Taken last month in Gunnison National Forest, this little one was not a particularly cooperative photo subject. It was in a virtual constant state of motion gathering its food for the winter and very wary of me when I was near. Least chipmunks are not rare but it had become a matter of pride for me to get its danged picture. One evening, I pulled up a spot on the ground and sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after almost a half hour it decided to make a brief appearance and posed. It was kind of silly to be so determined to get a picture of a common critter but I at least got a shot.

These guys really don’t sit still for long so you have to take advantage of it when they do. This least chipmunk opted to have a quick snack on a tree stump right by our campsite recently. I managed a few good captures before it scurried off.

A pretty cute moment between two very cute creatures. We spent this past weekend in Roosevelt National Forest in northern Colorado. It was a much-needed respite from what has been a pretty hectic couple of weeks for my wife and I.

There wasn’t a great variety of wildlife where we were at, unfortunately, but there were tons of these guys and squirrels. They provided a handy photo opportunity as we sat outside and just relaxed, soaking in the quiet of the forest.

The chipmunks are bundles of energy, rarely holding still except when stuffing their faces with seeds. This pair was kind enough to sit atop a log for a minute or two giving me a nice little series of images.

The least chipmunk is the smallest of chipmunks but it is also the most widespread in North America. They don’t truly hibernate during the winter, instead entering torpor (a state of reduced metabolic rate and body temperature) for long periods of time. They will wake and sustain themselves with the food they have stashed in their burrows during the winter.

A definite chill was in the air at 10,000 feet hinting at the coming change of the seasons. This little least chipmunk seemed to be well aware and was taking advantage of relatively mild conditions to get ready. It had pulled up some grass and was stuffing the seeds into its cheeks. Quite a cutie!

The least chipmunk is the smallest of chipmunks but it is also the most widespread in North America. They don’t truly hibernate during the winter, instead entering torpor (a state of reduced metabolic rate and body temperature) for long periods of time. They will wake and sustain themselves with the food they have stashed in their burrows during the winter.