{"id":74179,"date":"2020-09-28T06:20:51","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T12:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=74179"},"modified":"2023-04-11T04:53:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T10:53:09","slug":"rock-squirrel-close-up-in-a-fragrant-sumac-shrub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/28\/rock-squirrel-close-up-in-a-fragrant-sumac-shrub\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Fragrant Sumac Shrub"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RockRock Squirrel in a Fragrant Sumac \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week on the same day that I photographed a Warbling Vireo and fall colors<\/span><\/a> and the Red-tailed Hawk with a snake<\/span><\/a> I took images of a few other birds and one furry creature.<\/p>\n

I had parked near a large Fragrant Sumac that is close to a creek at the edge of a forested area of the mountains. I could see the sumac leaves moving around but couldn’t tell what it was that was making them move. I glanced away to watch a Red-breasted Nuthatch fly into a Douglas Fir that was behind my Jeep and when I looked back at the sumac I had a Rock Squirrel looking right at me.<\/p>\n

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. The minimum focusing distance for my 500mm lens is 13.1 feet and I knew I was right on the edge of that limit. I locked my focus on the squirrel and took a few photos before it disappeared into the sumac.<\/p>\n

I can see the ridge line of the canyon and a few trees in the squirrel’s eye. I wonder if the squirrel was sniffing the lemon scented leaves of the sumac when I photographed it.<\/p>\n

About five minutes later I saw the Rock Squirrel leave the shelter of the sumac bush, cross the ground in front of my Jeep as it headed into the forested area near the creek. I wish I could have photographed it on the ground however I’m unable to focus through my windshield!<\/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":"

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112379,"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":[5661,358,26,1314],"tags":[4004,4897,4098,5767,5370,6767,10569,4069,5662,6768,5663,6188,10452,3826,3827,7630,7631,2315],"class_list":["post-74179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rock-squirrels","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","tag-adult","tag-branch","tag-desert","tag-eye","tag-forest","tag-fragrant-sumac","tag-grasping","tag-mountains","tag-otospermophilus-variegatus","tag-rhus-aromatica","tag-rock-squirrel","tag-shrub","tag-sky-island-mountains","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-sumac","tag-sumacs","tag-summer-3"],"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