<< Previous Next >>

Gugusse the Red Squirrel


Gugusse the Red Squirrel
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 801 W: 3 N: 2100] (6594)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-11-09
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 40 D, Canon 100-400mm IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-11-17 10:16
Viewed: 1129
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello,

About two weeks ago I saw on television a "documentary" on a group of people in England who were fighting against the grey squirrels in order to give back the territories to the red squirrels due to their decline, caused by a virus carried by grey squirrels. This group is funded by a rich man, a "Lord" in UK, and they use any means to get rid of the grey squirrels, which means trapping them and hitting them on the head, even killing them with rifles. The name of this group is called "Red Squirrel Protection Partnership" and they have a website including a forum! You can go to their site and see for yourself... They clearly state in it to kill the grey squirrels.

I stopped watching the program when I saw some men get out of a truck or a jeep, carrying rifles and talking to the camera about the killing of the grey squirrels. One of them said that people thought they were extremist but that we couldn't figure out the amplitude of the decline of the red squirrels. I switched channels and thought it was horrific and at the same time so strange to go and kill such small animals. What's that? Go hunt for real! I didn't really make a case of it until Deborah (Debz) here on TrekNature posted a photo of a grey squirrel entitled "Lunch". I told her about this and she was horrified. When I searched the Internet to find the name of the group in question, I realized that the squirrels in UK are declining and that people gather to where some of them still live in order to take their pictures. I also found out that they were protected and that many many groups and organizations were there for their protection. I saw a picture of a group of people, all with their cameras, taking pictures of a small squirrel eating peanuts, somewhere on an island where there are still 200 red squirrels. I'll tell you, it was a very funny sight for me as I didn't know red squirrels were declining in UK and that they are found here in Canada and the northern part of the States.

It made me smile because here, in Quebec, we have so many of them. The red ones, the grey ones, black ones. They live in parks all over the place or like here in St-Alphonse, in the forest or where maple trees grow (érablière) and they are spreaded to all northern Canada, up to the arctic tundra. I read that in the forest they eat some cones and they even hang mushrooms to dry them in order to eat them! I have seen Gugusse on the maple tree licking the sweet water (sap) coming out from the tree at spring. They live about 3 or 4 years in the wild. They're also considered by many people to be little rats and they don't really have a good reputation: they chew electrical wires, cause damages to the trees, etc. I used to feed them in a park in Montreal and people would look at me suspiciously ;-) No no, that was more because I also fed pigeons and walked with one on my arm...

And please, let me introduce to you to this little squirrel, Gugusse, he lives here in the trees around our house, he comes and eats peanuts, sunflowers seeds and all the like, he mates at spring, little squirrels are born and the whole cycle comes back every year. He lives here with another one, probably a female. It's very hard to know if they're always the same couple or if the babies stay and the parents leave. Anyways, I've lived here for 6 years now and there's always been a couple around. They run real fast in the trees, as if highways of some kind were there and they would always use the same path. They yell all day long as soon as something scare them and they get scared of everything they see: me, my boyfriend, the cats, the birds, anything moving. Once, a little female with her mammals filled with milk, was looking at me and stomping the ground with her little feet, holding her breast because it must have hurt her! What a sight!

Hope you enjoyed the story of the squirrels living here as I do enjoy it very much to live with them full time now!

LONG LIFE TO ALL SQUIRRELS!

Francine
joey, mariki, eqshannon, Debz, tiklod, undoredo has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To tiklod: Exactement ce qu'il faut!NinaM 1 11-18 16:39
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2256 W: 10 N: 2618] (15517)
  • [2007-11-17 10:35]

Hola Francine,
precioso retrato y cálidos tonos,
bello pov,
saludos

Bonjour Francine,
J'ai lu avec beaucoup d'intérêt ton reportage sur les écureuils. Ici en Belgique, il y a encore beaucoup d'écureuils roux. Il n'y a pas d'écureuils gris. Par contre, nous avons dans la forêt près de Bruxelles, toute une colonie d'écureuils de Corée (Eutamias sibiricus, en fait de Sibérie), introduit accidentellement par des éleveurs (spécimens échappés). Mais il semble qu'ils n'entrent pas en compétition entre eux.
J'ai un ami qui est parvenu à apprivoiser un écureuil roux avec des pistaches dont il raffolait. Et tous les matins, il venait réclamer ses gourmandises.
Tu trouveras des infos sur l'écureil roux en Belgique sur ce site: http://www.protectiondesoiseaux.be/content/view/48/86/
Merci pour toutes ces infos et pour cette photo si chaleureuse.
Amicalement,
Catherine

  • Great 
  • mariki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1060 W: 61 N: 2306] (9467)
  • [2007-11-17 11:21]

Hello Francine,

Cute little Gugusse. Very good composition and beautiful colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hello francine
You have captured a perfect pose of this lovely squirrel..the sharpness is great and the light is good..although its just on the tail it really highlights this fabulous climbers stabiliser!!
tfs
Best Regards
Paul

Yes many squirrels and all different yet all very good each in it's own way. This one gives as almost an aura...of warning perhaps it knows is a winter coming? You picture it so soft, furry and nice..mine last week was nott happy:-) Very nice image.
Bob

  • Great 
  • Debz Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 516 W: 0 N: 846] (3307)
  • [2007-11-18 3:02]

Hi Francine, so nice to see one of your Red Squirrels. Can you send some of them over here please? It is a great debate, your note is very informative. You caught this little chap beautifully, he is has a high cute factor++! Very nice profile, nice and sharp with wonderful warm colours, bathed in lovely light. Congrats on lovely composition and notes!
TFS
debz

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2007-11-18 3:34]

What a lovely note Francine!
A great read.
I definately don't agree about killing the Grey Squirrels but I would love the Red Squirrels to thrive here again!
Nice capture that has great sharpness and detail.
Nice colours aswell.
Well done!
Thanks,
Joe

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2169 W: 218 N: 4382] (14898)
  • [2007-11-18 8:45]

Hi Francine

Just a quick one today.
Terrific pose captured here with this cute squirrel turning its head towards you and giving you a nice glance of that beautiful and contrasting eye.
Very nice sharp details and lovely warm colors, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Salut Francine,
Un bien joli écureuil! La chaude lumière est superbe sur cette photo. Beaux détails de la fourrure. Une réussite :-)
P.S. J'ai fait un Workshop, j'espère que tu aimeras :-)
MERCI ET BRAVO...

Claude

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-11-19 18:01]

Hello Francine

A lovely shot of Gugusse.I like the way he looks back over his shoulder at you.
The plight of the UK Red Squirrel is a very sad story indeed.Once again the introduction of a foreign species is to blame.
Well focused with a lovely lighting and warm colours.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2007-11-21 5:00]

Bonjour Francine, belles couleurs qui réchauffent, belle pose de l'animal et excellente netteté. Bravo et merci !

Mario

Hello Francine
Wow, I love the warm colour and the light in squirrel tail is amazing. Very well done!
TFS
Regards
mark

Hello Francine,
What a lovely Red Squirrel you present here!!
You've captured very cute pose of this little friend.
Soooooooo cute!! :-) I love this shot very much!
Also, I can see very lovely oveall sunset colouration here.
Well presented with your story. :)
TFS and best wishes,
Kevin

greta pic the animal looks very nice to me

Hi Francine,
I love the golden tones in this photo, and what a great pose you caught him in! Very cute! TFS
Donna:o)

Hi Francine,

Now this is a very cute little fellow and you have captured him well. Great pose, perfect pov and wonderful light.

Mike

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF