A self-taught photographer from England snapped some incredible close-up photos of squirrels as they stock up on food for the winter.
Tony Nellis, 24, from Newcastle, spends his spare time and weekends scouring through Northumberland to photograph wildlife in different seasons.
Recently, he spent a month in camouflage gear hiding just a few feet away from red squirrels in a National Park near Wooler.
“There are two places I go to for red squirrel pictures near Derwent Reservoir,“ Mr. Nellis said. “The main spot I go to is in Northumberland National Park, but I keep the exact location a secret so it doesn’t get overrun.”
Mr. Nellis usually buys hazelnuts and walnuts for the squirrels to eat. He then lays them out on tree stumps and on the ground for the critters before getting in position and waiting to capture the perfect picture.
After being patient in freezing conditions, his hard work has paid off with some incredible shots that are packed with action.
One image shows a hungry squirrel devouring a nut clasped in his paws while staring into Mr. Nellis’s lens. Another shot shows a sleepy squirrel curled up on a branch after scoffing hazelnuts and walnuts.
“The picture of the one on the branch [where the squirrel] kept eating and eating, then it sat there on the branch and went to sleep,“ Mr. Nellis said. ”It went into a kind of food coma.”
He believes that the more you visit them, the more comfortable the squirrels get with you. Additionally, you also get to know the places the squirrels frequent and the best time of the day to see them.
The talented photographer is now a pro with the squirrels as they sit on his hand and take nuts from him.
After observing them for a while, Mr. Nellis has been able to share more about their personality, saying that these critters are curious by nature. He believes there are no shortcuts in getting to know them, and one has to visit them time and again to familiarise themselves with these creatures.
Moreover, the biggest challenge, according to him, is being patient in the cold weather as you can get really cold.
“You have to wait for the squirrels to come to you,“ Mr. Nellis said. ”You could be waiting there for hours in the cold.”
Another challenge that the full-time concrete factory worker faces is the bad lighting conditions in the country, giving him only a brief window of opportunity in the winter to picture them.
For the most part, it takes Mr. Nellis about two to three hours on average to snap his pictures of the squirrels.
Although Mr. Nellis enjoys photographing everything, he primarily focuses his attention on capturing images of wildlife.
“You never really know what you’ll get until you get out there and start taking pictures, it’s thrilling because every shoot is different,” Mr. Nellis said.
