A Return

It's been a while since last posting. Not really sure if people are interested in looking at blogs anymore with social media replacing it. A lot of blogs I used to look at, also haven't posted anything in a long time. The last year has also seen a move for me and of course the lockdown, making getting out difficult. This has however, forced me to look locally for photo opportunities. 

The area is a mixture of built up residential and farmland but this is largely surrounded by the housing areas, so is quite isolated.  Just before lockdown I was able to go out to scout around the area for potential wildlife, but in late winter, it felt very bleak and with little around, so I wasn't hopeful.

After being stuck inside for months and we were able to go out with less restrictions, I got out with my camera by which time it was early summer and the area was transformed.  The most obvious of any hopeful opportunities was the abundance of Rabbits around the area, although extremly skittish.  Despite using the 'silent' shutter option on my camera, it would be enough for one click and the Rabbits would be off.  I would then have to wait up to 30-40 minutes again before any would return.

All the images were taken during the summer at around sunrise, so before there was too many people around to disturb them...and me.  The image two above, was taken of a Rabbit who seems a bit more plucky than some of the others as it seems more tolerant of the sound of my shutter.  I've seen it a few times, recognised by the left ear which has a bit missing.  Hopefully this won't be it's downfall as, on a recent visit I was surprised by a visiting Fox.

It was only a brief encounter, but gave me hope of taking pictures of which is probably my faviourite animal to see and photograph.

This was only my first sighting of a Fox after nearly three months so, unlike my usual location to photograph them, they presumably weren't common.

I have also seen the occassional Roe Deer though only ever individuals and the fields.

 

Hopefully, I'll start to post a bit more often now that I'm getting out again and as I continue to explore my local area.

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Who's Stalking Who?

I haven’t been out much this summer, but couldn’t resist what might be a last gasp spell of warm weather this bank holiday weekend.  I thought I’d try my luck with Foxes again although at this time of year the cubs dispersed, so making it less likely to see a Fox than it was a couple of months ago.  Luck have it, after a couple of hours a Fox made an appearance in the distance. 

I spent the next hour moving from one position to another trying to get into a place where I would get a perfect view point but each time I did, it proved that moving was a mistake as had I stayed put, I would have previously had the perfect view.  Finally, after nearly deciding to give, on seeing the Fox moving towards the spot I’d just moved from, I rushed back, though not hopeful of getting back there in time.

After around a 100 metre sprint, with a heavy 500mm lens plus camera and equipment, I got back at the spot where it was almost certainly going to pass by.  I was sure it would have already passed and my unstealthily heavy breathing as I tried to catch my breath, would probably scare it away anyway.  No sooner that I got there, it appeared and caught sight of me but instead of running off, it actually started to slowly walk towards me, as if stalking me and had an intense stare – very unnerving!  After a minute staring at me it disappeared before quickly reappearing and after another stare, was off.

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The Fox & Rabbit II

It’s not often  I will go back to a successful shoot at a location in the hope of replicating the success again as it rarely turns out that way, but at this time of year it’s a great time to see and photograph foxes as this years young haven’t left for their own territories so you have a number of foxes in one place some of which haven’t yet learnt to fear humans.

With that in mind I returned to the same location as before.  Conditions were different.  Instead of dull, damp weather there was sunshine and, out of the wind at least, a little warmer.  However this time the wind was coming from a different location so my previous ideal position now had it coming from behind me, making me upwind from their location.  This and the lack of rabbits feeding may have been the reason that, after two hours, little was seen.

Eventually, the mobbing calls of a couple of magpies caught my attention so moved to a different location to see what the fuss was about.  The new place was more sheltered and what little wind there was now came towards me.  Unfortunately, for the first time in a number of years I was hit by a bad case of hay fever, maybe because of the lack of wind but it was very sudden and my eyes were itching like mad and starting to stream.

