My wife had my immediate attention when she said, “There is a small squirrel under the bird feeder.”

I rushed to the window expecting to see a young fox squirrel or maybe a gray squirrel. Instead, there were two diminutive red squirrels snacking on fallen sunflower seeds under the feeder.

My rush to see the current squirrel situation was due to a “Houdini” fox squirrel having recently gained access to the sunflower seed feeder. For two or three years, the baffle on the feeder’s support pole had kept the squirrels at bay and protected the feeder. Now I find “Houdini” figured out how to climb the pole and jump from underneath the baffle to reach the very bottom lip of the feeder. Time and time again, the destructive little varmint would raid the feeder and dump all of the seeds on the ground.

Circumstances called for quick, decisive action! I called my daughter Jacci, and she promptly ordered an extension for the feeder pole.

Once the 14-inch extension was installed, “Houdini” could no longer jump from the pole below the baffle and reach the feeder. Problem solved. However, I did have to make a notched “gitchie stick” to bring down or lift up the feeder since I could no longer reach the hook. I consider it a small price to pay for sunflower seed security.

Identifying the squirrels in your neighborhood is not difficult. Start by sizing them.

The smallest is the ground squirrel or chipmunk. Its body is about 3 1/2 or 4 inches long and it weighs about four ounces. The tail is almost as long as the body, but the tail isn’t bushy. When scampering about, the chipmunk generally holds its tail straight up.

Next in size is the red squirrel, also known as the “piney.” They are reddish in color and about twice the size of a chipmunk. Red squirrels have a bushy tail, are very active and continually on the move.

Then there is the Eastern gray squirrel. It is twice the size of a red squirrel, weighs in about 1 or 1 ½ pounds, and is gray in color with a bushy tail.

Last, but definitely not the least, is the Fox squirrel. Reddish brown in color, the big boy can weigh in at well over 2 pounds and is North America’s largest squirrel.

There is also a variant among gray and fox squirrels which produces a black squirrel. They are historically found in some northern states and Canada. I’ve seen them in Southern Michigan, and they are striking.

Another exception to the coloration pattern of common squirrels is the piebald or white squirrel.  Mostly found in Eastern gray squirrels, there is a mutant gene which can cause parts of the squirrel or the whole squirrel to be white.

Native Americans considered the white squirrels to be “spirit squirrels” and held them in great reverence.

In my 70 plus years, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing two of the rare creatures. 

Visit the DNR at the Indiana State Fair

Head to the Indiana State Fair from through Aug. 20 and make the Natural Resources Building and its surroundings your prime destination. Just as in past years, there is no charge for any Department of Natural Resources (DNR) activity after entering the fair.

Located in the northwest area of the fairgrounds, the building and its new banners, paint, and freshly cleaned and repaired stone will welcome you.

While enjoying its air-conditioned comfort, you can pick up the latest guidebooks on recreation, fishing, and hunting and trapping. There will also be educational and recreational resources and activities for everyone of all ages to enjoy. You’ll also find new public bathrooms with new sinks, toilets, toilet partitions and plumbing.

The DNR will loosely tie into this year’s overall fair theme, basketball, by focusing on outdoor recreation. Fairgoers can test their skills at the Indiana Conservation Officers’ Pellet Gun Range, and kids age 5-17 can try their luck at the Fishin’ Pond, which is next to the building. Volunteers are still needed at the Fishin’ Pond to help children fish, prepare poles, register anglers, and guide guests. Volunteers receive a free T-shirt, as well as fair admission and parking for their days of service. Register at https://www.in.gov/dnr/places-to-go/events/dnr-at-the-state-fair/dnr-state-fair-fishin-pond.

At the amphitheater, which is also next to the building, check out the live reptiles at 10 a.m. and a live birds of prey program at 4:30 p.m., scheduled for every day of the fair. More programs will be offered at the amphitheater and on the building’s front porch. Updates, schedules, and more are at dnr.IN.gov/statefair.

“It is a delight for the Department of Natural Resources to return to the Indiana State Fair to showcase our team, programs, and services to our returning visitors of the building, as well as first-time guests,” said Coni Hudson, director of special for DNR communications. “This year you can expect the old favorites plus some new surprises from DNR.

“We’re excited to have a fisheries biologist on hand more often because we will have fish on display the full length of the fair, plus some additional fishing education activities to reflect that.”

While shopping for outdoors-themed gifts, T-shirts, and toys inside the building’s Mother Nature’s Mercantile, you can get an exclusive deal on Outdoor Indiana magazine available only to fair attendees while supplies last. Simply buy a subscription at the cash register, and you will be handed the current July/August issue, highlights of which are at OutdoorIndiana.org. Your one- or two-year subscription ($15 or $28, respectively) will start with the September/October issue, so you will be getting one issue free.

Building hours run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, excluding Mondays and Tuesdays, when the fair is closed.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net.

Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com in paperback or as a Kindle download.