I have a mirror in my garden, I don’t know why it was there when I bought the house, and the local squirrels are obsessed with it, they definitely know it’s a mirror and not another squirrel and they like to pose in front of it.
Unfortunately it’s at the far end of a relatively long garden, and if I get close to it they run off, so I can’t really get a picture.
That squirrel is playing chicken with the cameraperson. They’re eating off a bird feeder - they’re gonna stay and take food until the very last second, then dash off.
Though the point is fair otherwise. Some squirrels will let people get ridiculously close to them. Another option for OP is to just wait a small distance from the mirror, the same way people sometimes wait for animals to approach when birdwatching, fishing, or hunting. It could take time, but at least that time is spent enjoying the peace of nature.
The photos are all taken from the same spot, just with different lenses. The number in the caption of each photo is the size of the lens.
But yeah sitting outside and waiting long enough for wildlife to approach is a nice meditation in and of itself. If you’re flustered they won’t approach, and you have to sit relatively still and quietly for an extended time, so it’s a nice metaphor for how to observe the mind and let it naturally calm to a restful state.
Also squirrels will approach pretty close if you’re sitting still enough. It’s pretty magical to see the curious little guys checking you out. Anyone who claims animals don’t have sentience has simply never looked one in the eyes…
I have a mirror in my garden, I don’t know why it was there when I bought the house, and the local squirrels are obsessed with it, they definitely know it’s a mirror and not another squirrel and they like to pose in front of it.
Unfortunately it’s at the far end of a relatively long garden, and if I get close to it they run off, so I can’t really get a picture.
(Not my OC, just to be clear. Pretty sure I found it here and thought it was neat so I saved it)
Also, you could set up a trail cam or a web cam or something
That squirrel is playing chicken with the cameraperson. They’re eating off a bird feeder - they’re gonna stay and take food until the very last second, then dash off.
Though the point is fair otherwise. Some squirrels will let people get ridiculously close to them. Another option for OP is to just wait a small distance from the mirror, the same way people sometimes wait for animals to approach when birdwatching, fishing, or hunting. It could take time, but at least that time is spent enjoying the peace of nature.
The photos are all taken from the same spot, just with different lenses. The number in the caption of each photo is the size of the lens.
But yeah sitting outside and waiting long enough for wildlife to approach is a nice meditation in and of itself. If you’re flustered they won’t approach, and you have to sit relatively still and quietly for an extended time, so it’s a nice metaphor for how to observe the mind and let it naturally calm to a restful state.
Also squirrels will approach pretty close if you’re sitting still enough. It’s pretty magical to see the curious little guys checking you out. Anyone who claims animals don’t have sentience has simply never looked one in the eyes…
Nikon 500mm lens £2600 call it about $3500US and 3.8kg (umm 8 or 9 pounds weight I think ?)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-500mm-AF-S-NIKKOR-telephoto/dp/B000VD7TD2
And that’s before you buy the SLR camera body to connect to it…
Yeah, $20 on a trail camera mounted next to the mirror and a $20 SD card sounds like a better plan
Move the mirror or add more mirrors.
What kind of camera are.you using?