Just then a fox came out of nowhere and across my front.  At this point I could barely see never mind try and focus on a moving fox through long grass.  A couple of shots is all I managed, mostly out of focus or largely hidden by the vegetation.  The rabbits further out, although alert to its presence, didn’t seem overly concerned until, after initially disappearing from my view, it sprinted out out after them.  It was all over in seconds and again, I had nothing but blurry images due to the problems of trying to focus in the long grass.

With my hay fever moderately better, after a couple of anti-histamines, decided to go back to my previous location despite the problems with the wind direction and being colder at least I had a more open view and it was where I had the previous weeks success.  Again, after another hour and nothing happening it had to be my being upwind that was the issue and after, once again hearing the mobbing of the magpies, moved to investigate.

As I approached the noise I kept coming up to rabbits, frozen.  Normally they would be off in a flash with someone approaching them but they clearly they thought I was a lesser threat than presumably the fox or foxes ahead.  Each time I chose not to make, what must have been an already stressful time for them any worse, so gave them some space and went around them.  One rabbit I stumbled across, I was so close I couldn’t even focus that near so had to back away just to get a photograph.

Despite the obvious presence of foxes, I wasn’t able to get closer due to the ring of clearly fraught rabbits around the area, so returned back to my original location.

I know there is a lot of photographers who shoot wildlife to whom getting ‘the image’ is all important and I don’t think they realise the impact they might have.  I remember reading once how, for wildlife, it’s a day-to-day struggle for survival it it did make me think.  I don’t chase after wildlife and if I think my presence will cause unnecessary stress, I will back away without an image.

There has been so many times I have had close encounters with an animal, particularly foxes and deer, where I stumbled across them without their knowing of my presence.  But because I was so close, rather than ‘get the image’ and inevitably give the animal a shock, I have stayed quiet and let them pass without knowing I was there.  There is a certain satisfaction in being within metres of a wild animal, unaware of you and simply being able to watch it rather than it see you and run off.

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In A Sea of Grass

A recent deluge of rain after a couple of months of almost none has given the the plants and grass a sudden sprout of growth though still not as tall and lushes as you would normally expect at this time of year.  Still, it means it’s easier to see the local wildlife.  Having said that, my first hour was spent watching a loan Rabbit which, despite my use of a net as a cover, I think it new I was there though didn’t seem particularly bothered.  Every now and then it would poke its head up and sniff the air as if there was a scent if was unsure about.

When it started to seem like all the morning would show would be this single Rabbit, from my left I saw a streak of red brown moving through the tall grass.  Although I could only see the very top, it could be only one thing, a Fox and it was heading in the same direction as the unsuspecting Rabbit.  A brief stop in an ideally located spot in the grass meant I managed to grab a quick snatch image before it plunged down again.

It disappeared for a while and I watched the line it was following, expecting it to come out at a spot near the Rabbit, it didn’t, instead making a 45 degree change of direction and headed away from me.  As it headed off, it wasn’t being very obliging for me although a quick look back meant I could at least get another quick couple of shots. I watched it for a further twenty minutes or so in the distance whilst it hunted for rodents with clearly some success as I could see it rummaging around in the undergrowth followed by a violent shaking of the head and some chomping on whatever it had found.

Eventually it went on its way leaving the Rabbit remaining completely oblivious as to how close it came to being a possible meal for the Fox though it’s quite likely the Fox could have continued on its original path and completely miss the unsuspecting Rabbit in the dense undergrowth.

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Same Time, Same Place…

…different results.  As is so often I’ve found, you can rarely ever re-create the same success previously achieve, as was the case on this occasion. I wasn’t going to bother posting this as the images aren’t good and are few and far between but I did think it was a good example of how unpredictable wildlife, and particularly photographing it, can be.

I went to the exact same location at the same time with even the weather being the same, sunny, warm condition, in the hope of achieving the same success as before in seeing and photographing some young Foxes.  Result?  Completely different. 

As with a couple of weeks earlier I waited quietly in the same place and again, after a couple of hours the Magpies started to make a noise suggesting a predator was about but I only got a quick glimpse of a Fox.

