SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Early this morning I read a FB post from my German photography friend Maren about ‘Squirrel Appreciation Day’ last Thursday, which also included a nice photo of a squirrel. A moment later I looked out the window and checked our bird feeders and had to start laughing out loud. Seven Eastern Gray Squirrels had hijacked the feeders and bird bath and didn’t leave any space for the birds. This isn’t totally unusual but after a very cold night (-19ºC / -2ºF) the squirrels were really desperate to get some food in their bellies. 

Alright, they can be annoying at times but they are also cute and play a role in the eco system. Let them have some sunflower seed too! Here is one of my favorite photos of an Eastern Gray Squirrel as a belated tribute to National Squirrel Appreciation Day.

TAKING ADVANTAGE

The last snow melted finally away today but there is more in the forecast for Sunday. I always like to take advantage of the “big reflector” and use the extra light for some shots around the house. About half a dozen Eastern Gray Squirrels (at least!) invite themselves and take advantage of the sunflower seeds at our bird feeders. They are a good subject to practice and study how the direction of light can effect the outcome. And yeah, there is always the cuteness factor that comes with these critters…🐿

LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

Eastern Gray Squirrel

I have to admit, it’s a love-hate relationship between our Eastern Gray Squirrels and us.  After they have emptied a bird feeder with sunflower seeds within a couple hours or have ripped apart a wooden seed storage box on the balcony, my sympathy level for the squirrels is not very high, to say it mildly…

But then there are these moments, when they make these ‘innocent’ gestures, and all their ‘crimes’ are forgiven in a heartbeat… 😏 😊

NATURE CLICKS #316 - EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed light

Our woods around here support a lot of critters. Oaks, hickory trees, maples, eastern red cedars, wild cherries, and a variety of smaller trees provide food for birds and mammals. The Eastern Gray Squirrels built their nests in the trees, made out of leaves and small branches, and we have always a few of them here. As the winter continues their food stacks become obviously smaller and they take more advantage of the bird feeders than usual. The squirrels must have a really good way to communicate and spread the news, at least as good as the internet…😉  A few days ago, when it was bitter cold here, I counted twenty of them just by looking out the windows. This is a new record and we wonder from how far they come to desperately fight for a few sunflower seeds.

DOWN TO EYE LEVEL

Despite the mild winter so far the squirrels must have used up all their food reserves. At least they started feeding sunflower seeds from our bird feeders with much higher intensity than in December or early January. Who knows? There isn’t much exciting about a photo of an Eastern Gray Squirrel feeding but the snow crystals in its fur triggered my interest. I don’t want my photos look like they were shot with a phone camera, from above and as boring as possible… ;-) The option was to lay down and bring the lens to the eye level of the critter. And that’s what I did to get this shot.