Assateague Wildlife Snapshots

Have I mentioned lately that I went to the beach the weekend before Christmas? Well I did. The ponies and the birds stood still and in the light for me, these guys didn't. The first picture is one of the famed endangered Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrels. About 30" long, half of which is tail, and with fur the color of a chinchilla, this was the first time I have ever seen one of them. I think I saw three that weekend. The DPFS has been on the endangered species list since 1967 and between 1969 and 1971 thirty squirrels were relocated to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where they now number in the hundreds. Read more on the Fish & Wildlife's website. (note - I was having issues with a polarizing filter on my big zoom, it wasn't focusing properly, I removed it after the squirrel pictures. It seems to work fine on my normal lens.) The second picture is several Sika Deer cows. I've seen Sikas before, both cows and stags, I saw these from the road near the lighthouse and only managed a couple quick shots. Sikas were introduced to the Island in the 1920's and can be seen on Assateague Island, especially on the Wildlife Loop. Read about them here.