{"id":115145,"date":"2023-08-12T04:10:30","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T10:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=115145"},"modified":"2023-08-12T06:03:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T12:03:16","slug":"least-chipmunk-too-cute-to-pass-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/12\/least-chipmunk-too-cute-to-pass-by\/","title":{"rendered":"Least Chipmunk – Too Cute To Pass By"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even though this Least Chipmunk was too close, it was simply too cute to pass by just two days ago when I was in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk clinging to Curly Dock \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I spotted this Least Chipmunk nibbling on Curly Dock seeds, I knew that if I moved my vehicle, it might scurry away. Aware that the chipmunk could leave my line of sight, I stopped immediately, turned off my Jeep, and began to photograph the adorable fuzzy grin-maker.<\/p>\n

My 500mm lens is a fixed prime lens, which means I can’t zoom backwards. For this chipmunk, I wish I would have had a 400mm lens.<\/p>\n

But, as I mentioned, this chipmunk was too cute to pass by.<\/p>\n

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk nibbling on Curly Dock Close up \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was happy to have the Least Chipmunk in my viewfinder. Since I wasn’t in Utah for most of the spring and the early part of summer, I haven’t had many chances to photograph chipmunks this year, and fall is now just a little over a month away.<\/p>\n

Curly Dock<\/span><\/a> (Rumex crispus<\/em>) is an introduced perennial plant found across much of North America. Least Chipmunks appear to benefit from eating the seeds of this plant, which some people call an invasive weed.<\/p>\n

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk eating Curly Dock seeds \u2013 Nikon D500, f13, 1\/400, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I considered turning on my Jeep and moving away from the Least Chipmunk so it would be easier for me to have the entire body and tail of the chipmunk in the fame. About that time a man on a noisy, fat-tired bicycle rode past on the dirt road and the chipmunk disappeared from my view.<\/p>\n

Despite the man’s untimely intrusion, I had fun photographing the Least Chipmunk, and overall, I am pleased with the photos I took.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Least Chipmunk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though this Least Chipmunk was too close, it was simply too cute to pass by just two days ago when I was in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5922,1731,26,773],"tags":[3940,4383,5352,6486,4142,1387,4286,1130,5351,1632,4069,2264,3748,2388,2135,3826,3827,2315],"class_list":["post-115145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-least-chipmunks","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-canyon","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-clinging","tag-close-up","tag-curly-dock","tag-eating","tag-food","tag-least-chipmunk","tag-mammals","tag-mountains","tag-tamias-minimus","tag-nibbling","tag-rumex-crispus","tag-seeds","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-summer-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-curlydock-mia-mcpherson-7063.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-tXb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58512,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/11\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-on-some-food-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":115145,"position":0},"title":"Least Chipmunk Nibbling On Some Food In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been seeing more and more Least Chipmunks while I have been up in the Wasatch Mountains looking for and photographing birds and I always try to stop for them because they are so cute.","rel":"","context":"In "Least Chipmunks"","block_context":{"text":"Least Chipmunks","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/least-chipmunks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Chipmunk nibbling on some food, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-mia-mcpherson-1028.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-mia-mcpherson-1028.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Chipmunks","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/least-chipmunks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Chipmunk nibbling on a Utah Serviceberry berry, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-service-berry-mia-mcpherson-6626.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-service-berry-mia-mcpherson-6626.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-service-berry-mia-mcpherson-6626.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-service-berry-mia-mcpherson-6626.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-7649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-7649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-7649.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-7649.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47332,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/06\/16\/east-canyon-least-chipmunks\/","url_meta":{"origin":115145,"position":3},"title":"East Canyon Least Chipmunks – Chippies Delight Me","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday while up in the Wasatch Mountains I was delighted to be able to photograph two Least Chipmunks I found in East Canyon of Morgan County, Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "East Canyon"","block_context":{"text":"East Canyon","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/east-canyon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Chipmunk on a log in spring, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-log-mia-mcpherson-9809.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-log-mia-mcpherson-9809.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-log-mia-mcpherson-9809.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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