Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel hiding behind a grass stem – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Uinta Ground Squirrels spend most of their lives underground and because they do they need to make the most of their time above ground matter and they certainly do. They need to eat well during their time above ground to fatten up because they rely on their fat stores for their long hibernation and they need to store food below ground too so it seems like they are always scurrying around when I see them.
On June 4th I photographed an adult Uinta Ground Squirrel eating grasses next to a road in the Wasatch Mountains. I’m sure the ground squirrel wasn’t trying to hide behind this grass stem but when I viewed this image on my computer that is what came to my mind.
Uinta Ground Squirrel adult munching on a grass seed head – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I would have preferred being just a touch further away from the ground squirrel so I had to face the choice of leaving my teleconverter on or taking it off so I wouldn’t clip parts of the squirrel but since I didn’t know how long the squirrel would feed on the grass stem I felt I had to leave my teleconverter on so I wouldn’t miss shots of it.
Uinta Ground Squirrel adult eating grass seeds – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I wasn’t close enough to the Uinta Ground Squirrel to take portraits of it as it munched on the grass seeds and stems so I tried to make the best of a what I think was a tough situation with my choices of composition for all of these photos.
Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel eating a small piece of grass – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
In this image the ground squirrel had moved slightly away from me so I had the creek in the canyon below in shadow behind the squirrel, beautiful light and the squirrel was eating a small piece of grass. I always appreciate getting something a “little different” when I am taking a series of images and in this case the difference was wonderful.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Uinta Ground Squirrel photos plus facts and information about this species.
I really like the 2nd shot — he looks so excited about the prospect of chowing down!
What a charmer. Thank you again for sharing wonders I will not see for myself.
Adorable creatures. Lovely cool colors and light.
I LOVE this series!!!!
Great pictures of the squirrel with the grass. Excellent detail and nice bokeh.
Excellent shots, wonderful poses.
Thanks for sharing.