National Squirrel Appreciation Day

January 21st is National Squirrel Appreciation Day and it recognizes these creatures that some people consider pests while others find them fascinating. I am in the fascinated group of people.

There are over 250 species of squirrels in the world on five continents. Squirrels can be found in cities, parks, suburbs, deserts, mountains, and forests.  By storing their food, also known as caching, squirrels help with fruit, tree, plant, and mushroom renewal.

National Squirrel Appreciation Day was founded by wildlife rehabilitator Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator, who is affiliated with the Western North Carolina Nature Center in 2001.

Click the first photo below to view larger and scroll through the gallery.

I am primarily a bird photographer though when I find squirrels in my travels I can’t resist photographing them. They are cute, fuzzy, and I appreciate them as they are.

Rock Squirrels can be seen here in northern Utah year round. I don’t see them as often as I would like so when I do my primary focus it to get photos of them out in the open whenever possible.

I only have a few photos of White-tailed Antelope Squirrels and I’d love to have many more photos of these small, beautiful squirrels. I know that I can find them in the West Desert of Utah and down near Capitol Reef National Park. The West Desert isn’t that far away so perhaps I need to head out that way and make these squirrels my target subjects.

I’ve only photographed Richardson’s Ground Squirrels in Glacier County, Montana. I’d love to take more photos of that species one day.

During the winter here in Utah I anxiously await seeing my first of the year Uinta Ground Squirrels in the spring after their long winter hibernation. I find them most often while wandering in the Wasatch Mountain Range east of where I live in Salt Lake City. My goal is to one day photograph them early enough in the spring that I can have snow in my photos of them. Personally I can’t resist stopping to photograph these ground squirrels whenever I see them.

American Red Squirrels can be found here in northern Utah but so far I only have a few images of one I spotted in willows next to a creek in the Wasatch Mountains. A friend of mine here in Salt Lake City has them in her yard so I might take her up on her offer to visit and photograph them. Once it gets warmer and it is safe to do so.

Utah has Western Gray Squirrels and nonnative Eastern Gray Squirrels. I don’t see either species often and the photos I have of Eastern Gray Squirrels were taken while I lived in Florida.

This year I’d love to photograph more of the native squirrel species found in Utah while I am out looking for birds. I think they are fantastic creatures. Today though I will take the time to appreciate all the squirrels I have seen and photographed. These are just a few that I wanted to share.

Life is good.

Mia

Southern Flying Squirrels at my suet feeder in Virginia – Canon AE1

I almost forgot the Southern Flying Squirrels at my suet feeder in Virginia. I adored these nocturnal squirrels and miss seeing and hearing them.