At left is a Northern Flying Squirrel stamp, issued by Canada Post as a low value definitive. Flying Squirrels are found in Nova Scotia but are seldom seen due to their nocturnal activity. I’ve only seen one once in my backyard. Though I caught sight of it at night (I was looking in the forest for my cat with a flashlight) it was unmistakable for its big eyes and quick movements. Was it ever cute!
Northern Flying Squirrels ideally make their homes in old growth forests where they make nests in snags (typically, dead trees with a diameter of more than 10″) or dreys (a large nest of twigs). They don’t actually fly. They glide with the use of a membrane located between their wrists and ankles. They mostly eat the fungi commonly found in old growth forests. In Western Canada they are known to play a vital role in the ecosystem by spreading the spores of fungi that they dig up underground.
The above stamp was issued two decades ago in 1988. Maybe it’s about time Canada issued another squirrel stamp. Considering how many stamps are issued by Canada Post, I can’t help but wonder why one has yet to be made of the Red Squirrel. They are one of our most common wild mammals and their arboreal antics are enjoyed by young and old. Stamps of Red Squirrels have been issued by several countries around the world. Combined, they all probably have a Red Squirrel population that is smaller than Canada’s. Could Canada Post be waiting until our Red Squirrels become endangered before they issue a stamp? I hope not.
The Red Squirrel stamps shown below are from Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the USA.
Flandrum Hill 
At our cottage in eastern Ontario we have a finch feeder at the edge of our deck, and at night the flying squirrels come in droves. They put on quite a show, and as the finch feeder will really only fit two of them, as one glides onto the feeder, the one on the bottom hops off, climbs back up a tree and takes another turn. When we took the feeder away they were flying onto the screen windows and chattering at us.
Wow Bruce that would be so cool to see! Do you put nyger in your feeder or a finch mix?
Very intersting. I opened another window and checked some articles about flying squirrels in New York. It seems that they range all over the state, but I have never seen one and I have never heard anyone else around here say that they have seen one even though most of the people I know spend a lot of time out hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping. Weird. I’ll have to look into this.
MDW
Forestrat, given the shortage of acorns this year, you probably have a better chance than ever of seeing flying squirrels. They’re supposed to be most active for the first couple of hours after sunset. I’ve read about them dive bombing at trees smeared with peanut butter and hazelnuts this year in NJ.