Certainly the Rabbits were on high alert, obviously due to the Magpies activities.  The grass was a little higher than last time making any sighting harder to photograph, so when a particularly loud commotion came from my right, I went to investigate.  I stopped at a good vantage point only to see a Fox sprint across after one of the Rabbits.  Ironically, had I stayed where I previously was, I would have hand the perfect view!

The Fox, obviously unsuccessful in its hunt walked back the same way, spotted me, out in the open having not settled down yet – took one look at me and was off!

The Rabbits remained wary for a while but eventually settled back into their feeding.  The Magpies continued excitedly back and forth for a while but I didn’t get any further glimpses.

As I said, I wasn’t going to bother posting this due to it not being particularly exciting.  The Fox images were fleeting snaps and the sun was bright and in my face – and so behind the subjects making exposure difficult and way too contrasting.  Still, a morning spent in the warm sunshine is always a good thing.

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Close Encounters of the Fox Kind

A trip out in the hope to see and photograph Foxes proved perfect early summer conditions, little wind and not too hot with of sunshine though the latter proved to be as much of a hinder from a photographic point of view.

The best of the summer weather so far this year I’ve only been a spectator to, looking at it through a distant window at work so I was determined to make the most of the opportunity this Saturday with a forecast of sunny spells all day.  Although I arrived on location before 7:00 am, the sun was already quite high up and so the light was very strong and bright.  From a photography view, on the one hand it gives you plenty of scope to reduce the ISO and open up the lens while still keeping a fast shutter speed but the harshness made for some very contrasting  images especially when shooting against the sun, still, I wasn’t complaining.

The birds were out singing in force from the tree tops and Rabbits out in the open meadow parts, seemed very relaxed and unbothered making me think there weren’t any Foxes about.  After nearly an hour later, Magpies, always a good indicator of the presence of predators, started making a noise and then I caught the briefest glimpse of a Fox in the distance which soon disappeared under cover though not out of sight of the Magpies that followed it continuing to mob it before either getting bored or loosing sight of it.

With all this commotion going on, the Rabbits in front of me were clearly a bit agitated, looking around and a couple going for cover but soon everything returned to peace.

Another hour passed when the Magpies started up again, this time to my right, so I moved from my hidden position to investigate though could see nothing.  Returning, I saw a Fox out in the open just were earlier I had my lens pointed at.  Surprisingly it didn’t see me so I was able to get back under my cover and take a shot.  I normally use my camera on ‘silent’ mode when shooting Foxes or Deer which they traditionally ignore or don’t hear.  Surprisingly, despite the distance, this one not only heard it but was quite nervous by the faint click.

Staring right at me, it was probably unsure what to make of me, half under cover and the other under netting which I carry around me for such occasions.  Another release of the shutter and that was it, the Fox ran back the way it came.  It was clear this was a young Fox, which from previous experience makes them less weary and curious.  Not this one.

Fifteen minutes later it returned, only closer this time and again started to cross over in front of me and again I took a photo and again, after a good look in my direction decided it didn’t like what it saw and went back again.  Another ten minutes later, once again it returned.  Clearly it wanted to get across to the other side so this time I settled to just watch it and leave it in peace.  Surprisingly it went right past two Rabbits which seemed completely indifferent to it’s presence.  I wondered if, because it was just a youngster, they thought it wasn’t a threat.

Nearly two hours later, I got up and leaving my camera set up, I stretched my legs.  When I returned I saw to my right a Fox nearby out in the open about five metres away. Unfortunately, I too was in the open except for my lower half hidden in the undergrowth.  This Fox started walking toward me and I was sure it was about to spot me – how could it miss not seeing me!  It stopped momentarily sniffing the air but with no wind it probably couldn’t detect me by scent.  I ducked down under cover and waited and still it came on until one point I could have reached out and touched it by which time, it new something wasn’t right and darted back.

You would have thought that would be it, but a few minutes later this young Fox, probably a sibling of the other one earlier in the morning and certainly equally determined, came back and proceeded along the same path as before only this time I had my camera pointed in the right direction and was ready.  With this Fox, the noise of a single press of the shutter had the effect I would normally expect – stopping and a curious look but continue on its way – which it did.  Eventually it got so close I couldn’t focus on it and, as before, so close it eventually detected me with the same result of darting back.

