[Mnbird] squirrels

[bluebill at surfbest.net]

I have just an occasional goldfinch at my feeders, but that is normal for here. About 9 juncos, a few house finches, the usual woodpeckers, many chickadees and 
cardinals and an elusive brownish bird I have not been able to see well enough to identify. It hangs around the front of the house, where the dirt is exposed and 
the sun creates a warm micro climate.  It has been here sparingly for about a week.  I think it might be a hermit thrush (I know that is unlikely) but the color is 
right on the back, and it hides all the time.  I have not seen its breast. It does not fly well, and may be sick.  I have also seen a sharp shinned hawk a couple of 
times, making an interesting miss on a hairy woodpecker and wb nuthatch.

Also, I have only a couple of grey squirrels and a couple of red squirrels.  Usually there are four times this many. This fall I observed a flying squirrel on the 
ground, during mid-day, walking as though it were very sick or drunk.  It was unafraid, and actually walked toward me when I went near it to see if it would eat 
peanuts (It did.) A week later I saw similar behavior in a grey squirrel.  In fact, at first I thought it was dead because of the way it was spread out in the grass.. 
But then it got up, walked like a drunk, actually made some strange looking jumps, and circles in the grass, then stumbled behind a shed; I waited awhile, then 
walked out expecting to find it dead, but it was gone.

Perhaps some squirrel disease knocking back the numbers?  The squirrels that are here look fat and healthy. We had a very poor acorn crop this fall.