Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Ground Squirrel

This gorgeous little animal made me jump when it suddenly ran past me through the grasses and plants. I think my senses were on extra alert, as we were walking through bear country! As it turned out, a bit further on the trail, a guy who was unknown to us let us know that there was a Grizzly sow with two young cubs on the distant mountain slope. I was able to get a few very distant shots and may post one of them, just for the record. The following day, we were driving on the same road at the same location when we saw a sow and one cub, mainly hidden among the trees and bushes. Wondering if it was the same sow with only one of her black cubs visible to us. With only a poor view, I think this sow may have been a Cinnamon Black Bear, whereas we had been told that the very distant ones on the mountain slope were Grizzlies. So, I'm not sure if we actually saw five or seven different bears over the weekend. A thrill to have seen any bears at all. "The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is strictly diurnal and is especially active on warm days. A solitary or only somewhat colonial hibernator, it often occurs in aggregations in suitable habitats. In late summer, it puts on a heavy layer of fat and stores some food in its burrow. It enters its nest in October (some adults retire much earlier), rolls into a stiff ball, and decreases its respiration from between 100 and 200 breaths per minute to one breath about every five minutes. It emerges in March or early April. The burrow may be 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 metres) long, with several side passages. Most of the burrow is within one to two feet (about half a meter) of the surface, with only the hibernation nest in a special deeper section. Shorter burrows are dug as hiding places. This ground squirrel's home range is two to three acres (0.8 to 1.2 ha). Its primary diet includes grass and weed seeds, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets, but it may also eat mice and shrews; it will viciously attack and consume cicadas if able to catch them. This squirrel sometimes damages gardens by digging burrows and eating vegetables, but also devours weed seeds and harmful insects. It is well known for standing upright to survey its domain, diving down into its burrow when it senses danger, then sometimes poking out its nose and giving a bird-like trill. It has a maximum running speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) and reverses direction if chased." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel Two days ago, late afternoon, (I think around 5:15 pm), on 10 July 2015, I arrived back home from my holiday of the year - a two and a half day trip to Waterton National Park. It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few pleasantly slow walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of great company with (22) people I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed so well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our thanks go out to the lady (can't remember her name, sorry, but she was also there for us in July 2015) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! Thank you SO much, Janet, for driving your friend and me to and from Calgary and around the park some of the time, too. To say that I appreciated it is a huge understatement!! Our thanks, too, to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly, as usual! A great time was had by all. And I am SO happy and relieved that you were finally able to find a bear (and her cub) - yes, we came across the same ones shortly after you saw them. Not sure if they were two of the three I had seen at more or less the same location the previous morning, 9 July 2016. If it was the same female, then her second cub must have been really well hidden in the tangle of bushes and trees yesterday. We didn't get a good view, though I did take a handful of photos, including when the cub looked towards us for a split second. I had never seen such a young cub before, so I was thrilled to bits. Can't forget to add my huge thanks for finding me a Lazuli Bunting yesterday, too, at some unearthly hour (well, 7:30 am). No idea how on earth you managed to spot such a small bird from so far away - just a tiny speck in the far, far distance. Also was delighted that you found two Nighthawks flying high overhead at the Nature Conservancy area. So, I guess you and I both returned to Calgary feeling really happy : )

Tuesday, 10 June 2014, was a most unfortunate day, for many of us. In the afternoon, four of us met up to go for a botany walk in North Weaselhead. Shortly before we were supposed to start, a lady came over to us in the parking lot, to let us know that our leader, Karel Bergmann, had just been in an accident. She said that he was so concerned about the rest of us wondering where he was, that she very kindly offered to drive to the park and find us and give us the news. I had seen a fire truck blocking the road, and so had turned up the road just before the one I needed, but of course never dreamt that it was there to help Karel. He was riding his motorcycle, when a young man (who was very upset over the accident, apparently) turned in front of him, cutting him off. Karel's leg was broken, which means that he will be missing the joys of summer - and we will be without a great leader for plants and mushrooms. We are all so thankful that the accident wasn't worse than it was! Good luck with your recovery, Karel! It will be so good to have you back with us once your leg has healed. Two of us decided that we would still go on the walk, despite Karel not being with us. I knew that we would most likely see only a few of the plants, but we did our best, and enjoyed ourselves. Towards the end of our walk, I heard a rustling in the leaves and bushes at the edge of the path and was really hoping that it might be one of these beautiful, small Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels. We found two of them! Such a treat. The information below is now outdated, but still of interest. The last few years, these animals have also been seen occasionally in Weaselhead. "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: the only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the talkaboutwildlife website, which unfortunately no longer exists. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Spermophilus_tridecemlinea...

