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N.A.R.S. 1 - spotting a potential snack


N.A.R.S. 1 - spotting a potential snack
Photo Information
Copyright: Anton Mihai (toni_ro) Silver Note Writer [C: 8 W: 5 N: 26] (98)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-19
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/202 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-03-02 22:34
Viewed: 677
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The North American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), also known as pine squirrel can be found in Alaska, Canada, the northeastern United States and southern Georgia.
Red squirrels live in nests of twigs, bark, and leaves built in trees or in tree hollows. Nests have been found as high as 20 m (65 feet) above the ground..
Unlike their Grey Squirrel cousins, Red Squirrels are solitary animals very reluctant to share their food with others, although they share a den during the winter months to keep warm.
Adult red squirrels feed on conifer seeds from pine, spruce, and hemlock cones. They also eat berries, nuts, mushrooms, insects, and small seeds from deciduous trees, such as maples and elms (I also have experimental proof that they like cookies :) ).
Cones and seeds are gathered in summer and fall and stored for winter in hiding places called caches. Caches may be located in small burrows or in tree hollows. The squirrel marks each spot with a special scent. In winter, they use their sense of smell to locate pine cones that are as much as 30 cm (12 inches) under the snow.


This picture was taken last summer, in the park "Bois de Coulonge", from Quebec.
The initial photo was not very clear and quite noisy. I removed some noise with Neat Image, changed the color balance, increased the contrast, and blurred the background, because it was too distracting, in my opinion.

I'm still not satisfied with the final result, but I like the moment this shot was taken: it was exactly when the squirrel saw the cookie crumbles I had left on a tree stump... I was trying to focus on him, so we were both discovering something at the same time.

I hope you like it anyway ...and I also hope to photograph Eurasian Red Squirrels, this summer ;)
Ken52, uleko, JoseMiguel, mirceax has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To mirceax: Salut Mircea,toni_ro 1 03-04 20:49
To JoseMiguel: Hello Jose,toni_ro 1 03-04 20:38
To Ken52: Hi Ken,toni_ro 1 03-03 00:57
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 663 W: 98 N: 1262] (4185)
  • [2007-03-02 23:57]
  • [+]

Hi Anton, I like your little squirrel. Nice rich brown colors and details. Excellent exposure on the squirrel and tree. It is very good composition. My only criticism is that the bright white sky is "blown out" a little. Maybe you will catch a similar scene when the sky is a beautiful blue. Nice note. Do you have more cookies?

Lovely squirrel Anton, great compo, POW and light.
Andrea

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2577 W: 170 N: 7864] (24859)
  • [2007-03-03 3:09]

Hello Anton,
Very fine shot of this squirrel in a nice pose on the branch. Good details and nice natural colours. You could remove the noise in the background using NeatImage (free to download from the net). Lovely composition.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Hi Anton,
I like a lot the pose of the squirreal captured!
It's not an esay shot, against the light and the bright sky, but you got the esseence of the squirrel in the quest for the food.
It's very good the composition made.
You already addressed the issue about the noise in your note.
Well done and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

Buna Toni,
Super faina veverita ta,sa stii ca si eu sper sa fotografiez vara asta cand o sa ajung prin Ro Sciurus vulgaris,ca aici e foarte usor de fotografiat veverite,sunt peste tot mai ales S.carolinensis.
Merci si spor la "vanatoare"!
Mircea

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 883 W: 23 N: 930] (5015)
  • [2007-03-03 10:04]

Bonjour Anton, agréable mise en scène, ce petit écureuils a bien choisi sa branche!! et son attitude est super. Bon BG également , faisant ressortir l'animal. Félicitations, Didier.

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