{"id":52309,"date":"2018-05-27T04:28:15","date_gmt":"2018-05-27T10:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=52309"},"modified":"2026-03-07T14:31:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:31:35","slug":"young-uinta-ground-squirrels-through-my-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/05\/27\/young-uinta-ground-squirrels-through-my-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Uinta Ground Squirrels Through My Lens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SixSix Uinta Ground Squirrel babies at their burrow – Nikon D810, f11, 1\/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 200mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Three days ago when I was up in the canyons of the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> baby Uinta Ground Squirrels were every where I looked and my Mom was thrilled to see them.<\/p>\n

“Aw” was the word of the day I believe with “oh” as a very close second.<\/p>\n

The singing Green-tailed Towhee<\/span><\/a> and American Goldfinches<\/span><\/a> feeding on dandelion seeds were great but it was these young Uinta Ground Squirrels that stole both our hearts, especially when they all came out of their burrows and looked around.<\/p>\n

This photo was taken using a short lens on my Nikon D810, the rest were taken with my 500mm lens on the D500.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel close up with another one in the background – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that baby Uinta Ground Squirrels can be called pups, kits or kittens? That is what I found when I researched it on the internet.<\/p>\n

Whether they are called pups, kits or kittens I think they are adorably cute with their big, dark eyes, long whiskers, pot bellies, furry bodies, and short bushy tails.<\/p>\n

\"StandingStanding baby Uinta Ground Squirrel close up – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

With my long lens I focused on taking close ups and portraits of the young ground squirrels because I don’t often have the opportunity for these kind of images of these baby squirrels.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel up close with its siblings – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes that meant having the other young ground squirrels in the background, I was simply too close to fit them all in at times. I think it was worth it to see and photograph all the fine details.<\/p>\n

\"UpUp close with a young Uinta Ground Squirrel – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a cute little face. Cute little creature too.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel standing on a stump – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The young Uinta Ground Squirrels were busy eating, playing, running around and exploring their world. This one looked like it might climb up the stump it was holding on to but after a bit it just scurried away.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel eating while sitting – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

While this baby ground squirrel sat on its bottom and nibbles on grasses as I photographed it. I wish the out of focus grasses weren’t in front of the squirrel’s feet but I don’t think they are all that distracting.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel stretching out on the ground – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This young squirrel came out of its burrow, laid down on the dirt, and stretched way out while lifting one of its paws. Those tiny paws look quite capable of digging into the earth and being able to grasp plenty of grasses to eat.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Uinta Ground Squirrel at a burrow – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Then this squirrel just seemed curious enough to come up out of the burrow to look at the camera, lens and the woman behind it. It didn’t appear to be the least bit nervous.<\/p>\n

\"BabyBaby Uinta Ground Squirrel standing next to its burrow – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact it stood up on its hind legs and looked around some more.<\/p>\n

I had a blast photographing these baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and sharing them with my Mom. It was a peaceful, relaxing morning filled with birds, squirrels, lovely scenery and great company.<\/p>\n

My Mom flies home today. I don’t know how her visit flew by so quickly but I know that I have loved each and every moment we shared together.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I had a blast photographing these baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and sharing them with my Mom. It was a peaceful, relaxing morning filled with birds, squirrels, lovely scenery and great company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171592,"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":[1731,1630,26,773],"tags":[6479,5772,4054,4142,4286,1631,5071,6478,6520,9351,1632,5855,3829,3826,3827,953,3964,5113,2619,2620,4193],"class_list":["post-52309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summit-county-utah","category-uinta-ground-squirrel","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-babies","tag-baby","tag-burrow","tag-close-up","tag-eating","tag-ground-squirrel","tag-ground-squirrels","tag-kit","tag-kittens","tag-lens","tag-mammals","tag-pups","tag-siblings","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-standing","tag-stretching","tag-stump","tag-uinta-ground-squirrel-2","tag-urocitellus-armatus","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-young-burrow-mia-mcpherson-1945.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dBH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":102548,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/05\/21\/cute-baby-uinta-ground-squirrel-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":52309,"position":0},"title":"Cute Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Cute baby Uinta Ground Squirrel images have become a yearly tradition and desire for me and this week the babies were emerging from their burrows.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Uinta Ground Squirrel peeking out of a burrow, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-6514.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-6514.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-6514.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-6514.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52126,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/05\/17\/adult-uinta-ground-squirrel-damp-from-dew-plus-a-bonus-baby-squirrel-photo\/","url_meta":{"origin":52309,"position":1},"title":"Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel Damp From Dew Plus a Bonus Baby Squirrel Photo","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing two Uinta Ground Squirrel photos taken two days ago a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains, one adult that was wet from the morning dew and one baby that was just outside of its burrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Uinta Ground Squirrel dampened by dew, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-wet-mia-mcpherson-0285.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-wet-mia-mcpherson-0285.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-wet-mia-mcpherson-0285.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-wet-mia-mcpherson-0285.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":102952,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/06\/06\/more-cute-baby-uinta-ground-squirrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":52309,"position":2},"title":"More Cute Baby Uinta Ground Squirrels","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week while up in the Wasatch Mountains with my friend Steve I took more images of cute baby Uinta Ground Squirrels. I simply can't resist them.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cuddling baby Uinta Ground Squirrels, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5017.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5017.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90542,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/17\/baby-uinta-ground-squirrel-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":52309,"position":3},"title":"Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I was able to take a nice long series of baby Uinta Ground Squirrel photos high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two alert baby Uinta Ground Squirrels, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5803.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5803.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5803.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-mia-mcpherson-5803.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58306,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/02\/tis-the-season-for-uinta-ground-squirrel-babies\/","url_meta":{"origin":52309,"position":4},"title":"‘Tis The Season For Uinta Ground Squirrel Babies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been seeing baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and two days ago I was finally able to photograph some of the cute little balls of fur near their burrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Uinta Ground Squirrel baby, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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