Lichen the squirrel

[Dave Humphries]

For week 7 I returned to Ray Mill Island, this is one of the 'week 7 rejects', because it didn't fit the 'water and ice' theme there this week.


Nikon D5000 + Nikon 70-300mm VR: 300mm, 1/1000s, f/8, iso400, EC +0.5(220-46004)
F11 and click image to see at 1,200px × 960px

The little critter was waaay above me (EXIF says 6.31m focus distance), he felt safe enough to pose while I got this 'best angle I could' shot, although it is still a significant crop in PP from the 300mm (FFE 450mm) I shot at - before downsizing to fit the screen it was 1500 px wide from 4288 px.

I had to clone out some branches in the background - having given James a hard time recently, I couldn't not do it

Cheers,

[FrankMi]

Nice one. Makes me smile!

[Jim B.]

Nice one,Dave!
Great detail in the fur.Looks like he went a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson

[Geoff F]

Looks good; and certainly a substantial nick in it's ear.

[jeeperman]

Good work Dave, good eye contact and nice and sharp.

[Kaclarity]

Dave
I though by the looks of the little guy that he was sitting right next to you. I hope I can begin to get the clarity and detail you always seem to capture in your photos. Sense I have been work on some post processing like you and Donald suggest. I was wondering that dark area just below his chin. Would it be worth trying to lighten it up? I'm not sure it would help or even if you would want to. I'm such a Nobbb to digital world, I really value your opinion . Great job JimC

[jamn4ex]

I like the perfect sky background I cant seem to get that with squirrels. The lichen adds nice color to the foreground, My squirrel shots usually are stuck with a brown foreground and or blown sky. Great shot!

[Dave Humphries]

Thanks Frank, Paul, for your kind words.

Yes Jim, Geoff, quite a nibble isn't it?

JimC, I hadn't really considered the need to lighten under the chin, but I made a point of doing it on this new shot (but I think I over did it).

James, mine too usually, except these days I rarely bother to shoot against a cloud, I just know it'll not be worth it

Here's a second from about 35 seconds earlier;

Nikon D5000 + Nikon 70-300mm VR: 300mm, 1/1000s, f/8, iso400, EC +0.5(220-45999)
F11 and click image to see at 1,308px × 950px

We don't have the second eye in view, which is why I chose the other one first, but the pose is perhaps a little better here.

Thanks,

[Kaclarity]

Dave WoW I really like the second picture I really like the profile. It's like you had him posing for his picture. How much were his model fees? JimC

[SpiderBob]

Tack sharp as well, great picture!

[Ken MT]

Is this a sibling of Lichen? This one was in Bangkok on tour at the start of February.

[Teton Chuck]

Dave, very nice photos of the squirrel. It isn't always easy to get these little creatures in sharp focus.

[botspur]

Dave, good shot. Love the contrast between rough lichen and soft squirrel. Nice detail in the fur and it's true about the light in the eye making the image - definitely draws one in to eye contact. Squirrels can be difficult subjects and sometimes I'm like a "Looney Toon" chasing them around a tree.

[Dave Humphries]

I was very lucky with this, most of my shots are more like Ken's, but this day I got lucky, s/he was on a sunlit branch, it being winter, with no leaves in the way (or blocking the sun) and at what s/he felt was a safe height to stay put.

When I first saw her/him, although lit nicely, the background was very confusing, but since s/he was directly above a wide footpath, I took a few shots and slowly moved position until s/he was against the fortuitously clear blue sky, what few branches remained in the background were then easily cloned out.

I'm too old and slow to chase 'em Clive

It is probably no coincidence that my two best opprtunities in 5 years shooting have occured in the last month or so, experience helps improve your luck I think. It is about being ready to shoot and keeping your eyes and ears open, this encounter was still only a couple of minutes start to end. I took about 20 - 25 shots, with these 2 decent keepers, although there are 6 I haven't deleted, the other four have different poses, but against the cluttered background.

Cheers,

[Donald]

Both of these are excellent images, Dave. I've just been reading me latest copy of the Scottish Wildlife Trust magazine and the front cover has a picture of a red squirrel. But either of these images are up with that in term so quality. You really did get is beautifully, even down to the catchlight in the eye.

[Dave Humphries]

Both of these are excellent images, Dave. I've just been reading me latest copy of the Scottish Wildlife Trust magazine and the front cover has a picture of a red squirrel. But either of these images are up with that in term so quality. You really did get is beautifully, even down to the catchlight in the eye.

Thanks Donald,

I don't think we have many 'reds' down this way, but I did get some shots in a wildlife place, but they were more like Ken's shot; dimly lit under a canopy of leaves.

Cheers,

[Donald]

Thanks Donald,

I don't think we have many 'reds' down this way, but I did get some shots in a wildlife place, but they were more like Ken's shot; dimly lit under a canopy of leaves.

Cheers,

Yes, the issue of the non-native 'greys' taking over from the native reds has been and remains, a huge issue. It is almost something of a last stand to try and stop the wipe-out that happened in England & Wales happening in Scotland. At the moment there are a number of major culling projects in place (not without controversy), one of which is to build a 'fire-break' of grey-free territory right across the central belt of Scotland from east coast to west coast, to try and halt the march northwards.

These do seem to be having some success with numbers of reds starting to recover in some areas.

The biggest killer is 'squirrelpox'. The greys are the carriers, but it doesn't affect them. But once it jumps across into the red population, there is a 100% death rate.

I've only seen a red once. It was as I was setting up for these shots. It was just across on the other bank from where I was.

[FrankMi]

Yes, the issue of the non-native 'greys' taking over from the native reds has been and remains, a huge issue.

Thank you Donald! That is a very interesting subject of which I was totally unaware. I have learned something significant today, which is a goal of mine for each day that I am above ground. Much appreciated!