This was a new experience for us.  Usually, when we wander through the trails in the ravine, leaving peanuts in the usual cache places, squirrels anticipate us, awaiting the drop.  Lately, some black or grey squirrels have become so accustomed to our presence and have made the connection that Stumpy and Stumpette, the two tail-less squirrels did long ago, that the peanuts are connected to our personal presence, that they have taken to confronting us directly.

Upon spying our presence, they will run helter-skelter toward us, not stopping their determined rush until they're right at our feet, and then waiting the slender time it takes us to withdraw peanuts from our bagful for them.  Never the red squirrels.  They continue to be suspicious of our presence, although alert to the potential windfall in our wake. 

And usually the red squirrels claim ownership of any tree or stump or crook in a tree or bridge rail containing those peanuts, relentlessly chasing the much larger, but obviously more timid greys and blacks away from those caches.  The odd thing is the blacks and the greys are not timid in approaching us, while the reds certainly are.  They are aggressive, however, beyond anything the others will attempt to, about their privileged position as they see it.

Yesterday, during our ravine walk the episode we were confronted with was quite different.  A black squirrel patiently awaited his peanut, and just as I was about to give it to him, a grey squirrel appeared as though out of nowhere and actually pounced upon the black one which, startled, quickly ran away, and the grey recovered the thrown peanut.

Not very civilized behaviour, to be sure.