The Way It Works

The 100 plus White-tailed antelope squirrels that live in the area around the lodge are the warning system for anything predator or unusual. Someone sounds the alarm and everybody gets in a high spot and stares at whoever is sounding the alarm. Then they look to see which direction the alarm sounder is looking and they all look that way. The original spotter is responsible for the continuation of the alarm until the predator moves to another White-taileds area. If someone mistakes a Eurasian dove for a Sharp-shinned they are forgiven once but after a second false alarm that spotter is then after ignored. There may be a fox by the river when I hear the first alarm and as the fox moves, though I may never see it, I always know where it is. If it's day time and a vehicle is coming the White-taileds at the bottom of the hill and down by the driveway sound the alarm and the alarm moves from White-tailed to White-tailed with the vehicle. I might be a hawk, a snake, a fox, but it's a rare miss when they call the alarm for no reason. In these pictures which you'll probably have to click on to make larger you'll with the Sharp-shinned about everybody is on a high spot on the alert.