Studies have shown that the main reason why any squirrel stirs from its drey is to find food.
They do sundry other activities whilst out and about,including mating, grooming and falling asleep, but few things apart from food occupy much of the squirrel's time.
Squirrels are active whilst they are hungry, and unless there is something else to keep them occupied, like a mate, they would remain in their drey all day.
In summer the days are long, and food may be scarce. A squirrel's stomach isn't very big, and the food available at this time of year is often bulky and of low nutritional value, such as shoots, buds and bark. The result is a pattern of activity which starts at dawn.Then one or more siestas as the squirrel digests a stomachful of food before resuming the search.
Underscar squirrels enjoying hidden hazelnuts
I got up with the squirrels yesterday (11th August 2013) at 6am, and I was still watching them foraging until the last vestiges of light. These photos were all taken over the last week, the hazelnuts in the feeders are so welcome for the squirrels at this time of year to supplement their diet.
