Posts in Category: animals
Squirrel among the Maple blossoms
Eastern Gray Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I looked out of my window yesterday afternoon, peaking between the blinds, and saw a squirrel on the maple branch above me. He appeared to be eating the maple blossoms…I have been watching the maple blossoms since they were just tiny red beads on the branch tips. Maple blossoms are one of my favorite things about spring. They are so beautiful, and so unlikely. I suspect the vast majority of Americans do not know that maples flower, and certainly do not know how beautiful the flowers are. Our blossoms are not quite ready to open into full flowers yet, but they have made a lot of progress the past few days. I certainly did not expect to see the squirrels eating them. A google peruse this morning shows that it is common behavior…to the extent that are recommended “cures” to keep squirrels from decimating ornamental maples in folk’s yards. We have so many maple trees here in Southern Maine, and even in our yard, that it would take a plague of squirrels of biblical proportions (as they say) to do much damage. Much as I appreciate maple flowers, if the squirrels prefer them to my sunflower seeds in season, I say “let them eat flowers!” Anyway, I got my camera and spent a while watching and photographing the squirrel getting into all kinds of greedy postures among the maple blossoms. Each of these three shots tells its own story, and together they tell a tale. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400, 250, and 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Pugilant Squirrel
Grey Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Great light, engaging squirrel…what could go wrong? I was in my backyard photo blind (a chair blind I put out when I need it, and take down when I don’t), and the squirrel was certainly aware I was in there. He or she was not threatened enough to do more than aggressively posture…but posture he or she did. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Why do they hang the seed so high?
Chipmunk, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — All about the pose, even if the setting is not ideal. I could, maybe, edit out the feeder pole, but it is part of the story the photo tells and as such will remain. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th. In an ideal world I would have added some positive EV exposure compensation, but the light was changeable at best, so I had to add the light in processing.
Caught’cha! Chipmunk.
A sure sign of spring. We had a few 50 degree days this week and the chipmunks were active…cleaning up every stray seed on the deck under the feeders. I see them in the leaf litter under the pines as well. Bound to happen! This one has the “caught in the act” look about it. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Thief!
Grey Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I use squirrel proof feeders at both my deck and (in season) my backyard bird feeding stations…but that does not keep the squirrels from trying. My resident squirrels have pretty much learned their lesson, but this time of year, when, on warm days, there are lots of roving bands of hungry squirrels moving through the neighborhood there are always a few who don’t know any better or who at least decide to give the feeders another try to see if anything has changed. I chase them away when I catch them at it. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Taken through double glazed glass. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation.
Red Squirrel revisited
Red Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — another look at destructive captain of cute…the Red Squirrel that visited our deck a few days ago. I have not seen it since so maybe it was just out scouting for territory on that particularly warm February day. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Taken through double glazed glass. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1 EV exposure compensation.
Red Squirrel. Trick or treat?
Red Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I know Red Squirrels are not good neighbors…ounce for ounce one of the most potentially destructive of creatures, at least as far as human property goes, but I have to admit to still liking to see them in the yard. They are just so cute, and mischievous with it…it is hard not to enjoy them…at least while they are not actively undermining the foundations or eating their way into the attic. This one was out for an early forage in the 40 degree weather yesterday and spent a half hour or so in our yard and on our deck among the feeders, cleaning up spilled seed and trying just about every way it could think of to get into the feeders…without success so far, but I have my eye on it. Sony Rx10iv at 189mm equivalent. Taken through double glazed deck doors. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/400th.
Winter chipper
The chipmunks are all sound asleep in our yard, or at least I have not seen them in a month or more, but on my walks through deeper forest, I have seen several chipmunks moving around recently, despite the cold. I caught this one scampering back to its borrow. It stopped on what appears to be its own doorstep to assess my intentions. I took a few photos and then moved on so it could finish whatever business brought it out on a January afternoon. Sony Rx10iv at 1200mm equivalent (600mm optical and 2x Clear Image Zoom). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Confiding squirrel
Eastern Grey Squirrel, Kennebunk, Maine. I was taking photos of the birds out my back deck door, standing in the open slide, when this squirrel hopped up on the rail and came pretty much right up to me. This was taken at about 3 feet. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Hoover at the seed…
Chipmunk, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I am not in the habit of naming our wild neighbors, but if I were, this one would be “Hoover”. It is dainty, even for a chipmunk, and it is the last of our chipmunk visitors to be a daily under the feeders. Perhaps it was assigned clean-up duty, or perhaps it is a first year chipper and does not have the whole “pack it away for winter” thing down yet. Whatever. I am fine with it until it climbs up and raids the sunflower seed feeder. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.