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John's Mammals 2012 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Farnboro John
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Two afternoon trips to Papercourt for Short-eared Owls, Thursday and today, Seven birds yesterday, and my first Field Vole of the year. Unfortunately an Owl had it clutched in its beak by the back of the neck, so not a candidate for the year list.
Today only four owls, but one perched up right in front of me allowing a nice perched shot. I was enjoying watching three Roe Deer - a doe and two big fawns - until a complete cretin came along with a spaniel that stuck close to him and a pointer that was roaming everywhere and sniffing carefully. I marked it as a hunter and watched its movements carefully. I thought the owner was on top of things as he called it successfully several times, but it winded the deer and was away, totally ignoring the urgent whistles from the owner and then shouts. The deer all broke cover and legged it, one fawn became slightly separated and the dog selected its target.
I have just discovered that I have never before seen a Roe Deer flat out.....
The deer crossed the field in huge fast bounds, but the dog was also moving very fast and although the deer gained a few yards it was not getting clear as quickly as I had thought it would. However, it was plain that the dog was hunting by sight and the fawn led it through a bit of scrub and doubled - and completely threw the damn dog, which continued on its line, rejoined the path near me and belted off after its now departed master. Watching the chase I had not realised the dog's owner had simply walked on, assuming his dog would catch up at some point. I've always said there are no bad dogs, only bad owners and I stand by that: but if I go for the owls again and that bloke turns up I shall have something to say.
The fawn stood recovering its composure (also cooling down and resting) near me for some time. I wanted to let it move away without further disturbance but by dusk, as cloud mounted, it was still in the same place and I had to make a move. It watched me carefully but didn't spook, for which I was grateful as I felt it had had enough excitement for one evening.
As well as the Short-eared Owls, today Tawny, Barn and Little Owls were on site. I can't match Mark's parrot array but there were plenty of Ring-necked Parakeets present as well.
John
Today only four owls, but one perched up right in front of me allowing a nice perched shot. I was enjoying watching three Roe Deer - a doe and two big fawns - until a complete cretin came along with a spaniel that stuck close to him and a pointer that was roaming everywhere and sniffing carefully. I marked it as a hunter and watched its movements carefully. I thought the owner was on top of things as he called it successfully several times, but it winded the deer and was away, totally ignoring the urgent whistles from the owner and then shouts. The deer all broke cover and legged it, one fawn became slightly separated and the dog selected its target.
I have just discovered that I have never before seen a Roe Deer flat out.....
The deer crossed the field in huge fast bounds, but the dog was also moving very fast and although the deer gained a few yards it was not getting clear as quickly as I had thought it would. However, it was plain that the dog was hunting by sight and the fawn led it through a bit of scrub and doubled - and completely threw the damn dog, which continued on its line, rejoined the path near me and belted off after its now departed master. Watching the chase I had not realised the dog's owner had simply walked on, assuming his dog would catch up at some point. I've always said there are no bad dogs, only bad owners and I stand by that: but if I go for the owls again and that bloke turns up I shall have something to say.
The fawn stood recovering its composure (also cooling down and resting) near me for some time. I wanted to let it move away without further disturbance but by dusk, as cloud mounted, it was still in the same place and I had to make a move. It watched me carefully but didn't spook, for which I was grateful as I felt it had had enough excitement for one evening.
As well as the Short-eared Owls, today Tawny, Barn and Little Owls were on site. I can't match Mark's parrot array but there were plenty of Ring-necked Parakeets present as well.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Might well be up for that, can't do this weekend but next Sat should be fine I think.
John
Robert S J Smith
Well-known member
There was an Otter showing from the Bittern hide at Minsmere yesterday evening, we had heard they were regularly being seen and low and behold within minutes one did! Also 3 Red Deer hinds at Dunwich, a Rat on the roadside at Fakenham and what I think was a Short-tailed Field Vole legging it across the road on my way home to Lynn...
Cheers,
Robert
P.s. John, I think I may have meet you and not realised on the 15th at Walpole Park, Hants? I was the lad standing next to you when a Med Gull dropped in near the bin...
Cheers,
Robert
P.s. John, I think I may have meet you and not realised on the 15th at Walpole Park, Hants? I was the lad standing next to you when a Med Gull dropped in near the bin...
scary-canary
Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some
OOps, put this on the 2011 thread originally.
Wondered what was taking the fat balls in my garden overnight. Then set up my trail cam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgIgl...ature=youtu.be
Wondered what was taking the fat balls in my garden overnight. Then set up my trail cam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgIgl...ature=youtu.be
MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
Last edited:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
The only Field Voles I have seen this year were firmly clenched by Short-eared Owls and definitely beyond year-ticking.
Sadly it was not me, I was there the day before yesterday, though Med Gull was still around. I wonder who was impersonating me?
John
Robert S J Smith
Well-known member
I've got the date wrong it was the 14th not the 15th lol!
MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
The house mouse now has a friend caught this morning, I will keep them for a few weeks (I feel mean letting them go in this weather) so no rush to see them.
Mark
edenwatcher
Well-known member
First "garden" otter for a while on Saturday. Prolonged views of it fishing, which was nice.
Also a fox this morning.
Rob
Also a fox this morning.
Rob
Farnboro John
Well-known member
First Brown Hare of the year on Saturday at Burpham, sitting quietly but confidently in the open while a myriad Common Buzzards, Red Kites and Kestrels, plus the odd Hen Harrier and Rough-leg, wheeled overhead.
John
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I went for the Tundra Bean Goose at Thorpe this evening. It had left its regular field sometime after lunch, though nobody had bothered to update the news services with this fact.
