We snowshoed to the top of Wheeler Mountain and spotted a woodpecker hole in a snag, a perfect spot for a wildlife nest.

We couldn’t spot anything inside, but thinking there might be an owl inside, Russ (a wildlife biologist) made some sounds to attract attention. Up poked a head, and he got a picture of a northern flying squirrel.

Russ Walton photo

These nocturnal animals can glide from tree tree at about a 30 degree angle using outspread arms and skin flaps as a kind of wing. They can turn up to 90 degrees in the air and balloon the air pocket to create a softer landing on a trunk or branch.

Flying squirrels eat fungi. nuts, seeds, lichen, tree sap, insects, carrion, eggs, buds, and flowers. They cache food in the fall for winter supplies. They do not hibernate and often share a nest in winter They breed once a year in the spring. Predators include raptors, martens, lynx, and fox. They are clumsy animal on the ground, but are good climbers and can glide 5 to 25m to escape prey.

They are often hard to spot since they are not normally out in daylight hours. We were given only a short glimpse, long enough for a photo.