March 09 – My Nature Journal

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Some nature walks turn into a wild animal wonderland, with creatures around every corner.

Other walks feel like complete duds—if all one cares about is the number of different species spotted in a single walk.

Today’s nature walk might seem to fall into the second category in that I only saw one animal the entire time I was out. And it was one of the more common wild animals in most areas of the eastern United States—the Eastern Gray Squirrel.

Although I see Eastern Gray Squirrels on nearly every single nature walk I take, I was still grateful for this one’s presence today.

Nature walking through quiet trees and along slow-moving streams provides its own special brand of peace. Today, I listened to the muffled thump of my own footsteps and thought my own thoughts.

But the company sure was grand.