From apex predator to ... cute!

Knowing there was no way to top yesterday's wolf, I decided to go with something cute and common from the backyard.  I had a nice choice of cardinals, titmice, chickadees, etc, but when a chipmunk showed up, I knew I had my blip.  The little chippies are in a fervor of activity at the moment, laying in as much food as possible for the winter.  Unlike "true" hibernators, chipmunks don't hibernate so much as they seal themselves in their burrow and take lots of naps.  They usually have a separate place in their burrow for foot, and a successful chippie will lay in plenty of nuts and seeds before settling in for the winter.  They will come out briefly sometime in February (give or take) to mate, returning to their burrows until spring.  

This little guy apparently wasn't familiar with peanuts, ignoring them in favor of stuffing his cheeks with sunflower seeds.  Then, I got the bright idea of tossing out a few acorns from the lower yard - they were a big hit and each one was ceremoniously carried back to the den for safe storage.  I suspect this chipmunk is young as it wasn't able to pouch the nut, instead carrying it clutched in its teeth.  A more mature chippie would have pouched two, perhaps even carrying a third in their teeth.

Anyway, cuteness won the day!  And if you'd like to see three also-rans, click HERE to view a young cardinal, a sparrow and a junco.  The cardinal was my second choice for today because I like her "puffage".

Thank you so very much for sending my timber wolf to the Popular page!  Glad you liked the wolves as much as I did.

Happy Monday, people.

Today's chippie is specially dedicated to SimpleMoments and her daddy, who dearly loved chipmunks.