The arrival of spring always brings with it the Townsend’s Chipmunk. These adorable tiny rodents are related to squirrels and every bit as agile and acrobatic as their much larger relatives. They mostly scavenge on the ground, picking up sunflower seeds and bits of suet birds drop from the feeders above. They also eat a variety of berries, acorns, grass, roots and seeds. The chipmunks love the thistle seed I put out for the goldfinches and have figured out how to climb onto that feeder.
They love sitting in the forsythia shrubs to keep a close eye on me!
The plant tag measures 3.5 inches from the soil level to its top.
They’re incredibly fast runners and can climb even the slick bird feeder pole.
Townsend’s Chipmunks live throughout the forests of the Pacific Northwest. They hibernate if the weather gets too harsh during the winter.Late summer they often bring their young with them.
Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see their offspring and share it with you!
🙂
in cahoots with muddy boots 
I love these closeups, Sabine. We were just talking about how the chipmunks in our area haven’t emerged so far. I don’t know the kind of chipmunks we have here but they look a lot like those in your photos. Every year is different. Two years ago there were dozens in our yard but last year just a few and unfortunately our cat killed one of them and left it for a gift. That definitely curbed her outside time for the rest of the summer.
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Wow, you get so many! I’ve never seen more than a handful at a time. A neighbor’s cat comes through here and occasionally nabs a bird. Im going to have to figure out what to do about that!
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Interesting and lovely photos.
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Thanks! Thank you also for reading and commenting! 😊
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I love the little chipmunks more than squirrels even though they are rodents. I don’t know how you get such great photos of them but they are impressive. Have a terrific weekend. Looks like summer is making its appearance.
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Marlene, I am officially inviting you to come over for breakfast and chipmunk watching! You know how much I dislike rodents, but these guys are cute! Have a good weekend too and happy Easter! 🐿
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Hope your weekend is wonderfilled too, Sabine. Looking forward to seeing them. One more week and I’m free again.
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👍
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Too cute! 🙂 They are just so comical, i think! 🙂
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Agreed! I love having them around! 🐿
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Super cute. They are as crazy to watch as the squirrels! They just make you smile with all their antics. Thanks, Sabine! Happy Easter weekend to you.
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Just watched them from the kitchen window while making coffee! They are cute! Happy Easter, Missy!
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How cute Sabine – you had mentioned your cute chipmunks and they sure are adorable. Their markings are so unique with the stripes on their back and their tail (which looks like a woolly bear caterpillar). Interesting to see how tiny they are next to the plant marker. This post made my day and I hope that you get photos of their offspring as well.
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Thanks Linda! I’m glad you enjoyed this post! These chipmunks are the only rodents I love watching, except for some squirrel antics.
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I did enjoy it Sabine. I would love to have chipmunks around here. They are so petite next to the squirrels and I loved their markings.
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