Yesterday was a most unfortunate day, for many of us. In the afternoon, four of us met up to go for a botany walk in North Weaselhead. Shortly before we were supposed to start, a lady came over to us in the parking lot, to let us know that our leader, Karel Bergmann, had just been in an accident. She said that he was so concerned about the rest of us wondering where he was, that she very kindly offered to find us and give us the news. I had seen a fire truck blocking the road, and so had turned up the road just before the one I needed, but of course never dreamt that it was there to help Karel. He was riding his motorcycle, when a young man (who was very upset over the accident, apparently) turned in front of him, cutting him off. Karel's leg was broken, which means that he will be missing the joys of summer - and we will be without a great leader for plants and mushrooms. We are all so thankful that the accident wasn't worse than it was! Good luck with your recovery, Karel! It will be so good to have you back with us once your leg has healed. Two of us decided that we would still go on the walk, despite Karel not being with us. I knew that we would most likely see only a few of the plants, but we did our best, and enjoyed ourselves. Towards the end of our walk, I heard a rustling in the leaves and bushes at the edge of the path and was really hoping that it might be one of these beautiful Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels. We found two of them! Such a treat. The information below is now outdated, but still of interest. The last few years, these animals have also been seen occasionally in Weaselhead. "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: the only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the talkaboutwildlife website, which unfortunately no longer exists. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen-lined_ground_squirrel www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Spermophilus_tridecemlinea...

This little Ground Squirrel came over to see us when we were hiking up to Arethusa Cirque, Kananaskis, on July 30th. "The golden-mantled ground squirrel is a type of ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of western North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical adult ranges from 23–30 cm (9–12 inches) in length ... They dig shallow burrows up to 30m (100 ft) in length with the openings hidden in a hollow log or under tree roots or a boulder. The female gives birth to a single litter of 4–6 young each summer." Can you imagine, a comedy about birding, lol? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel For you bird lovers out there, Cornell Lab of Ornithology added the following link to their Facebook page. Apparently, there's a movie about birding coming out this fall, called The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black. youtu.be/JCBAP2wId5M

This cute little guy/gal came out of its pile of lichen-covered rocks to check me out. I had been walking ahead of my two friends on Sunday, when we were on Plateau Mountain again. They had stopped to check for mosses and lichens on the ridge we were climbing, when I caught sight of this little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. The deep green bokeh is from the spruce (?) trees on a distant mountain side. This was the only wildlife I saw, other than a group of maybe a dozen Mountain Sheep on the distant slope below the actual flat top of Plateau Mountain. I've only ever once been on the flat top and that was about 30 years ago! It's just too far for me to walk to get from the meadows to the flat top, unfortunately. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel Thunderstorm Watch for Calgary - and it looks like it is about to happen any moment now - just when I have to go out to meet a friend for an early supper, ha. And, here comes the rain and the thunder! Quite welcome, though it would have been nice to have had it overnight instead : )

These Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels are the cutest litle things, but they move so fast. I managed to get just this one, almost sharp image : ) Photographed at Kananaskis Lakes, in Kananaskis Country, on August 7th. A typical adult ranges from 23–30 cm (9–12 inches) in length. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel

These rare wild animals are so beautiful. Dug into my archives for this image - back to 26th May 2009. Seen in Weaselhead. Makes our common Richardson's Ground Squirrels look so plain : ) Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : ) It was the sweetest little thing. "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the talkaboutwildlife website. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=562

We were unbelievably fortunate to see this little Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel last year, in one of the large parks in the city!!! Couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : ) It was the sweetest little thing. "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the great talkaboutwildlife website. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=562

This little guy/gal let me get surprisingly close when I was on a hike along the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail (Kananaskis, Rocky Mountains) two days ago. I'd hoped (well, kind of!) for a Grizzly Bear, but had to make do with this little Columbian Ground Squirrel, LOL. However, we did see an area where a Grizzly had been digging up the ground - and it looked very recent : ) "This is the largest Alberta ground squirrel, similar in appearance to the Richardsons Ground Squirrel. A difference noted immediately, besides it usually slightly larger size, is the rusty orange colour around the nose which often extends to the throat and forelegs and sometimes to the undersides, although this area has more of a yellowing wash. It has a somewhat longer, more bushy, frosty, dark-tipped tail. The head and nape is a slate grey. The short, fine fur has three bands of colours, resulting in the back being a decidedly dappled yellowish grey.... Highwood Pass is a good area to find these animals." From talkaboutwildlife.ca .

This very attractive little guy/gal doesn't show up against the "messy" background, but I wanted to post a photo of it, as it is a very special animal. We were thrilled to see either two or three of them this morning in one of the city parks. Also known as Striped Ground Squirrel. The information on the talkaboutwildlife website gives the info below (plus more). "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today.... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville, where one was reported on 17 April 2005." talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=562

This Columbian Ground Squirrel gave me some fun moments last year, especially when I tried to catch it with its mouth wide open, mid-squeal. By the time my camera had processed each shot, the mouth was closed again. However, I did get a few "screams", LOL. This was seen on the way home after a hike at Ptarmigan Cirque, off Highway 40, Kananaskis. We get a different kind in the city - Richardson's Ground Squirrel. www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=346

I spent about an hour or an hour and a half yesterday just watching this family of Ground Squirrels. There was no sign of my Great Horned Owl family in their grove of trees - more roadworks going on just a few feet away from their trees, which may have had some effect. So, my camera turned to these furry little creatures. This one was in the middle of making its tiny screeching sound and I found its expression rather amusing! Actually, I burst out laughing when I saw the photo on my computer!!!

These are funny little animals to watch and I'm sure that most people don't stop to watch their antics. Those long, sharp claws come in handy for digging their many underground burrows.

Such funny little creatures - I guess they provide MANY meals for the local Coyotes and Birds of Prey!

The body language and antics of these little Gophers (Ground Squirrels) are always amusing. Some serious claws!