Much like the Fox earlier, I guessed it probably would have made a third attempt at its journey, and as before I decided not to interfere moving to another position from the route.  This was the position where I started the day and soon another Fox appeared, possibly the same adult and probably one of the parents of the two young ones I had been seeing all morning.  This one saw the grazing Rabbits out in the open and made a half hearted stalk attempt on one of them which clearly saw it and hopped away not too concerned.

With midday approaching and the absence of any further sightings, I decided to call it a day.  What could be better than spending a relaxing, summers morning in the warm sunshine watching Foxes.

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Bit of a Rant

A visit in recent weeks to one of the local ‘Nature Reserves’ was, not unexpectantly, disappointing.  When I first went there around seven years ago, it was a gold mine for wildlife as, along with wide range of bird and insect life, there was an abundance of mammals too – Deer, Foxes and Rabbits – all regularly seen.

It wasn’t long that I noticed a big increase in dog walkers and in particular irresponsible ones.  I would see dogs chasing after the many Rabbits, the birds breading on the small lake and even on one occasion, a Fox.  Coincidently with this rise came the decrease in these animals.  The visit recently was more out of hope than anything, but where there was once an abundance of Rabbits around the many warrens, they have all now been abandoned and filled in.  Probably linked to this was the lack of sightings or signs of any Foxes.  At a time when birds are gearing up for breading, the only birds on the lake I could see where two Swans and a Coot.  Deer probably were around but now strictly nocturnal and since they seemed to live off the reserve on surrounding private land have been largely unaffected.

Deserted Rabbit Warrens

Below.  Taken at the exact same warren, but years earlier when it was thriving

A dog chasing after a breeding bird (Coot) that had just taken off

There was still lots of songbirds to be seen and heard, but these can much easily hide and escape this kind of disturbance but for me a place like this is about the whole ecosystem and particularly the larger animals which not only helps make the place but is a good indicator how healthy environmentally it is.

There was one glimmer of hope or possible another side of the gloom and that was spotting a Red Squirrel.  Since the introduction of the Grey Squirrel, the Red has rapidly been disappearing from south to north.  Where I would once regularly see these extremely endearing creatures, they are now an extremely rare sight in these parts.

It was a surprise to see one on this occasion and reminded me of a time I would sit in a quiet part of any one of the local woods and watch them chasing each other up and down the trees - they would even come up close to you.  I stumbled across this one which was feeding on the woodland floor and, characteristically darted partially up the nearest tree only to stop and look at me, showing curiosity.  After disappearing from my sight I thought I had lost it only to find it had worked its way behind me and was watching me.  A Grey Squirrel would simply vanish.  There was one problem however as can be seen by the quick picture I managed to get and that it obviously has a problem.  Probably some kind of mange as it had lost some of its fur.

There was no sight of any others so this may have been a stray and looking around there wasn’t the usual signs of residential squirrels, however I haven’t seen any Greys in this woodland either so it’s possible they are hanging on here.

 

It takes more to make a Nature Reserve than simply slapping a sign at the entrance and to say keep dogs under control.  It’s unfortunate that we live in a time where people are becoming more and more selfish to others and indifferent to the environment and nature.  It’s also unfortunate that no council that oversees these locations would ever have the bottle or even inclination to have dog free area reserves which would allow wildlife to thrive.  I know from regularly visiting a privately owned reserve which doesn’t allow dogs, the difference is like day and night.  People still visit but people don’t tend to go running after the wildlife and the local wildlife can adjust to seeing people walking by.

This isn’t a dig at the dogs but squarely at the owners who, over the years I’ve found the vast majority couldn’t care in the slightest to others and who seem to believe that when they go out, wherever they are is purely for their benefit.

 

This is the sight I would love to see again at this and other reserves but sadly is unlikely

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All’s Quiet

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.

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