{"id":58512,"date":"2019-06-11T05:07:20","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T11:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=58512"},"modified":"2026-02-24T15:17:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T21:17:08","slug":"least-chipmunk-nibbling-on-some-food-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/11\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-on-some-food-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Least Chipmunk Nibbling On Some Food In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk nibbling on some food – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Two days ago I was driving slowly in a canyon and spotted this little cutie rolling around in leaf litter but couldn’t get a clear view of it because there were tall grasses in the way.<\/p>\n

Once the chipmunk moved a little bit I was able to get a few images of it standing on the leaf litter nibbling on something.<\/p>\n

When it finished eating whatever the food was it moved forward and rolled around in the leaf litter but it was nearly hidden by the grasses again.<\/p>\n

The sun probably felt great to the chipmunk, I know it did to me because I saw a low of 29\u00b0F that morning when I entered the canyon, in June! I also saw frost on the ground that morning and the sun sure helped to warm me up.<\/p>\n

When the Least Chipmunk<\/span><\/a> moved out of my view I left and headed down the road to look for more birds and whatever else I could find to photograph.<\/p>\n

I wouldn’t have seen or been able to photograph this chipmunk if I hadn’t been driving slowly and keeping a keen eye out for anything that moved.<\/p>\n

At first all I saw was its tail twitching in the grasses at the edge of the road.<\/p>\n

I’m hoping to get back out into the field today, some kind of stomach bug hit me yesterday morning along with an early morning visual migraine and that kept me home on what turned out to be a sunny day with bluebird skies.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170290,"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":[4383,5352,1130,7302,5351,2264,3748],"class_list":["post-58512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-least-chipmunks","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-food","tag-leaf-litter","tag-least-chipmunk","tag-tamias-minimus","tag-nibbling"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-mia-mcpherson-1028.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fdK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115226,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/17\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":58512,"position":0},"title":"Least Chipmunk Nibbling A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago, while I was up in the Wasatch Mountains, I photographed this Least Chipmunk nibbling on a serviceberry that wasn't anywhere near ripe.","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 a serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, 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, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-curlydock-mia-mcpherson-7063.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-curlydock-mia-mcpherson-7063.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-curlydock-mia-mcpherson-7063.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/least-chipmunk-eating-curlydock-mia-mcpherson-7063.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107040,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/09\/cuddling-uinta-chipmunks-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":58512,"position":3},"title":"Cuddling Uinta Chipmunks In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On my most recent trip to the Wasatch Mountains, I relished the fall colors, a Ruffed Grouse, and a pair of cuddly Uinta Chipmunks.","rel":"","context":"In "Morgan County"","block_context":{"text":"Morgan County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/morgan-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cuddling Uinta Chipmunks, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/uinta-chipmunk-chokecherry-mountains-mia-mcpherson-9290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/uinta-chipmunk-chokecherry-mountains-mia-mcpherson-9290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/uinta-chipmunk-chokecherry-mountains-mia-mcpherson-9290.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/uinta-chipmunk-chokecherry-mountains-mia-mcpherson-9290.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53253,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/28\/least-chipmunk-eating-utah-serviceberry-berries\/","url_meta":{"origin":58512,"position":4},"title":"Least Chipmunk Eating Utah Serviceberry Berries","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm always happy to photograph the other things I see while I am out photographing birds and that includes cute critters like this Least Chipmunk nibbling on the fruits of the Utah Serviceberry shrub.","rel":"","context":"In "Least Chipmunks"","block_context":{"text":"Least 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