Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel Photos

Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel with a very muddy nose – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This morning I’m sharing some adult Uinta Ground Squirrel photos that were taken high in the Wasatch Mountains over the past month that I like a lot. Early in June I met up with my friend Steve to photograph birds and whatever else we found. Steve enjoyed photographing these Uinta Ground Squirrels.

This photo of the first one we photographed together cracked me up because it had such a muddy nose.

Uinta Ground Squirrel with a silky green background – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I believe Steve said something like “I could photograph the squirrels all day and be happy” or something to that effect. I agree with Steve. I love photographing these fuzzy ground squirrels.

I showed Steve an area where if you drive on the far right side of the dirt road you can get photos of the squirrels with silky green backgrounds in spring.

Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel standing at attention – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The out of focus background is a long way across a small valley and the fresh spring grasses can create wonderful backgrounds.

Spring doesn’t last long around here and just a few weeks later those grasses had started to dry up and turn brown.

Uinta Ground Squirrel on a gnarly old stump – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Having sagebrush behind the ground squirrels can create an entirely different colored but still smooth background if the sage is far enough away. It was in for this photo of a Uinta Ground Squirrel on a gnarly old stump. The sage still hadn’t completely leafed out when I took this photo. If I took an image there now it would be greener. Silvery green because it is sage.

Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel portrait in spring – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Both Steve and myself spent a lot of time focused on the baby Uinta Ground Squirrels because, well, they are so cute but we stopped for the adults too. This was one of the last adults I photographed that trip up into the mountains.

Uinta Ground Squirrel nibbling on spring grasses – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Later in June on a solo trip into the mountains I stopped to take images of this adult ground squirrel because I liked the setting and the fact that the squirrel was nibbling on spring grasses.

Adult Uinta Ground Squirrel on an old sagebrush stump – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

At the end of June I spotted this adult Uinta Ground Squirrel perched on an old sagebrush stump and I loved how well the squirrel stood out from the distant grasses in the background.

I’m seeing fewer Uinta Ground Squirrels now than I was seeing just a few weeks ago. It won’t be long before only the young squirrels born this spring will be above ground. The adults head underground before they do. I always miss these squirrels after they head into their burrows until the next spring.

Life is good.

Mia

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