While cleaning out the birdhouses in preparation for Spring, I accidentally disturbed a nest of flying squirrels. I put the nest and the four pups gently back into the box, then set up a camera to make sure the mother, who fled as I initially pulled the nest out, came back before the night got too cold.

I was hoping I hadn't done to much damage and that she'd come back and finish weaning the pups in the nest, but instead we watched her retrieve the babies one at a time, most likely moving them to one of the old woodpecker hollows nearby.

When we initially had a forester out to do a habitat assessment of the property he mentioned flying squirrels as a possible denizen, but I didn't expect we'd ever see any.

I'm quite over the moon.