David, you´re right, there are squirrel photos and there are squirrel photos. Your shot it´s quite nice too.
Well, Welsh squirrels seem to be very nice too! Mine is a new yorkan....Taken in Central Park.
Just picked up on this thread,
I was born in Liverpool and grew up with a red squirrel reserve at Formby. Still regard them as the true UK resident.
I live now in Birmingham and only see the greay on a regular basis. More to the point I have had a runnong battle with a family of Greys who raid the bird feeders and rob everything at the expense of the other garden residents.
That said, so far they have me beat! but in compensation I have some of the healthiest and best fed squirrewls in the country... meet my garden bandit! :-)
Last edited by Dave Humphries; 30th June 2010 at 08:58 PM. Reason: add images inline
James
You need a squirrel baffle. It's like a plastic lampshade with your feeder pole running through it. I have one and it completely stops any squirrel. I do put food out for the squirrels though - bananas!
http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/prod...quirrel-baffle You need to check the diameter of your feeder pole. You can buy them in garden supply places.
Very nice squirrel shots.
and a fine example of an Australian mouse catcher it is too
Looking at these shots I am relieved, because I was beginning to think it was me, but I see I am not alone.
I am beginning to subscribe to a theory that squirrels have a permanent 'tremor' that renders a truly sharp shot of one almost impossible. Have a look above and you'll see what I mean, very few have the subject as sharp as one would really want (or the adjacent trees), but I know from personal experience that one cannot achieve that I'll prove my point later by adding some of my own shots to this thread.
Either that, or, like stealth aircraft, they have a special coating on their fur (and even eyes) to defeat auto-focus.
James G seems to be closest with 2 out of 3 sharp ones - but how do we know they weren't stuffed?
Are these the rantings of a mad man? You decide, for me, work beckons ....
Good thread though,
Wendy, Dave, all,
Let me assure you I have lots of images of squirrels which are frustringly unsharp. Think I agree with Dave that squirrels somehow generate blur!
I got lucky with the three shots posted took me about a dozen short sessions over a month to get these.
Shooting information as follows:-
Taken in my garden using a Canon EOS 550D with a Sigma 50-500mm, 1.4-6.3 APO DG HSM Telephoto
1st shot 125/s F6.3 ISO 400 Centre weighted Average Metering, distance 9.9m
2nd & 3rd shot 125/s F10 ISO 400 Centre weighted Average Metering, distance 6.1m
For what its worth, I've noticed that quite often when they become aware you are getting too close, they freeze, eyeball you, and dare you to make another move. That seems to be the moment.....
By the way they have certainly been stuffing themselves on Birdseed and Peanuts.
:-)
James