Summit Chipmunks

[thomascanty]

On the summit of San Gorgonio Mountain on July 31, 2002:

http://www.ldphotography.net/Hikes/20020731/slides/20020731%2019.jpg

On the summit of Mount Tallac on July 15, 2003:

http://www.ldphotography.net/Hikes/20030715/slides/20030715%2029.jpg

[IanD]

So the little guys beat you up the mountain huh?:):):):)
Cute images.

[thomascanty]

So the little guys beat you up the mountain huh?:):):):)

Well, they did have a bit of a head start, since they live up there... :):)

The San Gorgonio chipmunk was pretty shy and wouldn't let me get too close. I had to crop that picture pretty severely to make it look that close.

The on one Mount Tallac though wasn't afraid of any people or Ashley. I almost had to put the camera into macro mode to get that picture! He apparently figured out that hikers usually have food in their backpacks and he greets every new arrival up close and personal, hoping for a handout... :D

[stoneylonesome]

Cute shots, the fact they stood still at all is something, If there anything like there Eastern Cousins they don't stop move for a second, and I do mean MOVE

[tommykjensen]

Ahhh how cute ...

[HJMinard]

Very cute ... and apparently fearless? Nice shots, Thomas!

[thomascanty]

Thanks for the comments.

Cute shots, the fact they stood still at all is something, If there anything like there Eastern Cousins they don't stop move for a second, and I do mean MOVE

These guys can definitely move when they want to. I've tried getting pictures of them hundreds of times, but I don't have very many that actually turned out. Of the few that I have managed to get, this is by far my favorite (and I think I might have already posted it here once before):

http://www.ldphotography.net/Hikes/20020515/slides/20020515%2024.jpg

These are Least Chipmunks, the smallest species of chipmunk. They're about four inches long from nose to rear end, and the tail adds another four inches or so. I had set up camp at Buckhorn Flats in the San Gabriel Mountains and saw a bunch of them playing on this fallen log, but when I tried to get close enough for a picture they all scattered. So, I put my 1.7x teleconverter lens on the Olympus and sat down on a nearby rock, waiting for them to come back. It took a lot of patience! After about 20 or 30 minutes, they finally decided I wasn't a threat and these three hopped back up on the log. I took about 15 pictures and this was the ONLY one that was in focus...

[stoneylonesome]

Now that's a way cool shot. I can see why that would be a favorite. That one sure is in focus.

[marie]

the first shot especially is great

I remember seeing the last picture.
lovely to see it again, as all I ever knew of Chipmunks was their music

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif
(I have 2 cd's of them):lol:

[robertwgross]

Those chipmunks have no trouble getting enough food. They have periodic food shipments brought in by courier from Burbank, California.

---Bob Gross---

[sparker1]

Good shots, Lonnie. I especially like the last one, as I have never seen that type before.

Seems that you do a fair amount of hiking/climbing mountains. That is a great activity to combine with photography.

[thomascanty]

Those chipmunks have no trouble getting enough food. They have periodic food shipments brought in by courier from Burbank, California.

LOL... :lol: :lol:

I admit it, it's pretty tempting with these little guys, but that's really one thing I would never do. Never feed the wildlife!

By the way, I haven't received my confirmation letter yet, but I noticed that the Inyo National Forest made a charge to my credit card. Looks like I got my permit! I hope it was for my first choice. I should find out soon...

Good shots, Lonnie. I especially like the last one, as I have never seen that type before.

Seems that you do a fair amount of hiking/climbing mountains. That is a great activity to combine with photography.

It does provide a lot of great photo ops, that's for sure!

Those little Least Chipmunks are all over the western side of the country. I've seen them in the mountains as high as about 11,500', and as low as the deserts of Nevada and Arizona. They're cute, but they sure are difficult to get a good picture of. They're fast, and they don't let you get close.

[robertwgross]

I admit it, it's pretty tempting with these little guys, but that's really one thing I would never do. Never feed the wildlife!

I agree. My trick is this. I set up my camera to shoot at some spot on the ground about five feet away, and I do this when the little critter is ten feet away. Then I toss a wood chip toward him at about eight feet. Then I toss another chip at five feet. The chipmunk will come over to sniff them, and before it finds out that it really is not food, SNAP.

If I can get colorful vegetation into the background at five feet, then that is good. But then tends to be almost zero vegetation once you get up to 14,000 feet or so.

The same wood chip trick works on Rosy Finches that are also found up there.

---Bob Gross---

[Michaelmjc]

Those little fellas sure are photgenic, I'm sure you could get a lot fo good shots rock climbing/hiking.