Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel Photos

Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel standing near its burrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Last week I was able to take a nice long series of baby Uinta Ground Squirrel photos high in the Wasatch Mountains. There were several adults and quite a few baby squirrels in this area and I could not resist photographing the babies. The adult ground squirrels kept an eye on their young as they fed on the spring grasses.

Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel eating grass – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The baby Uinta Ground Squirrels were somewhat wary as they nibbled on their breakfast and seemed to keep an eye on me as they fed themselves.

Uinta Ground Squirrel baby eating a piece of grass – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I could wish that the setting I found them in was a touch more aesthetically pleasing to the eye but I was simply delighted to have these young ground squirrels in my viewfinder. I had missed out on getting photos of them the week before and I didn’t want to miss another opportunity with them. I always stop to photograph the Uinta Ground Squirrel babies whenever I can.

Two alert baby Uinta Ground Squirrels – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Whenever I see or photograph these young ground squirrels I am reminded of when my mother came out to visit me in May of 2018 because we had so much fun seeing and photographing them while she was here. I loved showing my mom the places where I spend my time photographing the birds, flowers, and wildlife of Utah.

Uinta Ground Squirrel baby in June – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

So, when I these baby ground squirrels in my viewfinder I have a smile on my face and I wish my mom were with me because I know she gets a kick out of these little ones.

Curious baby Uinta Ground Squirrel – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Baby Uinta Ground Squirrels don’t stay little long. In just a matter of a few weeks the adults will start to head underground and the young of the year will stay above ground only a few weeks longer. The time period I have to photograph these squirrels is relatively short so I try to take photos of them whenever I can. Uinta Ground Squirrels only spend a few months above ground and the rest of the year they hibernate or estivate underground so my window of opportunity to photograph this species is limited.

Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel in the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I’m glad I had these baby Uinta Ground Squirrels in my viewfinder for as long as I did and I’m happy with the photos I took of them. I know some people think of them as pests. I don’t.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Uinta Ground Squirrel photos plus facts and information about this species.