My friend Eric’s house seems to have no shortage of wildlife, even in the winter when many species hibernate or migrate southward. I spent many days this past December and January photographing the variety of species that visit his property each winter, including bird species such as Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, and Northern Shrike, and mammals such as the White-tailed Deer I posted a few days ago and this Red Squirrel.

Like their more common cousins, the Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrels are named for their color. Unlike grays however, red squirrels are smaller, have ear tufts, and tend to live only in natural woodlands while grays are just as rampant in urban areas as rural ones. Both species nest in trees and eat acorns and other nuts, and both species are active throughout winter. In this photo, you can clearly see the red color, black side stripe, and tufts of hair on the ears that are distinctive of this species.

Techs: Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, 300mm f/2.8L IS USM, 2x Mark II Extender, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 1000.  To order this print, purchase stock rights, or view other photos I have for sale, please visit my website at www.karipost.com.