White Anyone?

nature article Earl Plato.
The White Crow of Pelham! The White skunk of Sherkston! Now the White squirrel of Dufferin Islands? Yes!
Gene D’Agostino of Niagara Falls called to report a white squirrel on the Dufferin Islands. To Gene it was a true albino animal, devoid of any pigment. He and his wife first thought that it was a white paper suspended high in the trees. Not so it was a white animal. It acted as a squirrel would. It was a squirrel, the “White squirrel of Dufferin.” You know what albino means.
Curious - Bob Chambers and I tried to go last week - too cold - too windy. We went this week. The bridges were blocked off by signs saying “Danger - High Voltage” Remember the Festival Lights and the great display around the Dufferin Islands? What to do? We drove around the park and saw people on the east side feeding the mallards. We parked at the top end - no signs there and entered into the trails. We meet a lady carrying some corn and feed for the feeders. I asked. “Have you seen the white squirrel?’ “Yes, but not for ten days. It’s name is “Angel.” We met this lady again on the trail. She identified “Angel” as “she.” So our white squirrel is now officially an albino Eastern squirrel.
Bob and I saw black and the inevitable gray squirrels on our walk. We walked to the east end of the island and the small woods. This is where Gene and his wife had first sighted “Angel.” We saw three globular leafy squirrel nests there. I used my glasses to see if there was any movement in the nests. None. On the way out Bob saw another nest. One of them is the home of “Angel!”
We shall return as Gene will and others. Seeing the “White squirrel of Dufferin” will be worth the effort. Bob Chambers and his telescopic camera should get a great shot, I want to be along.
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Roxann Kells is my reporter in the Grand Cayman Islands. She is a teacher there and loves the place. At Christmas time she let me read one of the colourful books about the islands, however, she had to take it back when she flew back. However, thanks to a Niagara Falls resident, Elizabeth Daniels, I don’t have to wait for a copy of my own.
Elizabeth, a visitor of Grand Cayman has loaned me two other books - both excellent reading. They are entitled - Beautiful Isles - Cayman by Paul Humann and a great little bird book - Birds of Cayman Island by Patricia Bradley.
Elizabeth is an interesting person. She is a lover of nature, a concerned naturalist. She shared with Bob Chambers, an old scouting friend, and I about the disturbing plight of the Green turtles. Not all on Grand Cayman is paradise. However, Elizabeth enjoyed the island for many reasons. Thanks to her I have read her books and will share some reasons in another article why this Caribbean British possession is well worth the visit of course as a naturalist first.