When I’m out in nature I think of myself as a ‘watcher’ as I try to take in all the small details of my environment (remember Tyler. the biologist in Never Cry Wolf?).
But as Tyler found out, sometimes the watcher becomes the watched.
Yesterday morning I found this Uinta Ground Squirrel staring at me from atop an old, split tree trunk that ‘he’ appeared to be using as a chair. He was leaning back against the upper part of the trunk as if it were the back of the chair. He was high above the ground, as evidenced by the out of focus, horizontal fence rail in the background at lower left. The rail was the upper rail of the fence so he was more than 4′ above the ground. As I watched him I had to wonder if he thought of the “chair” as his personal, elevated throne.
He appeared to be so comfortable he didn’t want to move and he didn’t, not even a whisker, for over five minutes. He just stared at me, giving me what might have been the most inscrutable look I’ve ever been the recipient of from a wild critter.
After a while I had the feeling I was being watched by someone or something else.
And I was. A young chipmunk had been sitting on the upper fence rail about 5′ to the right of the ground squirrel and watching me watch the squirrel. Before I got my lens on ‘him’ he scurried to the top of the closest fence post and that’s when I finally got this first photo of him.
Then he scampered down the post and sat on the upper fence rail for a moment before disappearing in the thick vegetation below the fence.
When I looked back at the ground squirrel he still hadn’t moved, except for a slight turn of his head that prevented me from getting light in either eye. I waited a while for him to do something interesting but when he didn’t I eventually drove on down the road.
As I drove away I had to wonder how long he’d continue to sit on his throne.
Ron
That feeling of being watched is unmistakeable. Glad that it was benign on this occasion.
Your rodents are VERY engaging, and I do love that ‘king of the castle’ shot in particular.
Thanks, EC. What perplexes me is where did that feeling come from?
Adorable critters. Thanks for posting them. I have a photo of a Unita ground squirrel on the same log from 2 years ago. As for the main character in Never Cry Wolf, he reminded both Jon and I of our friend Keith, both in behavior and appearance. It was uncanny!
April, the actor who played Tyler was Charles Martin Smith. Quite a jump from American Graffiti.
Ah, yes. You fell innocent victim to the dreaded Uinta Ground Squirrel Stank Eye. Similar to but much more deadly than The Golden Manteled Ground Squirrel Thousand Mile Stare we suffer out here in the Far West.
Sounds about right to me…
“Just surveying my squirreldom, Sir Ron of Dudley!” I definitely feel like he’s judging you in the last shot. Love these images, Ron. What a delight!
Would love a post about your recent ancestral findings. I’m always up for a spot of English history — especially the Tudor period.
Thanks, Marty. I didn’t find anything new to the world about my ancestors, just new to me. As much as anything, I’m just finally putting all the pieces together in my head into a semi-coherent, flowing story.
What inspired me to go digging again was watching a documentary called “Henry VII, The Winter KIng”. It had quite a lot to say about Edmund Dudley.
He–the ground squirrel–looks totally self-possessed and, I agree,
quite regal ! Must be the upright, yet relaxed-looking neck….after
your post today, I realized that we almost always see these critters
“skittering”, and that’s on OUR account. How nice that you can see,
and show them to us, totally comfortable, for a moment, in their own
domain…….thanks.
Kris, I think that chipmunk would have been “skittering” whether I was there or not. Several days earlier I watched as four very young chippy siblings skittered around in some dead branches on the ground and I wasn’t even close to them.
My very first thought was that he looks like a king surveying his kingdom. Good nature photos and love the chipmunk. They were just as curious about you as you were about them. Excellent fist photo of the chipmunk. I had that feeling of being watched almost 7 years ago at our Goldwater Lake one very cold December morning and turned to my left and saw a mountain lion watching me.
Everett, in all the time I’ve spent in nature over the years I’ve never seen a mountain lion in the wild. I’ve heard them a couple of times but never seen one.
Fun and nice shots – at least it wasn’t anything planning on you for dinner that was watching! 😉 Always a bit disconcerting when you know “something” is watching you……..
“at least it wasn’t anything planning on you for dinner that was watching!”
Excellent point, Judy.
I have no idea how or why I got the feeling I was being watched but I definitely had it.
Something some of us get from time to time – not always benign like this was….
Hi Ron,
I always look and read your posts but just wanted to say “Thank you!” for this, another wonderful, special one!!
Mary
Good. Thanks, Mary.
The second photo is truly anthropomorphic! I can hear him saying “ I declare you are certainly a nosy critter, time to move on”. Although maybe it’s more a prissy little lady.
Catherine, that’s part of the reason I couldn’t resist being a little anthropomorphic in my text.
Cute critters!!
I think so too, Sue.
Gotta tell you. Yesterday I found out some more interesting stuff about Edmund Dudley and John Dudley, my two direct paternal ancestors (father and son) who were beheaded at the Tower of London by Henry VIII and Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) in 1510 and 1553 respectively. Made me REALLY wish I could talk to Geri about it because she was so interested in English history and knew so much about it. That’s a conversation I’d love to have had before it was too late.
And maybe that’s part of the reason I referred to this ground squirrel’s “chair” as his throne. I had royalty on my mind.
I’ve had many “moments” since January of 2017 when I’ve wished I could talk to her. You’re right that she would have dived right in to a discussion about “those Dudleys”!
Beautiful photos. The colors so rich; the post, lichen complementing the fur of the chipmunk.
That first one of the ground squirrel is priceless. You were really being sized-up. Guess he had you right, because he did not budge from what is no doubt his favorite chair when you stared up and drove away.
I agree about that first photo, Michael. I’m thinking it might now be my favorite photo of a ground squirrel.