The Backyard Visitors I Never Expected to Love

When I first became interested in the birds visiting my backyard, squirrels weren't exactly part of the plan. In fact, I was a little scared of them.

The birds were what drew me outside, and if I'm being honest, I mostly hoped the squirrels would keep their distance while I enjoyed watching the feeders.

That didn't last very long.

The more time I spent outside, the more the squirrels grew on me.

The first thing I appreciated about them was how funny they were. They always seemed to be getting into something, taking impossible leaps, hanging upside down, or finding creative ways to reach food that wasn't meant for them.

One squirrel in particular, whom I named Raqi, quickly won me over.

Raqi had figured out that she could launch herself from the roof directly onto our bird feeders. Watching her suddenly appear from above felt like something out of an action movie. She was so successful at helping herself to birdseed that we eventually had to move the feeders to keep her from eating all the food.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing squirrels as interruptions and started seeing them as individuals. I began appreciating their different personalities. Some preferred to hang back and watch before approaching a feeder, while others charged in as though they owned the place. A few seemed endlessly curious about anything new that appeared in the yard. Before long, I found myself recognizing certain squirrels by small physical markings and their individual behaviors.

Looking back, it's funny how quickly my opinion changed. The squirrels hadn't changed at all. I had simply spent enough time around them to start appreciating their quirks and personalities.

More Than Just Backyard Acrobats

The squirrels visiting my yard are Eastern Gray Squirrels, one of the most common squirrel species in North America.

Because they're so familiar, it's easy to overlook just how impressive they are.

Eastern Gray Squirrels spend much of the year collecting and burying food. They create hundreds of small caches, hiding nuts and seeds in different locations to help them get through leaner times. While they don't return to every hiding spot, many of those abandoned seeds eventually have the opportunity to sprout.

They're also remarkable climbers and jumpers. Watching one race up a tree trunk, balance along a narrow branch, and leap confidently to the next tree can feel almost effortless, though it requires incredible agility and coordination.

And if you've ever watched a squirrel carefully inspect a new feeder, solve a problem, or figure out how to reach a treat, you've probably seen firsthand just how intelligent they can be.

What to Watch For

If squirrels regularly visit your yard, try spending a few minutes simply observing them rather than shooing them away. Watch how they sit while eating. Notice how they use their tails for balance. See if they follow the same routes each day.

You may even start recognizing individual personalities and habits, which was one of the biggest surprises for me. Birdwatching changed the way I experience nature in a lot of ways, but one of the most unexpected changes was discovering an appreciation for squirrels along the way. These days, I look forward to seeing them just as much as many of the birds that first drew me outside.

If you'd like to learn more about Eastern Gray Squirrels, I also created a video sharing some of my favorite facts about these surprisingly fascinating backyard visitors.