Saturday, March 14, 2009

Sneaky Black Squirrel

Black SquirrelSince I kept mentioning squirrels yesterday, I thought I would show you something I really saw in the forest recently. I'm sure you've already guessed that I'm showing you a squirrel. This one is a black squirrel. They have become common around here.

Even though they are very common now, I'm having a lot of trouble trying to get any good photos of a black squirrel. It seems like if they see me coming with my camera, they run into the trees, and I never see them again. I need to remember to lure one out with some food or something.

The squirrel in these pictures is actually the second one I have pictures of, and neither squirrel let me get any good ones. Even so, I still wanted to show you what it was that I saw. I guess this is a demonstration about how hard it is to get some of these photos sometimes.

Black SquirrelI don't have a professional type of camera, so I can't take nice clear pictures from a far off distance. I have to rely on my wits to get as close as I can to these animals. I've learned a lot of good, sneaky techniques because of that.

Sometimes getting very close can get me into trouble if the animal is bigger than me. Other times I have even irritated smaller animals. It's happened with squirrels a few times. For some reason, squirrels seem to be the grumpiest animals I've seen so far.

I've even taken closeup pictures of a few snakes. One of them was a dangerous rattlesnake. Actually the rattlesnake was in a glass case in a nature center, and I was completely safe. But it was caught in that same area, and I was hiking on those trails. I've actually almost stepped on a few of the safer type of snakes a few times.

Black SquirrelI don't think I have ever come close to stepping on any squirrels though. These pictures are from a week ago, but I saw four more black squirrels only yesterday. I have one picture to show for it. These are better than that one.

I have figured out how to get better shots of most other animals I've encountered so far, but these black squirrels still elude me. Now that we are seeing hints of spring around here, I'll be seeing more of these little critters. I'm determined to get at least a few nice clear photos of these animals.

They are so sneaky that it looks like it's going to be my most difficult adventure yet. I'm going to have to convince them that I'm their friend somehow. I know it can be done. When I was a kid, some squirrels used to come up and beg for food. Maybe I should lay out some banana slices by my neighbor's house. Yeah, that might work.


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15 comments:

  1. Even from afar, that guy looks naughty. Like contemplating to do something

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  2. Kruel - Those little squirrels always seem to be up to no good.

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  3. Haa haa...I'm gonna be coming back on here throughout the spring/summer JUST to see if you get that 1 good picture! LOL
    But really...I love the blog...Good reading! Gets my mind off of my crazy life. ;)

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  4. Michele - I'll bet I get even more than one. I'm now on a mission to chase them down. This stuff gets my mind off of my crazy life too. I started it for just that purpose.

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  5. This little animal is so fast that give me some good experiences.
    "Now you see it, now you don't".

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  6. Bad guys always wear black, and of course, they are sneaky.
    You will win because good always conquers evil!!!

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  7. Ratty: Please contact me and let me know how to get the picture of the Florida dragon for Alice...do you have an email address I can send it to?

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  8. Rainfield - I'm going to go on a Great Squirrel Hunt very soon. They're fast, but I want to catch one with the camera.
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    The Retired One - Those little squirrels with the black sweaters do seem to be the sneakiest.

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  9. The Retired One - I sent my email address to your Entrecard inbox.

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  10. You will be some really great wildlife stalker if you can sneak up on a squirrel. I'll be really interested to hear that story!

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  11. Sharkbytes - I'm determined to do it. My war with the squirrels has just begun, and I intend to win! :)

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  12. Like you I did not know that the black squirrels existed until I moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin and I was amazed in seeing my first white squirrel too. Great shots.

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  13. A.J. Johnson - I've read that these black squirrels were brought in from somewhere else. I've also read that the white ones are albino black squirrels. I have never seen a white one yet. That's the kind I really want to see.

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  14. I have a black squirrel nest in my pin oak tree and lots of them run around my yard. My cats like to watch them. However, I have seen them take bark off my apple tree to their nests. Also, the black squirrels are always looking in my bird houses - I guess so they can get bird eggs. I live in Canfield, Ohio

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  15. Cybil Shepard - Squirrels can be little mischief makers, and the black squirrels are among the sneakiest. The cats see little meals though. :)

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