Red Squirrel, watercolour, 2008

Red squirrels have some serious attitude! They snipe at each other nonstop and scold any human who is within sight, all while greedily stuffing their cheeks full of nuts and seeds. Sometimes there'll be seven or so around the feeding station my husband made in the forest. They may be ornery, but they are adorable too with their red/brown backs and bushy tails, ivory furred bellies and distinct white outline around the eyes. With some patience, we have at times convinced these creatures to sit on our hands and eat seeds as they continue to loudly scold us for the privilege.