Red Squirrel: Back deck, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2024 — As I have mentioned before, this Red Squirrel does not live in our yard. I suspect it actually lives in the forest along the railroad tracks several suburban lots away, but it comes to visit occasionally, to see what it can find on our back deck under the bird feeders. It is particularly fond of whatever mealworm fragments the birds have left behind. It has been, in past, quite shy, but this week it appeared quickly and then disappeared over the edge of the deck while I was watching, so I went to get my camera and went out to see if it was still in the yard. As I stood on the deck I saw it creep back up under the railings at one corner, not 3 feet from where I was standing. But instead of running off, it came up on the deck, then onto the rail to challenge me. I was clearly in the way of what it wanted to do, and it was having none of that. It was certainly not intimidated by me and my camera at all. I had to step back and zoom out to get it in frame. Lots of tail whipping and feet stamping going on, and if looks could kill. I took a lot of photos. It eventually came even closer, almost between my feet, too close for the zoom even at the widest end, and I slipped back inside so it could have the run of the deck and find its mealworm bits. Close encounters of the Red Squirrel kind. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 200-400mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications (no need to switch to animal mode for squirrels). Processed in Photomator.