{"id":69531,"date":"2020-05-07T05:19:19","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T11:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=69531"},"modified":"2026-02-25T05:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:51:19","slug":"least-chipmunk-with-an-eye-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/07\/least-chipmunk-with-an-eye-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Least Chipmunk With An Eye Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk’s left eye showing a corneal problem – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I was up in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> social distancing, looking for birds and animals to photograph, and getting away from the news and negativity. Many of the birds I found were too far away to photograph or so active I couldn’t focus on them and<\/em> get photos before they flew away.<\/p>\n

But it was peaceful and I enjoy watching how the changes that occur in Spring happen so quickly. Some of the wildflowers are blooming and there will be more to follow.<\/p>\n

I found two new nesting cavities high up in a snag and had pulled over in the hopes that the birds that are excavating the cavities would show up. I suspect from the size and shape of the new nesting cavities that they are being excavated by sapsuckers or perhaps a Downy Woodpecker.<\/p>\n

While I observed the nesting cavities in the tree I also found a few Least Chipmunks in the ground, on stumps, and climbing in the shrubs below the new nest cavities.<\/p>\n

This Least Chipmunk was climbing in the shrubs and foraging on unopened flower buds when its right eye caught my eyes.<\/p>\n

The chipmunk’s eye looks like it has either sustained some type of corneal injury or has developed a cataract.<\/p>\n

The light part of its eye looked like an opal or moonstone. When I blow up the full resolution file I can barely make out my Jeep reflected in the chipmunk’s eye.<\/p>\n

\"LeastLeast Chipmunk’s good eye – Nikon D500, f9, 1\/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The chipmunk wasn’t close but I took photos of it for documentation. Neither of these photos will make it into my photo gallery because they are huge crops.<\/p>\n

The photo above shows the same chipmunk’s left eye and how the other eye should look.<\/p>\n

I observed this chipmunk for several minutes and I noticed that it didn’t seem to have any issues finding food and that it moved around the shrubs with the ease of a chipmunk without any visual difficulties. The Least Chipmunk was doing just fine.<\/p>\n

If I had been looking only at the new nesting cavities that I found I would have missed seeing this interesting Least Chipmunk but when I am in the field I am constantly scanning near and far for birds and other wildlife.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/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":"

This Least Chipmunk was climbing in the shrubs and foraging on unopened flower buds when its right eye caught my eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5922,4594,26,773],"tags":[3940,9845,9846,4383,5352,9847,9848,5767,5927,6809,5351,4069,2264,165,30],"class_list":["post-69531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-least-chipmunks","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-canyon","tag-cataract","tag-cataracts","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-cornea","tag-corneal-damage","tag-eye","tag-eye-issue","tag-injured-eye","tag-least-chipmunk","tag-mountains","tag-tamias-minimus","tag-spring","tag-utah-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t