OK, it’s a bit absurd for me to follow up a post where I say that my new camera is surprisingly good and then post two truly terrible pictures. Believe me, these were by far the worst photos I took all day, and I took a LOT. The only reason I am posting them (or even kept them) is because I’ve never seen a chipmunk in California! So I was really excited to see one in San Pedro Valley Park. In fact, because I hadn’t seen a chipmunk here, when I took the pictures, I assumed it was a baby squirrel. It wasn’t until I got home and processed the pictures that I realized what it was. Chipmunks are common in Maryland, where I grew up, and Virginia, where I lived before moving to California, but apparently they are not nearly as common around here. There are a few different species native to California but their ranges don’t overlap much, so I believe this to be a Merriam’s chipmunk. Chipmunks are one of my mom’s favorite animals, so this post is for her. I’ll have to try to get some better photos of one for her, though.
He or she is cute, but Eastern Chipmunks are much cuter. I had to chase a crow away for the mockingbirds the other day. Both parents were trying to get the crow to leave, so their baby must have been nearby. The crow wasn’t budging, so I opened the front door and the crow flew away.
I’m not sure about cuter (how can you even tell from those terrible photos?), but Eastern chipmunks are certainly less blurry.