This Fox Squirrel became curios as I watched him from a portable blind yesterday. He had been busy gathering nuts until he spied me.
He approached with quick jerky movements for a better look. I captured this shot on his first trip in. A short time later he came in again but unfortunately was too close for the 100-400 to focus. I guess he seen all he wanted on the second trip as he scurried off and didn’t return.
This is certainly an amazing shot as I know squirrels are very fast animals.
ReplyDeleteJust like this curious squirrel, I was just wondering how far are you from NY?
A nice shot. We have lots of squirrels here that look like this one in both size, and coloring.
ReplyDeleteWhere I live all are just called, "Eastern Gray Squirrels." Some are red in color.
The "Fox Squirrels" of my youth were reddish in color and their tails were bushier just like a fox.
Gray squirrel tails are more like a cylinder.
And we also used to have a smaller red-colored squirrel here and those were commonly called, "Red Jimmys." These were just slightly larger than a Chipmunk.
Both the Fox Squirrel and the Red Jimmy were actually displaced by the Gray Squirrels who seemed to move into the area displacing all the native squirrels.
I have not seen a Fox Squirrel or a Red Jimmy since the late 1950s or perhaps up until about 1961.
I worked all day yesterday adding some segments to my website. Butterflies, hawk moths, bumblebees, etc. If you go you might use the link below.
oldmanlincoln.com
Hi Salty.. very much looks like my Hazel... I posted a few more picture of her last night.. I know these can be pests but my they look good close up.
ReplyDeleteShionge, we are about 250 mi. from NYC.
ReplyDeleteAbe, we have both fox squirrels and eastern grays. The fox squirrel is much larger than the grays and as you stated has a much bushier tail. They come in various color phases from light gray to totally black. The coloration pictured here is the most common in our area. When I was kid grays were all we had but in the early 1980’s the fox squirrel population began building and now I encounter a nearly equal mix.
I agree with you, many gray squirrels contain some reddish coloration but there is a distinct difference. One difference that cannot be missed is that a gray squirrel has white bones while interestingly fox squirrels bones are red. As a matter of fact in some areas they are commonly called “red bones”.
I love his look of curiosity and a bit of wariness. Great capture. You said you were in a blind. Are you hunting and if so what's the game now?
ReplyDeleteNice one Salty, love the bushy tail, come and see my squirrel and swan.
ReplyDeletePhoto,
ReplyDeleteYes I'm hunting, anything I can shoot with my DSLR. Now that the leaves are falling the light levels are much better in the woods. Hunting season is in for small game and turkeys but guns and wildlife photography doesn't mix well so I am spending a few days photographing wildlife. Normally our deer are rutting by now and I scheduled a week to shoot the rut but apparently the deer didn't check the calendar so I'm settling for birds, squirrels and whatever else may get in front of my lens :)
Thanks for asking.
Lovely pic of that little critter! I've never seen a squirrel quite like that one before!
ReplyDeleteYou photos are lovely. Just the things I love to look at. Wild life,old buildings and landscape.
ReplyDeleteSheri
Beautiful photo of the red fox squirrel...I have one hanging around that I can't get a good pic of..it never fail's..if I'm out setting on the swing, or raking, he'll come right up to me , but if I have camera in hand...he won't! ~Maybe he is just camera shy..:)
ReplyDeleteGreat capture!
Cat
You must not have been a big enough of a nut for him :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a capture. He posed perfectly for you (Yeah Right)!!! Love the DOF and the colors in the background. Hope the blind was large and comfortable.. :) :) Hunting with Lens and Camera is a fun way to hunt!! Hope you find lots of critters during your hunt.. :) :)
ReplyDelete