{"id":73703,"date":"2020-09-13T04:30:21","date_gmt":"2020-09-13T10:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=73703"},"modified":"2023-04-11T05:26:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T11:26:54","slug":"rock-squirrel-resting-on-a-lichen-encrusted-boulder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/13\/rock-squirrel-resting-on-a-lichen-encrusted-boulder\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock Squirrel Resting On A Lichen Encrusted Boulder"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Rock Squirrel on a lichen encrusted boulder \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I spent the morning up in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday where one of the furry creatures I saw and photographed was a Rock Squirrel on a lichen encrusted boulder. In the eleven years that I have lived in northern Utah I have had difficulties getting the photos I have desired of this squirrel species. Light angles have been wrong, the shooting angle was too steep, the squirrels were mostly hidden by vegetation or rocks or a vehicle, sound or person made the squirrels hide.<\/p>\n

Once in a while things go right though and yesterday the photography gods must have smiled down on me because everything went right after I spotted this Rock Squirrel resting on the top of a boulder. The lichen was the frosting on the boulder.<\/p>\n

\"RockRock Squirrel on a lichen covered boulder in the Wasatch Mountains \u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I had to go up the dirt road to turn around and come back to the squirrel before I could raise my lens from the driver’s side window. Fortunately my Jeep has an excellent turning radius and I was able to make the turn quickly so I could get back to the squirrel.<\/p>\n

Some cars and a motorcycle went past as I photographed the Rock Squirrel and it stuck. In fact I was glad the motorcycle went past because the squirrel turned its head back towards me as it checked it the noisy bike out.<\/p>\n

I left the squirrel on its lofty, lichen covered perch and headed home thrilled that I had gotten these long desired photos along with a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing morning in the mountains.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I spent the morning up in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday where one of the furry creatures I saw and photographed was a Rock Squirrel on a lichen encrusted boulder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112394,"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":[4004,4138,3940,3291,5771,10227,9979,4069,5662,4156,4921,5663,3826,3827],"class_list":["post-73703","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-boulder","tag-canyon","tag-lichen","tag-lichen-covered","tag-lichen-encrusted","tag-lichens","tag-mountains","tag-otospermophilus-variegatus","tag-resting","tag-rock","tag-rock-squirrel","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-adult-lichen-covered-boulder-mia-mcpherson-5937.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-jaL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45415,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/08\/revisiting-the-mercur-canyon-rock-squirrel\/","url_meta":{"origin":73703,"position":0},"title":"Revisiting The Mercur Canyon Rock Squirrel","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"While up in Mercur Canyon I caught a flash of browns and grays on top of a rock and realized I was seeing the Rock Squirrel I photographed on the same slope last month.","rel":"","context":"In "Mercur Canyon"","block_context":{"text":"Mercur Canyon","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/mercur-canyon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rock Squirrel on lichen covered rocks, Mercur Canyon, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rock-squirrel-mia-mcpherson-1880.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-mia-mcpherson-1880.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Uinta Ground Squirrel, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-calling-mia-mcpherson-9964.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-calling-mia-mcpherson-9964.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-calling-mia-mcpherson-9964.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-calling-mia-mcpherson-9964.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4067.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":99148,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/01\/21\/squirrel-appreciation-day-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":73703,"position":3},"title":"Squirrel Appreciation Day 2022","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day around the globe. There are many reasons to appreciate these furry, four legged, cute creatures.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Box Elder County"","block_context":{"text":"Box Elder County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/box-elder-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel calling from a rock, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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