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Hello World


Hello World
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1031 W: 1 N: 3945] (13270)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-08
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon 40D, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/11, 1/1000 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-03-08 18:36
Viewed: 541
Points: 37
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
As I get older I find it harder to get moving after a night of sleep. This Richardson Ground Squirrel just awoke from a six month sleep and he is hungry. I always find it amusing when they first wake up they are not very sharp, just like me groggy.

Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus richardsonii
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General Description

By Gustave J. Yaki


These small, cuddly-looking mammals, commonly but mistakenly called "gophers" really provide a food-supply service for many other hungry creatures. By converting the prairie grasses and other green plants into baby ground squirrels, these in turn become recycled baby Swainson's and Red-tailed Hawks, Coyotes and Red Foxes, to name a few. Ground squirrels prefer short-grass areas. Perhaps the new grass tips are tastier and more nutritious, but eating them also permits them to better see any approaching predators. When they detect one, they stand upright and emit a high-frequency squeak, inaudible to human ears, but heard by other members on the colony

Besides supplying food for predatory species, they provide other important services. Because they live underground, in digging their tunnels, they bring up subsoil which contains trace minerals. This, and their body waste, always enriches plant growth. Their tunnels also aerate the soil and allows moisture (rain and melted snow) to readily enter the water table. Their burrows also provide homes for species unable to dig their own. This includes the very endangered Burrowing Owl, wintering snakes, other reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Ground squirrels, which are active by day, are true hibernators; they are also aestivators -- mammals that sleep throughout the heat of summer. Adult males first come out of their underground burrows in late February. They stay up during spring but go back to sleep in July, remaining there until the following February. (Do you suppose they get bed-sores?). They only spend about one-sixth of their year above ground. Adult females, which come up in March, retire by early August. Young females go underground a month later. Juvenile males retire from late October, into November or even early December, if winter comes late, trying to gain extra weight, needed in competing with adult males for breeding rights next spring. While in hibernation, ground squirrels awaken about once every two weeks.

Mating takes place in March, soon after the females emerge. After a gestation period of only 22 days, she gives birth to litter of 3 to ll young. The helpless newborns grow quickly and appear above ground for the first time when three weeks of age, near the beginning of May. A week later they are fully weaned, dieting on green vegetation, seeds, insects, and carrion -- often their own road-killed brethern.

They are one of 17 ground squirrels species in North America. Others occur in northern Eurasia. The Richardson's Ground Squirrel ranges throughout the grassland and Aspen Parkland regions of the three Canadian prairie provinces, extending southward as far as northern Colorado.
Luis52, eqshannon, gerbilratz, Scott, timonejoon, JoshLewis, uleko, Jamesp, jaycee, CeltickRanger, NinaM, pablominto, SkyF, Leace, Bass, earthtraveler, mlines has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1013 W: 5 N: 2750] (9982)
  • [2008-03-08 19:22]

Hi Rick.
Welcome to the world again my friend. Hope You had a sweet drems.
Nice and sharp, and what a nice face this squirrel has.
Saludos My friend.
Luis52.

Strange weather we have been having. I am going nuts with white balance and all...I am still snow blind I guess...I played with it...and ya know..no big deal...just nothing to do tonight...Hope all is well up there not so far away!
Bob
In the States

Hi Rick

It is a nice shot, with good composition and good POV. I post a workshop, hope you don't mind. maybe i become sensitive about sharpness, i hope not, but i think a little bit more sharpness make the details better.
well done
TFS
Babak

  • Good 
  • Scott Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 212 W: 0 N: 291] (1382)
  • [2008-03-08 23:05]

Rick,

I also thought it was a little soft on focus, cute capture. Great low POV. I liked the note.

Scott

I love this little guy! Great capure! Cheers Josh Lewis.

Hi Rick, very subtle and almost delicate colouration and gentle focus....it does give this image an almost dreamy quality without losing the appeal and definitions of the creature. Good framing betwix the stalks...very emotive picture..TFS and take care!! h

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2340 W: 164 N: 7010] (22194)
  • [2008-03-09 5:11]

Hello Rick,
Waking up on a cold winter's morning is no fun!! Poor fellow, but nevertheless he looks quite alert and very cute here. Fine details and colours in this lovely composition.
Many thanks and cheers, Ulla

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1554 W: 233 N: 5217] (18329)
  • [2008-03-09 8:48]

Nice shot of this groggy Squirrel.
He looks completely "out of it" :-)
Great composition and POV.
Slightly soft but as Bob and Babak have shown, there is a lot of potential with the image quality.
Nice, natural lighting and excellent exposure.
Well done Rick.
Cheers,
Joe

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1179 W: 0 N: 4496] (13404)
  • [2008-03-09 8:51]

Hi Rick

Great pose - good exposure and detail. I really like the way that the coat matches the dead vegetation.

TFS

James

This is a great capture Rick. I love the limited palette with the squirrel color toning with the grasses... all against a white snowy background. I agree that the image needs a bit of sharpening. Images taken with that lens tend to sharpen up nicely. We've found that the better the lens the more effective the sharpening. I probably would have tried an adjustment layer to whiten up the snow a bit as it is underexposed and grayish. The pose and composition are super.

TFS
Evelynn ; )

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1657 W: 8 N: 4252] (13851)
  • [2008-03-09 10:17]

Hi Rick,

I can't imagine even being able to move after a six month's sleep! And the poor little thing had to wake up to all that snow. He should have waited another month. Nice shot, wonderful subject, and you did a great job with those whites and tans.

Jane

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 537 W: 0 N: 1314] (4391)
  • [2008-03-09 19:07]

This is a true watercolour colour palette! A groggy ground squirrel coming out of sleep and reminding Rick's own wake-up feeling ;-) Those pictures of yours are so true and beautiful, you see the wild world with new eyes and I like it. Thanks again!

Francine

Hello Rick,

Very nice composition. Good POV, DOF, and focus. Nice natural colours. Very nice pose of this cute ground squirrel.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hello Rick,
Seems like he is surprised to see the world is still there..!
The funny expression is well captured, and presented in a well balanced composition...
The dry straws popping out of the snow are nice additions to the setting!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2008-03-10 6:14]

Hi Rick,
hope this is a sure sign of Spring!
Love this composition with the wonderful soft tonal range.
Wonderful nature scene you captured here, details and colors are great.
Sky

hello Rick

lovely shot of this Richardson Ground Squirrel,
he realy looks funny and happy that winter will finish soon,
but it is not the case here in Québec and other eastern provinces,

excellent POV and framing, great eye-contact with you,
excellent details of his coat, i love both workshops, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • Bass Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 101 W: 0 N: 115] (465)
  • [2008-03-13 9:03]

Hi Rick,
what a lovely expresion! I like the POV and the combination of white and beige colours. Very good details over the squirrel.
I like the natural colours, although it seems to be a bit dark, but is nice, seems like a cloudy day.
TFS
have a nice day
Brenda

Hi Rick, This guy, or gal? is too cute! I like the simple composition and the pose. You really have a knack for finding animals in the wild and then getting fine shots. I like what Babak did the workshop and hade similar ideas concerning contrast and sharpening. Tfs and have a wonderful weekend.
Richard

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2338] (8400)
  • [2008-03-15 1:07]

Hi Rick,
Really nice animal and pose. I like the colours so similar in both the animal and the grass.
TFS, José M.

Hi Rick, You are not alone, as i had that feeling this morning and it is not even monday. This shot is well timed and presented. Your notes bring it to life. Beuatiful work. TFS. Murray.

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