Went to toss the squirrels and birds their evening handful of peanuts yesterday, when this guy in the far end of the yard caught my gaze.

Photos aren't great, he was pretty far away, and the photos are my phone through cheapo binoculars, free hand.

Still a beauty, and a nice surprise for me.

It's a melanistic Eastern gray squirrel. They're some interesting theories on them in the black squirrel wiki, though a lot just seen to be guesses to me! 😉