{"id":59752,"date":"2019-08-27T05:42:11","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T11:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59752"},"modified":"2023-04-11T05:09:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T11:09:00","slug":"peek-a-boo-rock-squirrel-close-up-in-a-serviceberry-bush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/27\/peek-a-boo-rock-squirrel-close-up-in-a-serviceberry-bush\/","title":{"rendered":"Peek-a-boo Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Serviceberry Bush"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Peek-a-booPeek-a-boo Rock Squirrel close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Some times circumstances beyond my control can really mess up what might have been excellent opportunities for the images I was attempting to obtain. People walking, running, biking, and driving by can mess up my chances for taking images by startling my subjects and so can the loud noises of a vehicle being started, the annoying beeps and dings some vehicles make, aerial predators moving past in the sky or even the sound of tires on gravel. Lots of things can make a wild bird or animal take off even an ill-timed sneeze, a cough, a door opening or a cell phone ringing is enough at times.<\/p>\n

In mid August I was attempting to get close up photos of a Rock Squirrel that was actively feeding on serviceberries in the Wasatch Mountains and two things happened that ruined my chances for better images. I was able to move slowly towards the squirrel in my Jeep without startling it until I was close enough to the squirrel that I could watch its every movement and while the squirrel did keep watching me it never seemed alarmed by my presence.<\/p>\n

By the time I stopped my Jeep I was near enough to it to get close up portraits of the Rock Squirrel and I was willing to wait to see if I could get a clear view of the squirrel that didn’t have out of focus leaves and branches in front of it. I waited and watched the squirrel. I wasn’t in a rush and I would have sat there for an hour to take the image I was envisioning. I knew if the squirrel moved up the serviceberry bush branches I would be able to get a great view of its face with a beautiful, clean background.<\/p>\n

After about five minutes of waiting I heard the distant sound of feet slapping the road, looked around and saw a jogger moving on the dirt road towards where I sat in my Jeep and to make matters worse at about the same time I heard a diesel pickup coming from the opposite direction. The jogger and the noisy pickup crossed paths just behind my Jeep and that seemed to be too much human activity for the Rock Squirrel who quickly climbed down the bush and disappeared from my sight.<\/p>\n

I really had hoped to get a better, clearer close up portrait of the Rock Squirrel<\/span><\/a> than the image above. Perhaps another time on another day with less traffic.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

In mid August I was attempting to get close up photos of a Rock Squirrel that was actively feeding on serviceberries in the Wasatch Mountains and two things happened that ruined my chances for better images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112386,"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":[5661,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,6523,4142,1632,5662,6895,5663,7289,6698,3826,3827,6522],"class_list":["post-59752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rock-squirrels","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-amelanchier-utahensis","tag-close-up","tag-mammals","tag-otospermophilus-variegatus","tag-peek-a-boo","tag-rock-squirrel","tag-serviceberries","tag-serviceberry","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-utah-serviceberry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-in-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-9553.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fxK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":113395,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/12\/urban-rock-squirrel-with-a-blade-of-grass\/","url_meta":{"origin":59752,"position":0},"title":"Urban Rock Squirrel With A Blade Of Grass","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a backlog of spring images to go through, including photos of a Rock Squirrel and a blade of grass from the end of April.","rel":"","context":"In "Rock Squirrels"","block_context":{"text":"Rock Squirrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/rock-squirrels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rock Squirrel and a blade of spring grass, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rock-squirrel-blade-of-grass-mia-mcpherson-5756.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rock-squirrel-blade-of-grass-mia-mcpherson-5756.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rock-squirrel-blade-of-grass-mia-mcpherson-5756.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rock-squirrel-blade-of-grass-mia-mcpherson-5756.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112372,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/11\/city-dwelling-rock-squirrel-surprise\/","url_meta":{"origin":59752,"position":1},"title":"City Dwelling Rock Squirrel Surprise","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago when I was at a local park with my friend and yours, April Olson, I spotted a Rock Squirrel. Then I saw three more nearby and I had to take photos.","rel":"","context":"In "Rock Squirrels"","block_context":{"text":"Rock Squirrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/rock-squirrels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Rock Squirrels in Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-salt-lake-county-mia-mcpherson-3454.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-salt-lake-county-mia-mcpherson-3454.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-salt-lake-county-mia-mcpherson-3454.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, during a light rain, I looked out of my living room window, and to my surprise, I had a close-up view of a Rock Squirrel right next to the house.","rel":"","context":"In "Rock Squirrels"","block_context":{"text":"Rock Squirrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/rock-squirrels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rock Squirrel and Mia selfie, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/rock-squirrel-selfie-mia-mcpherson-5796.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/rock-squirrel-selfie-mia-mcpherson-5796.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/rock-squirrel-selfie-mia-mcpherson-5796.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Rock Squirrel was grasping a sumac branch and the shrub was so close to me I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to focus on it.","rel":"","context":"In "Rock Squirrels"","block_context":{"text":"Rock Squirrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/rock-squirrels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rock Squirrel in a Fragrant Sumac, Stansbury Mountains, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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