{"id":63843,"date":"2020-02-08T05:42:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T12:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=63843"},"modified":"2026-02-25T05:24:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:24:49","slug":"least-chipmunk-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/08\/least-chipmunk-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Least Chipmunk In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk on a lichen-covered post \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Least Chipmunks are hibernating at this time of the year but that doesn’t stop me from thinking about these tiny chippies that I usually photograph high in the Wasatch Mountains during the warmer months of the year.<\/p>\n

I can almost picture them curled up in their burrows with a thick white layer of snow on the ground over their heads.<\/p>\n

The Least Chipmunks that I find in the high mountain canyons amuse and delight me as they go about their lives while I photograph them.<\/p>\n

They move quickly and are sure-footed. In early spring sometimes their calls trick me into momentarily thinking I am hearing a bird but once I realize that they are chippies I quickly look around for them.<\/p>\n

I’m a passionate bird photographer but I don’t pass up many opportunities to take images of these diminutive, striped fur balls.<\/p>\n

I photographed this Least Chipmunk last summer high up in a mountain canyon where it appeared to be sniffing the lichens that covered the top of a wooden fence post.<\/p>\n

After I took this image I researched whether lichens have scents and I found out that some smell like fish and some are even used to make perfumes. So perhaps it was<\/em> smelling the lichen.<\/p>\n

The Least Chipmunk<\/span><\/a> didn’t stay on the fence post long because a pickup rattled past which caused the chippy to take cover in the sagebrush below the post.<\/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 photographed this Least Chipmunk last summer high up in a mountain canyon where it appeared to be sniffing the lichens that covered the top of a wooden fence post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170332,"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],"tags":[4004,3940,4383,5352,898,5351,3291,5771,4069,2264,2338,4394,8593,6439,2315,8594],"class_list":["post-63843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-least-chipmunks","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-canyon","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-fence-post","tag-least-chipmunk","tag-lichen","tag-lichen-covered","tag-mountains","tag-tamias-minimus","tag-old","tag-post","tag-smelling","tag-sniffing","tag-summer-3","tag-wood"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-lichen-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-9457.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-gBJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":111558,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/24\/two-least-chipmunks-together-in-the-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":63843,"position":0},"title":"Two Least Chipmunks Together In The Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I was editing some images for a new project when I came across this photo of two Least Chipmunks side by side on a wooden post high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Least Chipmunks"","block_context":{"text":"Least Chipmunks","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/least-chipmunks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two Least Chipmunks on a post, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/least-chipmunk-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/least-chipmunk-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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tail, East Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-grooming-mia-mcpherson-0704.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-grooming-mia-mcpherson-0704.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-grooming-mia-mcpherson-0704.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-grooming-mia-mcpherson-0704.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":103177,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/06\/11\/least-chipmunk-high-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":63843,"position":2},"title":"Least Chipmunk High In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"While up high in the Wasatch Mountains two days ago I had the opportunity to photograph this adult Least Chipmunk on an old fence rail and I jumped at the chance.","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 on an old fence rail, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/least-chipmunk-on-old-fence-mia-mcpherson-7931.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/least-chipmunk-on-old-fence-mia-mcpherson-7931.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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I'm glad that I did.","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 portrait, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-tamias-minimus-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2921.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-tamias-minimus-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2921.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-tamias-minimus-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2921.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/least-chipmunk-tamias-minimus-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2921.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115226,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/17\/least-chipmunk-nibbling-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":63843,"position":5},"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, 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":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}