After a bit more of an interesting recent month, it’s back down to ‘normal’. I decided rather than plan anything inparticular recently, I would just go out and enjoy the day though I did hope on the two of the ocassions I did go out, that I might photograph some Roe Deer. Unlike my sucess with the Foxes, I spent some three hours searching for a sight of a Roe but nothing, just a few tracks. Large parts of the woodland were covered with a thick undergrowth, particularly ferns but still, I would have expected more.
As I was giving up I walked passed what I thought was a ray of sunshine shinning off a tree stump but after a few steps further, thought it might be a deer so walked back a little. There in the distance was a Roe staring right at me. Their eyesight isn’t great, better at picking up on movement so I just stood still and waited, and waited, and waited and still it stared without flinching. It was a case of who was going to move first which luckily it did first. As it move off I thought I might be able to set up my camera at a location I thought it might pass by – a small clearing which, if I was correct, it would have to cross. So this is what I did and waited. After around 30 minutes I figured it must have gone in a different direction so got up and started to move away when I saw to my left barely five metres away, the Roe Deer followed by a little fawn. How I didn’t see it before or it me while I was just standing there, I don’t know, but all I could do was watch it pass. Any movement and it surely would see me and I didn’t want to scare it. Strike on photo opportunity.
My second visit to the same woods proved equally futile and again I made my way back stopping at a clearing to enjoy the morning sun and the view. After about a minute I noticed a male Roe, again about five metres in front of me just starting at me. How did I not see it before and why did it not run off before? Had it been there all that time or had it walked into view before noticing me? It was another case of who could outstare the longest which again, I managed and it quietly walked into the undergrowth.
It’s amazing how an animal the size of a Roe Deer can just blend into the surrondings. Admittedly, on both these occassions I had ‘turned off’ and lost concentration, having given up on seeing anything, but still!
Above – Roe Deer (left) and Fox (right) tracks together
Below – The type of countryside visited in recent weeks from woodland to grassy fields
Another visit to the spot I photographed Foxes in early July, though the grass was even longer than before so when I did eventually see a Fox if was barely visable. I could hear alot of alarm calls from a Blackbird so I know it was around in the area, I just couldn’t see it.
A few shots from woodland areas of Grey Squirrels, Pheasants and a Jay.
Within the wetland areas I tried a fancy slow shutter speed shot of a Tern hovering. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t face towards me which would have help make the shot.
The final image was a macro attempt. Strictly not macro though as it was taken with a 300mm lens and cropped. I do have a 105mm true macro lens but I find this type of photography a completely different challange from what I normally do. There’s no way I could have got close enough to this Dragonfly with a 105 lens. Even at over 2 metres distance with the 300mm, I had to patiently ‘stalk’ it and this was taken at close to the lenses minumum focusing distance. I think maybe why I’ve never really taken up this type of photography is because, to get the best results you need sunshine and low or zero winds, not at plentiful supply in this part of the world. On this occassion I didn’t have the latter and only some of the former.
