rodents – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Squirrel Appreciation Day 2022

By Mia McPherson|2022-01-21T06:24:38-06:00January 21st, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: baby, calling, canyon, chipmunk, chipmunks, desert, fence post, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, Least Chipmunk, lichen, lichens, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, mountains, Neotamias minimus, playing, pup, pups, rock, rocks, rodents, spring, squirrel, squirrels, stretching, summer, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day around the globe. There are many reasons to appreciate these furry, four legged, cute creatures.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot Out And About In January

By Mia McPherson|2022-01-16T05:10:02-06:00January 16th, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, climate change, desert, hibernation, January, lichen, lichen covered, lichens, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, rock, rocks, rodents, sky, too early, winter, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

I found and pointed out dozens of birds yesterday but the biggest surprise to me was spotting a Yellow-bellied Marmot out and about in the middle of January.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot That Should Be Hibernating

By Mia McPherson|2022-01-16T03:51:17-06:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Wildlife, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, awake, desert, hibernating, hibernation, lichen, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, mountains, rocks, rocky, rodents, slope, too early, winter, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

The Yellow-bellied Marmot in these photos should be hibernating until mid-March. I spotted it wide awake yesterday on a rocky slope in northern Utah.

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Spring Least Chipmunk On An Old Wooden Fence In The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|2021-07-13T13:39:04-05:00April 23rd, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildlife|Tags: adult, canyon, chipmunk, chipmunks, fence post, forest, Least Chipmunk, mountains, Neotamias minimus, old fence, rodents, spring, squirrels, wooden post|

This Least Chipmunk was running along the rails of an old wooden fence and when it stopped for a rest on a fence post I was ready.

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Muskrat Eating Filamentous Algae At Farmington Bay WMA

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-25T15:50:04-05:00October 8th, 2019|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Muskrats, Utah|Tags: adult, aquatic, cattails, eating, Filamentous algae, marsh, Muskrat, muskrats, Ondatra zibethicus, pond, rodents, water|

Yesterday I photographed a muskrat I found eating green filamentous algae at Farmington Bay WMA which I thought was interesting because I had never seen one eating algae before.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot in a Crevice with Lichen Covered Rocks

By Mia McPherson|2022-01-16T05:04:03-06:00March 4th, 2017|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Wildlife, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, close up, crevice, hibernation, lichen, lichen covered, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, portrait, rocks, rocky, rodents, yellow belly marmot, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

I am very fond of Yellow-bellied Marmots so when I spotted one clambering down some rocks into a crevice close to the road I became excited and as soon as I could I started taking photos of it.

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