I’ve always found these smaller squirrels more interesting with loads of personality. Once while visiting a customer I opened the door to find one sitting and waiting for permission to enter. The lady had plates of nuts on her living room table and the squirrel would go from one to another. I am not sure that is the best thing to encourage, not every neighbor would be so open to a visit, but those two got along quite well.
In Quabbin Park is an old orchard that for years had a gentleman visit who apparently owned that land before it was taken for the reservoir. For years after until his death he maintained feeders for the birds. Deer and squirrels also fed there and getting these fellows to pose was easy pickings.
The park authorities have signage asking folks to not feed the wildlife but an exception apparently was made while the man was alive.
I am sure he is missed by both the animals and those visitors who got to know him.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Sweet-looking critters!
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That they are, Liz. Such enjoyable subjects.
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Absolutely gorgeous portraits. And I agree with you on their personalities. I recall when I was a young kid we’d feed the squirrels and kept training them to come closer. Eventually we’d lay on our backs and they’d sit on our stomachs and each the nuts, and we had them inside a few times. But as you said, that wasn’t necessarily the best thing to do, and not something I’d do now, but it was quite an experience as a kid.
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My mother was a great animal lover who fed birds and squirrels around our house in the Long Island suburbs. Though not to your extent, we would sometimes feed peanuts to squirrels that got accustomed to coming through the front door and a few feet inside.
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Having a relationship with wildlife can be quite rewarding. I am not sure domesticating them (to a degree) is good but since it’s only a few doesn’t do much harm.
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Thanks, Todd. When we camped while visiting Acadia N.P. the red squirrels and chipmunks had become so accustomed to human feeding that they would climb us when we were sitting our in our lounge chairs and take trail mix from us. I thought about letting them grab it from my lips but decided against that practice.Fingertips were close enough.
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All three are great shots
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Thanks, Robert.
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Love, love, love these images, Steve! Our orphaned squirrel, Punkin, is seven years old now and still comes to visit occasionally for pecans. She still allows us to pet her gently. She’s raised babies each year and has managed well, living in our woods. They’re quite resilient creatures, and a lot of fun to observe.
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Thanks, Lori! I haven’t studied squirrels but think that seven years might be a remarkable life span for a squirrel. I am glad that you have a relationship with her that has lasted so long. They are quite entertaining.
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Sweet captures, Steve. I love how the animals coats blend in so well with the background colors. They are well camouflaged.
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I was lucky in each case to have a nice background and surroundings for these portraits.Thanks, Eliza!
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Such sweet stories. I have had “trained” rabbits and birds in my backyard that got very close at feeding time, with one rabbit that came when called.
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Coming to its name being called is something I haven’t experienced. I guess food is the great attractor and they can respond through repetition. Must have been fun.
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Yes it was. That rabbit lived nearly seven years. I fed it fortified rabbit food.
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Outstanding captures Steve, the detail in these is amazing !!
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Thanks, Bernie!
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You still have red squirrels in your area! We used to have them but grey squirrels pushed them out. What a gorgeous photo of him! I love the bird, too. You can keep the deer! LOL
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I have yet to see one in our neighborhood, Melissa. Plenty of gray and black species though. Where I saw this one there are not many grays to be found. Although we do have farms and, of course, gardens here I don’t think deer a re a very big problem for crops. Of course they do take things but I haven’t heard of any serious losses by farmers. Thanks!
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Very nice shots 👏👏👏.
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Thanks, Ted!
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Lovely. Is that a grey squirrel with a red tail, or a red squirrel that has a few grey genes mixed in? We have red squirrels here in Brussels, I fed them hazelnuts in the garden last winter and should do so again, at least so I can take a photo!
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It is a red squirrel. Ours are not always entirely red. I wish we had the European species with those cool pointy ears. 🙂 Whether this is a genetic mix I cannot say.
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I had a look on google, apparently the two species do not interbreed, they are “reproductively incompatible “. So I wonder why your red squirrel is so grey, maybe a separate species. https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-red-and-grey-squirrels-not-interbreed/
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Our red squirrels are not entirely red. Here is a link to a page of images showing them in various amonts of red. Some have more and others less. I am not a scientist and barely can spell genetics but I am sure there is an explanation although I haven’t found one. Possibly age related?
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Very nice series of Images Steve! Enjoyed seeing them!
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Thanks, Reed.
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Beautiful pictures! I’ve been watching a squirrel run along the top of the fence just outside my window here. I really hope he remembers where he’s stashed all his nuts, otherwise we’ll have a big crop of new hazel trees!
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Thanks, Ann. They are so acrobatic. I bet the one along your fence is fun to watch. Having a nice crop of hazelnuts seems a good trade for squirrel visitations.
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LOL, we already have three hazel trees at the bottom of the garden, so there isn’t space for more…so I hope the squirrels get all those nuts eaten!
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This is a special portrait of the squirrel. Not only is his pose captivating, but also the stones and the background complement his colors perfectly.
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I was lucky to get quite a few shots with different poses, Gary. I have one that I post often with a caption on January 21st.
“For Squirrel Appreciation Day, Rocky will play ‘Getting to know you’ on his kazoo.”
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You know I’m nuts about squirrels, and the “Awwwww….” factor is pretty high with these portraits. We have the gray and fox squirrels; the one I had as a pet was a fox. I think you might be right about those gray hairs being age-related. My squirrel lived for eight years, and after about five, he started changing color a bit.
Since moving into my new place, the squirrel population has increased considerably. Apparently the word on the street is that a soft touch is in the neighborhood. I suppose the occasional shelled pecan half doesn’t do much to persuade them otherwise.
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Indeed I do and I thought about you as I put together this post, remembering that you had raised a squirrel. I think most of us hairy mammals start to gray with age. I was an early adopter.
Being a soft touch for the locals isn’t a bad thing. ..unless they start knocking on your windows.
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They all appeared to be posing for you Steve! Lovely! 🙂
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Thanks, Pete!
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Ah, a sweet story, Steve. I was taken with that squirrel but the Titmouse stole my heart – I have not seen one for such a long, long time! I used to love that blush of peach on their flanks and the softness of their gray feathers. We do have Bushtits here, which are smaller, with long, slender tails. I suppose after the old man died, the birds and beasts adapted. Beautiful captures, Steve!
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I am glad you liked the titmouse, Lynn. I don’t photograph birds often, although a bit more lately, so am very happy with this shot.
To a degree they did. But despite the signs people still feed the animals and there is seed in a few feeders there. A lot of the trees are now dead and falling so the feeders are fewer in number. I don’t feed them but do take advantage of the opportunity.
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I don’t think of you as a bird photographer but every bird photograph you’ve shown is excellent. The titmouse is nice because there’s personality there, it’s a characteristic pose, and it shows that lovely blush color to such an advantage. I have to admit that I’m really tempted to feed chickadees and a few others in the winter at a bench where they congregate in the winter, in a park near here. It’s just so delightful to have them fly onto your hand…these birds don’t seem to depend on handouts. But it’s a slippery slope….
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When you have some seed on your mind. 🙂
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