Stay in Touch
Get sneak previews of special offers & upcoming events delivered to your inbox.
Sign in
10-13-2019 05:47 PM - edited 10-13-2019 09:32 PM
very patient and clever hooman 8-)
Nature photographer captures a daredevil red squirrel flying through the air after spending a YEAR coaxing the animals onto a specially-built climbing frame in his back garden
DailyMailUK
PUBLISHED: 10:22 EDT, 13 October 2019 | UPDATED: 10:40 EDT, 13 October 2019
A nature photographer spent a year painstakingly luring squirrels closer to his conservatory to capture these spectacular leaping squirrel shots.
Terry Donnelly, 50, from Formby, Merseyside, painstakingly positioned a handmade four-foot wooden climbing frame in his back garden, topped with hazelnuts, in his pursuit of the perfect red squirrel photo.
The professional photographer, dubbed the challenge 'man versus squirrel' after spending hours waiting in his conservatory but was rewarded with stunning images of the rare rodents flying through the air.
Terry said: 'The past year has been a real challenge - it's been man versus squirrel, but good fun too.
'The frame only took me five minutes to put together, but getting the squirrels to trust it took a long time.
He added: 'I would set up the nuts every morning, but the second I turned my back, they'd be gone.
'Squirrels hate change, so everything had to be done very slowly.
'It's all worth it when you see the final product though. Red squirrels are such lovely creatures.
'I'm very lucky to have them visit me daily.'
Formby is famous for its red squirrel population in part thanks to the National Trust sanctuary, based close to Terry's home.
Terry started the challenge by placing hazelnuts in an old plant pot at the bottom of his garden.
Every few days, he would move it closer to his house so the squirrels wouldn't notice the change.
Then, when they were close enough, Terry set up his homemade wooden climbing frame with food placed far apart so that the squirrels would have to leap to reach it.
Terry even got to know his two furry friends well enough to give them names based on their personalities.
He added: 'There's Jagger, named after his funky moves when he jumps.
'Then there's Bruce Lee, who looks like he's doing martial arts mid-air.'
~
10-13-2019 05:53 PM
Love it !!
10-13-2019 06:08 PM
oh how fun it was to see this! thank you @feline groovy
10-13-2019 06:14 PM
Such beautiful animals. That would be a fun job to have. Thanks.
10-13-2019 06:26 PM - edited 10-13-2019 09:33 PM
I adore these little guys....they make you happy just looking them. What has happened to @MisTsquirrel (not correct spelling). I always looked forward to her amazing squirrels!
10-13-2019 07:55 PM
Fabulous photos! Thanks for posting.
10-13-2019 08:40 PM
10-13-2019 08:50 PM - edited 10-13-2019 08:54 PM
I love these pictures! I hope @mistrysquirrell sees your post.
10-13-2019 11:33 PM
So wonderful!
Some of the moves do look like SUPERMAN.
Wouldn’t it be great to see them in person?
Thank you.
10-14-2019 08:50 AM
Love the squirrel photos...thank you for sharing...
Get sneak previews of special offers & upcoming events delivered to your inbox.
*You're signing up to receive QVC promotional email.
Find recent orders, do a return or exchange, create a Wish List & more.
Privacy StatementGeneral Terms of Use
QVC is not responsible for the availability, content, security, policies, or practices of the above referenced third-party linked sites nor liable for statements, claims, opinions, or representations contained therein. QVC's Privacy Statement does not apply to these third-party web sites.
© 1995-2024 QVC, Inc. All rights reserved. | QVC, Q and the Q logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc. 888-345-5788