"FIR BABY"

Porcupine (North American) - 9 Photos

This sequence of photos was taken on a rather dismal snowy cold day between Christmas & New Year's Eve 2021.

Was just completing a walk in the frigid temperatures, when I looked up into a tall fir tree and saw something definitely moving across the branches. Yes, it was a large porcupine in its full winter coat, all fluffed up against the Winter weather.

I have never seen a porcupine dining on fir needles and cones before, but along with a diet of seeds, buds & bark - why not? And he was certainly chowing down, seemingly oblivious to the snowy weather.

And I refer to this porcupine as a "he" because of his size. When this porcupine sits around a tree, he really sits around a tree. (See Photo #5 to see his full length.) Now I guess we should allow some leeway for his wintery finery, but from the photo, as he is hanging from the branch, you can see his size from head to tail. He is one big porcupine.

After an hour or so,  I left" Mr. Fluffy" and headed back to the car. The porcupine & my camera battery both had outlasted me in the cold. 

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7

PHOTO #8

PHOTO #9