Anytime I leave some nuts out for my friends, I prefer to do it in the wintertime when I know that food is scarce. I think my timing was good, as this squirrel seemed to be hungry enough to eat it immediately rather than try and stash it for later. Squirrels don't hibernate; they will stay up in the warmth of their nests for days at a time when it's cold, so they rely on having some kind of food stored. Often in different places, which is where the term "to squirrel away" something comes from.
