you, Steve 🙂 I thought I had problems with a badger breaking through my back fence … b-but you have b-bears there to contend with!
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Fortunately I have not had an up close and personal with one. But we’ve lost a few feeders and one left a sizeable calling card in our yard…no they don’t always dump in the woods…so we’ve been visited a few times.
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A trowl will clear the fox or badger poo, but I guess you would need a good sized shovel for that there. Oh my goodness … bears raiding the feeders!
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A trowel can handle a bear pile too but it takes more than one scoop. 🙂 A friend of mine came home one night to find one had been in his kitchen raiding the seed bucket kept in there. Got i through an open window. His partner got up for a midnight snack and found the bear had returned and was half way in the window. A scream sent it packing. :0
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I think I would scream if I saw a bear half way through my kitchen window!!! Yikes!
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She did! :O
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