That's nuts: Curious squirrels baffled by camera and scope

A photographer who placed some of his kit close to where squirrels were hiding food was delighted when they decided to take a closer look at his camera.

By Amanda Bourn

Published 19th Jul 2021, 11:44 BST

Updated 20th Jul 2021, 08:55 BST

Thankfully, Ian Glendinning had a second one handy and managed to capture these stunning shots in the Coquet Valley.

The retired police officer (63), who is doing post graduate research for a Masters in environmental science, started to study two family groups of red squirrels in May, and has been documenting their behaviour and interactions with photos and video.

He said: “I started to put objects into the areas where they were burying food. I found that they were so inquisitive they came to look and examine anything I put down, so I turned this behaviour into photo opportunities. Northumberland is one of the few strongholds left in England where there are populations of red squirrels."

Here are a dozen of his fantastic photographs which show some of the county’s most elusive residents in a way you've never seen them before...