Squirrel Imitating Buzzard

[greengrass3 0]

I went out late afternoon one day last week to try for a fallow. After about half an hour in a high seat in the crown of an old oak I heard the tell tale approach of a grey squirrel along the hawthorn hedge to my left. He passed behind me and paused on a limb within touching distance of my right hand. I froze as he carefully inspected me. After a few seconds he seemed to accept my presence. I was well cammoed with a face mask, gloves etc and there was no wind for him to scent me. He began to groom himself. I refer to him as a male as part of the grooming process involved him licking and cleaning his wedding tackle. After a minute or two he suddenly flattened to the oak limb and gazed skywards. A circling buzzard came into view overhead. As the bird became more visible the squirrel moved round underneath the branch and began to call.

Now I promise you I had not had a drink since the day before and am quite clear as to what I saw and heard over the next few minutes. The squirrel called loudly with an exact imitation of a buzzards mewing. The buzzard responded with its own call, and immediately the squirrel called back. This calling back and forth went on repeatedly for several minutes with the squirrel changing position slightly each time the buzzard circled. This only stopped when I shifted slightly and the squirrel spotted me and scarpered along the hedge into the adjacent wood. I have much experience of squirrels at close quarters having spent untold hours unseen in high seats and watched them going about their business throughout the seasons. I thought I had heard every variety of squirrel vocabulary but this incident was a definite first. Has anyone else out there had a similar experience or can offer any sensible comment? By the way, I did take a large buck fawn as it grew dark.

Greengrass3

[Guest little_lloyd]

You should of just blasted the little f****r

[Tyla 3,179]

You should of just blasted the little f****r

 

im with Greengrass3, probably worth waiting for the fallow

 

On a more sensible note, i've never heard of squirrels doing that but have often seen them mobbing ground predators, including me! i wonder if its a wide spread anti predation tactic or a one off like the Blackbird catching fish fry that was caught on film a few years ago. Thats the best thing about nature, dosent matter how long you study it, you will never stop learning, i love it

[Guest little_lloyd]

I have heard them making jay like noises,, Very intresting to watch and i have myslelf been sat up in highseats watching them and they ARE very intresting little critters!!

[Rolfe 2]

The mewing churring sound you heard was the warning call squirrels often make when proclaiming territory or

warning off predators or other tresspassing squirrels.......... that's my best guess anyway.

 

Rolfe

[trappa 517]

Wow. never heard of that before. Often when ive killed one with a hawk, some will congregate around me and make a right racket obviously trying to intimidate/scare me and the bird, but ive never heard of one imitating a buzzard!! you live and learn

[foxdropper 17,092]

Like Rolfe said ,it was the warning note that squirrels use .They hang on to a note for a certain time ,which to other squirrels denotes the type of prey in view .For a bird of prey the note is high pitched,a sort of 'cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeechak -chak',very much like the mating call but higher pitched .Usually done motionless .Ground predators are exposed with short 'chak-chak -chak 'but continuous until the threat is gone .Usually done with the tail flicking over the head .

[roystoncrankted 1]

I went out late afternoon one day last week to try for a fallow. After about half an hour in a high seat in the crown of an old oak I heard the tell tale approach of a grey squirrel along the hawthorn hedge to my left. He passed behind me and paused on a limb within touching distance of my right hand. I froze as he carefully inspected me. After a few seconds he seemed to accept my presence. I was well cammoed with a face mask, gloves etc and there was no wind for him to scent me. He began to groom himself. I refer to him as a male as part of the grooming process involved him licking and cleaning his wedding tackle. After a minute or two he suddenly flattened to the oak limb and gazed skywards. A circling buzzard came into view overhead. As the bird became more visible the squirrel moved round underneath the branch and began to call.

Now I promise you I had not had a drink since the day before and am quite clear as to what I saw and heard over the next few minutes. The squirrel called loudly with an exact imitation of a buzzards mewing. The buzzard responded with its own call, and immediately the squirrel called back. This calling back and forth went on repeatedly for several minutes with the squirrel changing position slightly each time the buzzard circled. This only stopped when I shifted slightly and the squirrel spotted me and scarpered along the hedge into the adjacent wood. I have much experience of squirrels at close quarters having spent untold hours unseen in high seats and watched them going about their business throughout the seasons. I thought I had heard every variety of squirrel vocabulary but this incident was a definite first. Has anyone else out there had a similar experience or can offer any sensible comment? By the way, I did take a large buck fawn as it grew dark.

Greengrass3

seen it happen on that cereal advert