My OperaA Wild Fox and other local wildlife
Friday, May 17, 2013 11:03:32 PM
After the relative lack of variety in recent days, today turned out to be rather special. It started with the inevitable shots of the young goslings. They're so cute that I can't resist taking pictures of them even though I already have far too many and the 'cute' season is only just beginning.
Some of the moorhens are nest-sitting so the appearance of some of the ugliest babies in nature can't be too long. In the meantime, the adults are taking time out to have their annual jousting competitions. Incidentally, the chicks are a solid month later this year than previously.
I was planning to head back there at lunchtime, but mid-morning received an email from a colleague who had seen a fox on the edge of campus, out near the playing fields. Fox? Sighting? Yes, that's where I headed, more in hope than anticipation of any success. For about half an hour I couldn't spot anything and was beginning to question whether I had got the right location. Then I looked up onto a grassy slope in the distance and though it was barely visible to the naked eye there was just enough of a disturbance to the green swathes to make me look through the camera.
At that kind of distance I can't expect much from the shots, but it's a start. I did move in closer once it was out of sight, but that was it for the day. I'll be back there next week if the weather holds.
The next sequence was grabbed (again at a stupidly long range) as I headed back to work. It's a buzzard being mobbed by a couple of crows.
About a week ago (I'm being really lazy in not checking exactly when) I mentioned that a herring gull had nested outside a colleagues window. I checked out the location again today, but this time from the outside (from the safety of a rooftop veranda). Here she is, and the location should make for some great opportunities to photograph the chicks when they arrive.
I'm slipping behind with video clips, but can confirm that last night's footage shows that we still have four young cubs and three adult foxes visiting.
Camera note: fox, buzzard, moorhen and first gosling shot taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The rest were taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.
Some of the moorhens are nest-sitting so the appearance of some of the ugliest babies in nature can't be too long. In the meantime, the adults are taking time out to have their annual jousting competitions. Incidentally, the chicks are a solid month later this year than previously.
I was planning to head back there at lunchtime, but mid-morning received an email from a colleague who had seen a fox on the edge of campus, out near the playing fields. Fox? Sighting? Yes, that's where I headed, more in hope than anticipation of any success. For about half an hour I couldn't spot anything and was beginning to question whether I had got the right location. Then I looked up onto a grassy slope in the distance and though it was barely visible to the naked eye there was just enough of a disturbance to the green swathes to make me look through the camera.
At that kind of distance I can't expect much from the shots, but it's a start. I did move in closer once it was out of sight, but that was it for the day. I'll be back there next week if the weather holds.
The next sequence was grabbed (again at a stupidly long range) as I headed back to work. It's a buzzard being mobbed by a couple of crows.
About a week ago (I'm being really lazy in not checking exactly when) I mentioned that a herring gull had nested outside a colleagues window. I checked out the location again today, but this time from the outside (from the safety of a rooftop veranda). Here she is, and the location should make for some great opportunities to photograph the chicks when they arrive.
I'm slipping behind with video clips, but can confirm that last night's footage shows that we still have four young cubs and three adult foxes visiting.
Camera note: fox, buzzard, moorhen and first gosling shot taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The rest were taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.
