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Grey Squirrel


Grey Squirrel
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 423 W: 54 N: 2120] (6789)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-02-02
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 400mm f4.0 DO IS USM, RAW ISO 800
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-02-04 3:16
Viewed: 4561
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Grey Squirrel at my backyard. The local birds were astonished to find the feeders covered with snow. They had never seen this much snow and before they could start on anything I had to go and polish the seeds for them. They really looked helpless. This fellow however was rather more like enjoying himself and no problems in diving into the snow.

From BBC Science & Nature website:

Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Grey squirrels are an alien species and were introduced to the UK from the USA in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century. Their success has been to the detriment of our native red squirrels.

Life span
Up to 9 years.

Statistics
Head and body length: 23-30 cm, Tail length: 19-25cm, Weight (adult): 400-600g.

Physical description
Grey squirrels are distinguished from red squirrels by their grey fur, smaller ear tufts and their larger, more robust build. Grey squirrels sit with their large bushy tail arched over the back.

Distribution
They are widespread throughout England and Wales, south of Cumbria, and are common in local pockets in Scotland. They are absent from the rest of mainland Europe, except for small localised populations in Italy.

Habitat
Common in deciduous and mixed woodland, they are also found in hedgerows, trees, parks and gardens.

Diet
Grey squirrels feed on acorns, tree shoots, flowers, nuts, fruits, roots and cereals. They bury surplus food 2-5cm below the soil or in tree hollows. They feed at ground level, more so than red squirrels, and together with their ability to digest acorns, (which reds can't), they have tended to displace red squirrels in areas of woodland where the two have come into contact.

Behaviour
Grey squirrels live in a compact, spherical nest (drey), 30-60cm in diameter, with an outer frame of twigs, and dry leaves and grass inside. They are diurnal, active from before sunrise to after sunset. The peak of activity is in the autumn. Their range covers 2-10 hectares.

Reproduction
Females produce a litter of usually three young in the spring or late summer (or occasionally both), after a gestation period of 42-45 days. The young are weaned after 10 weeks and are independent at 16 weeks.

Conservation status
Grey squirrels are widespread and not protected in the UK. They are considered a pest of forestry, and are often killed on roads.
uleko, haraprasan, nglen, siggi, eng55, jaycee, boreocypriensis, bikefifty, Alex99, vanderschelden, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2009-02-04 4:35]

Hej Pekka,
Wow, you really did have a lot of snow!! I've followed the weather on BBC! Here we had only 1 cm of snow but grey clouds are lingering above all the time!
You captured this little Squirrel very nicely in the deep snow - no doubt it's a survivor! A really lovely capture, I love the snow on its nose! Clear details and beautiful colours. Very well done!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

hello pekka,
fine capture of the grey squirrel, i loved the stance and the shine in the eyes, good eye contact, fine management of exposure,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2009-02-04 6:06]

Hi Pekka,

A superb composition,with a high cute factor,the colors and subject looking superb,great camerawork,tfs

Paul

hello Pekka
beautiful colours
nice details
great shot
greeting lou

Nice shot Pekka
tack sharp and so cute withe snow on the nose !
TFS and regards
Patrick

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-02-04 8:25]

Hello Pekka,
What a snow in England! Here on the other side of the Northsea we don't have anything.
Fantastic close-up from an excellent low POV. The snow on its nose is very funny. Gorgeous clear colours and very sharp. Marvelous composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1387 W: 3 N: 9] (44)
  • [2009-02-04 9:17]

merhaba Pekka
wonderful portrait photo of this cute squirrel
i like its pose, POV, light, colours and sharpness
TFS
regards
izler

HI Pekka,
that shot is sooooo cute, I love this nice squirrel with the snowflakes on it.
Excellent sharpness, beautiful light, very well done, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Hi Pekka,
A nice capture of this portrait of grey squirrel. Excellent sharp details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-02-04 11:24]

Hi Pekka. This is very cute picture of the squirrel in the deep snow. I love the way you have captured it with snow all over its face. Good detail and colours. And catch light in the eys. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2009-02-04 11:28]

Hello Pekka,
What a great shot of this squirrel on snow,
Excellent sharpness and composition,
Superb shot, Welldone.
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • pvb Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 385 W: 16 N: 531] (1981)
  • [2009-02-04 12:23]

Hi Pekka,
Looks like this squirrel had the time of his life playing around in all that snow.
A very lovely animal. Good focus and sharpness with good details.
TFS Paula and good look with al that snow

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1256 W: 42 N: 1976] (5892)
  • [2009-02-04 12:29]

Hi Pekka,
Excellent capture.Sharpness and details are amazing.I liked eye contact and pose of squirrel also a lot.
Thanks for posting.

Ciao Pekka, great capture of cute creature in the snow, splendid sharpness and fine details, very well done, ciao Silvio

hello Pekka

beautiful close up/portrait photography of the Grey Squirrel,
shot with fine POV, beautiful luminosity, excellent sharpness
and details, i love the snows on his nose, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2009-02-04 17:33]

I do like looking at photos of squirrels and I would love to see one.
What a beautiful shot Pekka, he is so sharp and clear. And I do like seeing the snow
TFS
Janice

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-02-04 18:03]

Hi Pekka,

My goodness, how much snow do you have? It doesn't seem to bother this squirrel who looks adorable with the white stuff on his face and nose. Excellent details showing off the wonderful eye and whiskers. The colors and shadings of his coat are marvelous. A fantastic close-up.

Jane

Hi Pekka! Good Morning!
An lovely and excellent capture of this cute greyy squirel with great details and sharpness.
TFS and cheers,
Bayram

Hello Pekka,

What a wonderful shot!
The sharp focus has rendered the details of the facial features (particularly the eye) and the textural details very well indeed.

The snow on the squirrel's nose adds such a lot of humourous interest!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

HI Pekka,

Big snow fall in England. It sure looks like this guy is have great fun. What a sharp, clear picture. I can almost see you in the reflection in the eye. Good job of not over exposing the picture with all the snow and then the white on the squirrel. Just like some of our geese, they may be pests but they can be fun to photograph.

Thanks - bob

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2009-02-06 6:38]

Hi Pekka.
First of all I thank you for kind words of your comments. And I have met your nice photos with interest. You are lucky photographer and have an opportunity to shoot such beautiful creatures on own backyard. I am impressed with precise exposure and nice reproduction of snow colours as well as all features of a fine animal. Farming of the squirrel is so impressive too. Well done and all the best,
Alexei.

Hello Pekka,
Very good focus and depth of field in this close up.
The main parts for example the eye and the nose are very sharp indeed.
It's kind of fun with the snow on top of the nose.
TFS
Annick

Hi Pekka,
Cute shot with the dusting of snow about the rodents head & nose.
Very sharp & detailed, great color & light.
Excellent closeup work.
Howard

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