{"id":59517,"date":"2019-08-15T05:46:53","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T11:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59517"},"modified":"2026-02-25T07:34:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:34:50","slug":"wasatch-mountain-chipmunk-acrobatics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/15\/wasatch-mountain-chipmunk-acrobatics\/","title":{"rendered":"Wasatch Mountain Chipmunk Acrobatics"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ChipmunkChipmunk reaching for a thistle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I had fun yesterday photographing a few chipmunks up in the Wasatch Mountains including this chippy performing acrobatics while trying to get to thistle seeds. The Least Chipmunk popped up pretty close to where I was and I’m glad I already had my teleconverter off or I wouldn’t have been able to focus on it.<\/p>\n

The chipmunks are busy feeding on all kinds of berries, seeds and fruits right now and this one seemed to be focused on musk thistle seeds and whole flower heads. In this image it is seen reaching way out for the thistle.<\/p>\n

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk climbing a thistle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

And in this frame the same chipmunk is climbing up the stalk of a musk thistle to get to a dried out flower head that looked like the out of focus one on the lower right side of the frame that I wish wasn’t there.<\/p>\n

\"LeastChipmunk stretching out in a thistle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In this last photo the Least Chipmunk was all stretched out while trying to get to another thistle stalk. I have to admit I couldn’t help but laugh out loud while photographing the acrobatics this chipmunk went through to get at the flower heads and seeds.<\/p>\n

The chipmunk eventually knocked down an entire flower head and disappeared. The chipmunk may have carried the flower head away to store it for winter although I can’t be sure because after it reached the ground it was completely obscured by all the vegetation in the area.<\/p>\n

I’m so glad I had the chance to photograph this Least Chipmunk<\/span><\/a> yesterday.<\/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":"

I had fun yesterday photographing a few chipmunks up in the Wasatch Mountains including this chippy performing acrobatics while trying to get to thistle seeds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170409,"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":[5922,4594,26,773,99],"tags":[4004,6623,4383,5352,5351,6622,2264,2315],"class_list":["post-59517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-least-chipmunks","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","category-wildlife","tag-adult","tag-carduus-nutans","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-least-chipmunk","tag-musk-thistle","tag-tamias-minimus","tag-summer-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chipmunk-stretched-out-between-thistle-mia-mcpherson-0041.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ftX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":53253,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/28\/least-chipmunk-eating-utah-serviceberry-berries\/","url_meta":{"origin":59517,"position":0},"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 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, 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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, 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the Wasatch Mountains, Wasatch National Forest, Skyline Drive, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/least-chipmunk-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/least-chipmunk-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/least-chipmunk-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7183.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/least-chipmunk-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7183.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":68911,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/23\/spring-least-chipmunk-on-an-old-wooden-fence-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":59517,"position":4},"title":"Spring Least Chipmunk On An Old Wooden Fence In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Least Chipmunks"","block_context":{"text":"Least Chipmunks","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/least-chipmunks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Least Chipmunk on an old wooden fence, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-old-wooden-fence-mia-mcpherson-5514.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-old-wooden-fence-mia-mcpherson-5514.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-old-wooden-fence-mia-mcpherson-5514.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-old-wooden-fence-mia-mcpherson-5514.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60127,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/09\/10\/caption-call-chipmunk-fun\/","url_meta":{"origin":59517,"position":5},"title":"Caption Call – Chipmunk Fun","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Least Chipmunks had been chasing each other around on a low leafless shrub and then this happened, the tail of the upper chipmunk rested on the head of the other chippie for exactly two frames.","rel":"","context":"In "Least Chipmunks"","block_context":{"text":"Least Chipmunks","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/least-chipmunks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chipmunk Fun - A Tail of Two Chippies, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunks-funny-mia-mcpherson-3308.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-chipmunks-funny-mia-mcpherson-3308.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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