However, I ultimately gained from this omission when a Red Fox trotted past the young bullocks occupying the field and one decided to chase it. You don't see a cow chasing a fox every day, and even after the playful bovine had desisted, the Fox carrieed on running across the middle of the snowy field with my camera clattering as I recorded its progress.
Two days ago the bullocks were amusing themselves by chasing the geese, running straight at them till they flew up, then ambling across the field and repeating the process. Bonkers Bullocks Bother Birds!
I'll put a fox pic or two up later.
John
However, I ultimately gained from this omission when a Red Fox trotted past the young bullocks occupying the field and one decided to chase it. You don't see a cow chasing a fox every day, and even after the playful bovine had desisted, the Fox carrieed on running across the middle of the snowy field with my camera clattering as I recorded its progress.
Two days ago the bullocks were amusing themselves by chasing the geese, running straight at them till they flew up, then ambling across the field and repeating the process. Bonkers Bullocks Bother Birds!
I'll put a fox pic or two up later.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Had an unaccustomed lie-in this morning, which worked in my favour when I eventually did get into the field.
I decided to go and look for a recently reported Firecrest not far from the Moor Green reserve, and almost the first thing I encountered on entering the holly woodland was a Weasel. I don't see many Weasels in the course of a year (I missed it last year) so to clock one at all is great, but this one stood the other side of a fence and looked at me calmly. At one point it stood up on its hind legs but the wire fence defeated my attempt to photograph this.
Fortunately I did manage a couple of shots through the mesh and one is shown below. A very satisfying encounter.
Leter, a Grey Squirrel kept a wary eye on me from the trunk of an oak tucked behind the nearest hollies.
I didn't find the Firecrest but didn't really mind.
John
I decided to go and look for a recently reported Firecrest not far from the Moor Green reserve, and almost the first thing I encountered on entering the holly woodland was a Weasel. I don't see many Weasels in the course of a year (I missed it last year) so to clock one at all is great, but this one stood the other side of a fence and looked at me calmly. At one point it stood up on its hind legs but the wire fence defeated my attempt to photograph this.
Fortunately I did manage a couple of shots through the mesh and one is shown below. A very satisfying encounter.
Leter, a Grey Squirrel kept a wary eye on me from the trunk of an oak tucked behind the nearest hollies.
I didn't find the Firecrest but didn't really mind.
John
Attachments
Farnboro John
Well-known member
On Sunday Steve and I hit Pulborough for a crack at the Firecrest and the very showy Water Rail. The latter didn't show all day, or at least not while we were near the reserve centre!
The Firecrest showed near Fattengates all morning but with rubbish light and the bird mostly in the middle of the firs pictures were difficult. Eventually both of us had something halfway usable and we moved on to the hides, pausing on the way to photograph a big ol' Rabbit halfway through moulting. The Whitefronts appeared, sat around distantly then flew off down the valley again, and we had a photographic treat when a Grey Plover flew in and a local Lapwing squared up to it.
Later we got some shots of the dark Fallow Deer (about 100 loitering on the reserve, and 50 or more later at Coldwaltham) and Marsh Tits among lots of common garden birds around the feeders.
Not a bad day out and I'll put some pix up later.
John
The Firecrest showed near Fattengates all morning but with rubbish light and the bird mostly in the middle of the firs pictures were difficult. Eventually both of us had something halfway usable and we moved on to the hides, pausing on the way to photograph a big ol' Rabbit halfway through moulting. The Whitefronts appeared, sat around distantly then flew off down the valley again, and we had a photographic treat when a Grey Plover flew in and a local Lapwing squared up to it.
Later we got some shots of the dark Fallow Deer (about 100 loitering on the reserve, and 50 or more later at Coldwaltham) and Marsh Tits among lots of common garden birds around the feeders.
Not a bad day out and I'll put some pix up later.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
jasperpatch
Amy, Brit in Quebec.
A canadian contribution....
Hello all,
I've been following this thread in the shadows and thought I'd add a couple of my mammal pics from this year, all from the same encounter, with a red fox, a week or so ago.
I moved to Canada from the UK over two years ago now, and still get very excited about the mammals that are so 'exotic' to me (chipmunks, raccoons, skunks etc, all in the back yard.) Foxes are one of the few that I did see back in the UK too, but this meeting was definitely a rarity.
We were walking on the Ottawa river (its frozen solid currently) and saw the fox run up the bank away from us (and our dog). We thought the flash of red as it legged it would be the best view we got, but he returned, took a good look at us, and then curled up for a yawn and a nap. Magical.
looking forward to keeping up with everyone elses encounters in the year ahead.
Amy
Hello all,
I've been following this thread in the shadows and thought I'd add a couple of my mammal pics from this year, all from the same encounter, with a red fox, a week or so ago.
I moved to Canada from the UK over two years ago now, and still get very excited about the mammals that are so 'exotic' to me (chipmunks, raccoons, skunks etc, all in the back yard.) Foxes are one of the few that I did see back in the UK too, but this meeting was definitely a rarity.
We were walking on the Ottawa river (its frozen solid currently) and saw the fox run up the bank away from us (and our dog). We thought the flash of red as it legged it would be the best view we got, but he returned, took a good look at us, and then curled up for a yawn and a nap. Magical.
looking forward to keeping up with everyone elses encounters in the year ahead.
Amy
Attachments
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Hi Amy,
Nice pictures- the yawn shot is awesome! Is that a typical Canadian Red Fox? It seems quite pale compared to ours.
John
Nice pictures- the yawn shot is awesome! Is that a typical Canadian Red Fox? It seems quite pale compared to ours.
John
