Often when attempting to frame exactly the shot I want of a flower, I end up lying on the ground, crawling around through the shrubbery, or slithering along like a snake, and that’s what I was doing today while photographing this Bear Grass blossom. (The beauty)
Bear Grass, xerophyllum tenax
Suddenly, off to my left and quite close, I saw a quick movement and turned my head slowly to see a visitor (The beast). He either didn’t notice me because I was down inside the foliage or perhaps just didn’t consider me to be a threat (which I wasn’t) and so approached quite close, stood on a log and nibbled on some leaves. Since my camera was already on I was able to get a photo of him even though it was directly into the sun. He was a pleasant little fellow and he even gave me a few tips about getting the exposure right for certain Bear Grass photos.
Columbian Ground Squirrel.
Montana Outdoors 
As soon as I saw his picture, I thought, “Now there’s a guy who obviously knows his f-stops and his exposures!”
He could probably teach me something about escaping from coyotes, too…
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Comment by wolf — June 24, 2008 @ 10:14 pm
Yup, they really know their stuff! They must know quite a bit about eluding predators because they are plentiful, at least in this one area. There’s a great food supply and lots of cover for them and I haven’t seen too much sign of predators in the area.
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Comment by montucky — June 24, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
how fun! what a great shot! I guess it pays to crawl around in the dirt a bit…
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Comment by silken — June 24, 2008 @ 10:28 pm
He didn’t seem to mind sharing his habitat with someone else who didn’t mind crawling through it. It’s always exciting to me to see wild things in their natural homes, and what a beautiful little critter he is! His fur coat is just gorgeous!
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Comment by montucky — June 24, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
I noticed his fur coat too! It’s really quite extraordinary in comparison to that of les écureuils du jardin which we have around here…and I am still learning my f-stops and exposures, ha ha. Oy, I need to take a class!
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Comment by Tabbie — June 25, 2008 @ 4:50 am
Those flowers are beautiful indeed. These little (beastly! 😀 ) creatures interest me a lot – they are so full of life, so aware of things at their level of disposition and consciousness, that I am frequently amazed how human beings tend to consider animals as different or “lowly” life forms. Their life is as much intricate – and much more beautiful – than ours! 🙂 Wonderful shots, as usual! 🙂
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Comment by Sumedh — June 25, 2008 @ 5:49 am
Great shots. I usually dress in an old brown shirt and jeans when I go photo shooting – just so I can lie on the ground and not have to worry about laundry! 🙂 Wonder if the people I often see think it’s the only clothing I own!
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Comment by Bo — June 25, 2008 @ 8:08 am
That’s a really cool looking plant.
And the squirrel is just cute. I wonder if maybe he’s used to people feeding him. I’ve known some squirrels that weren’t afraid of people because of that.
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Comment by Chris Osborne — June 25, 2008 @ 8:36 am
Tabbie,
This little guy lives above 6,000 feet where there can be some very harsh temperatures and weather conditions and I surmise that he has developed that coat for comfort and protection and camouflage.
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 9:32 am
Sumedh,
I think it’s simply the arrogance of the human beast that causes disrespect for our fellow citizens on this earth. I always admire their ability to live in comfort where you and I certainly could not. It would certainly be a more peaceful existence in my way of thinking!
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Bo,
For the last several years my dress code has become very simple and utilitarian. Boots and jeans are always the order of the day, although I usually wear camo when I’m back in the primitive areas. It’s an advantage to living outside the cities.
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Chris,
Actually, this little guy lives in a very remote area and may well have never seen a human before and therefore doesn’t even know the danger they can pose to him. I hope I was a good ambassador!
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 9:41 am
Is he as big as he appears in the picture, Montucky? How does he compare to the fox squirrel or grey squirrel we have down south?
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Comment by errolllevant — June 25, 2008 @ 10:15 am
Yes, they’re pretty good size. This one was about a foot tall and I’ve read they can get up to about 30 ounces in the fall when they are fattened up for hibernation.
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
what a great shot of the little critter! talk about up close and personal!
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Comment by Cedar — June 25, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Yeah, it’s always cool to get that close to a wild thing. I consider it a special privilege!
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 2:39 pm
The flowers are *gorgeous* and how wonderful and lucky for you to get a visit from such a beautiful little critter. And one willing to pose for a beauty shot.
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Comment by Sara — June 25, 2008 @ 9:53 pm
I’ll bet you will enjoy seeing Bear grass flowers when you get to Montana if you haven’t seen them before. I’ll post more pictures of them in a few days. They are exciting, partly because of where they live, in the high country.
There are quite a few of these squirrels in that area and they’re not too wild but usually won’t come as close as this one did. They sure look like friendly little guys!
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Comment by montucky — June 25, 2008 @ 10:04 pm