[Farnboro John]

Fourth of January and back in the office after three days of perfect weather for getting out.

I'd have seen more if I hadn't managed a double dip on the Brown Shrike, but as things stand I have seen 8 species of mammals so far and 75 birds.

By the time I felt alive enough to get out on 1st, the local Great Grey Shrike was on the pager and in fact was showing well when I arrived. Three Common Crossbills also showed well - a good local bird. I year-ticked Steve Davis at the site then picked up Clare to try for two shrikes in a day - without success. We did have a splendid late afternoon photo-session with a bunch of Ring-necked Parakeets in Hithermoor Road, the first point-blank targets for the Canon 500mm F4 IS USM that Santa brought me. Oh what a joy to use! The only mammal of the daylight hours was a Grey Squirrel, but Tansy (my Mum's German Shepherd now permanently resident with me) found me three Red Foxes during her early evening walk.

Saturday 2 Jan saw me out early trying for pix of the New Forest Red Deer. I saw about 20 but they were all on the far side of the common and too far for me to walk. The Fallow Deer I saw spooked before I could get the camera on them so it was two year-ticks and no photos. Two Ravens added to the quality of the morning as did brief car-borne views of two Bramblings shooting up off a verge, and some more Common Crossbills.

I then returned to the local area, picked up Steve and we went for my second dip on the Brown Shrike. It certainly seems to be a morning bird. We did get views of some Water Pipits (very flighty, that took some effort) and more parakeets. A female Kestrel sitting on a bush stayed put till I got close enough for some nice pix. Moving to Wraysbury we found three Smew on Sunnymead (two redheads and a drake) then I dropped Steve back home and nipped down the M3 to Greywell for a few farmland bits and pieces.

Yesterday Marion and I went shopping in Guildford but I got out in the afternoon. Sandhurst sewage farm had several wintering Chiffchaffs and hordes of Pied Wags with a few Greys and - for the first time in years - a Water Pipit! Good local bird. A Brown Rat was creeping through the brambles on the far side of the river Blackwater and my first Roe Deer of the year was in the meadows beyond the filter beds.

From there I reached Moor Green late afternoon and had excellent views of Little Owl and my first Rabbits of the year, one of which actually crossed the ice in the corner of the lake, just too quickly for my camera.

I finished the "day" - the sun was down before I left Moor Green - down by the canal, where I had counted on calling Tawny Owl (no show) and hoped a Badger might pop out (one did so and gave me a great view, but dived down at the first flash of the camera).

John

[MarkHows]

Happy New Year

Since I had tea with you on the 28th I have been laid up with swine flu, my only ticks Grey Squirrel and Brown rat both garden residents, back in the land of the living now so hope to have a few more at the weekend.

I saw John's new toys and looking forward to some cracking photos this year.

Mark

[skink1978]

Happy New Year and I look forward to another 12 months of your mammal exploits

I’ve only managed Grey Seal, Grey Squirrel and Brown Hare so far, although I was only metres away from a Water Vole yesterday. I could hear it gnawing on reeds in the only unfrozen part of a pond, although a thick blanket of snow prevented a view.

I also found fresh Otter tracks at another site, leading from the river and over an adjacent, frozen oxbow pond.

[michael23]

hey john, happy new year to you both, look forward to seeing some pics!
Started the new year off with red deer at bradgate country park (leicester) along with fallow and roe deer.
May have a weasel in the garden, but not tracked it down yet!

[MarkHows]

Originally Posted by michael23

hey john, happy new year to you both, look forward to seeing some pics!
Started the new year off with red deer at bradgate country park (leicester) along with fallow and roe deer.
May have a weasel in the garden, but not tracked it down yet!

Hopefully if you put some food out for it it may become regular and then you can invite us all up and John can murder it with his monster new lens.

Mark

[Isurus]

"Canon 500mm F4 IS USM that Santa brought me" Nice!

My mammalling new year's resolution for 2010 is to get shots of black rat, guernsey vole and both white toothed shrews. Do we want to take bets on how many of the 4 I'll see/shoot?

[Hotspur]

I see birdguides has a female Bearded Seal on Yell

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

I see birdguides has a female Bearded Seal on Yell

The pictures are at latest sea mammals on the Shetland Sea Mammal Grouip website, total cripplers! (As are hundreds of Otter and Orca shots by Shetlanders from last year - its definitely a website to keep an eye on).

I'm trying to work out how much I want to go, given that I don't need it for Britain, Maz does but doesn't care and the weather is a bit on the dodgy side just now!

John

[JWN Andrewes]

Originally Posted by Farnboro John

given that I don't need it for Britain

John

Ah, but do you have photos?!

Happy New Year to the both of you by the way.

James

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by JWN Andrewes

Ah, but do you have photos?!

Happy New Year to the both of you by the way.

James

You know perfectly well that I have, but they aren't digital (Nor as close as you had it)!

Happy New Year to you and your family as well.

John

[Farnboro John]

Further to last exchange with James, a scanned copy of my Bearded Seal pic from Hartlepool is attached.

John

[Farnboro John]

Since the snow fell, all the foxes I was seeing regularly have evaporated. Just when I had sussed the best technique for getting them on camera in the dark (they're a lot more mobile and flighty than Badgers)!

Anyone else noticed the same thing?

John

[ChrisKten]

Originally Posted by Farnboro John

Since the snow fell, all the foxes I was seeing regularly have evaporated. Just when I had sussed the best technique for getting them on camera in the dark (they're a lot more mobile and flighty than Badgers)!

Anyone else noticed the same thing?

John

As you know, John, I noticed the opposite. Although my sightings are all during the first couple of hours after Sunrise. Also, as you know, they relate to a specific environment and circumstances.

[snlw]

I have just been looking at some of the local blogs and noticed on the Birding Amersham blog that an Edible Doormouse has been seen in Chesham this week despite the current temperatures. Has anyone else seen anything unusal during this cold spell?

Simon

[Farnboro John]

After three days off I am happy to report that my local foxes have reappeared, presumably having figured out the snow etc. the problem now is that the one near the house keeps appearing when I am with the dog (who barks at it, not that Reynard seems worried) rather than my camera, but that is I think a soluble problem.

On the evening of 7th January I staked out Sandy Bay at Fleet Pond in the hope of seeing a fox there or in the nearby streets (where they are common and approachable). I had no success with foxes but added Water Rail and Woodcock to the bird year list.

I had a lie-in on my birthday then headed out to Greywell, seeing what I thought were four Fallow Deer in a field by the M3 but two days later finding three definite Roe Deer within inches of the same spot - off the local list for now.

My usual parking places were a foot under snow so I parked in the village and walked out to the fields via the head of the river, knocking off Marsh Tit for the year just past the churchyard. Out in the fields I added a Red Kite, and found a few rabbits under the hedge along the main track to the cow sheds. Just past there I found a big flock of Yellowhammers feeding in a maize belt and settled down to go through them carefully. while I was doing so I caught sight of a smallish mammal leaping through the uneven snow, using runs below it then popping out on top. I thought it would be a Stoat but a waving fleshy tail revealed a Brown Rat, suddenly closely followed by a second.

Even more suddenly the sky above me was ripped by the very close thrum of wind snapping through speeding feathers and an adult Peregrine just about took my hat off before scattering the Yellowhammers and causing a few Red-legged Partridges to dive for thicker cover.

Back at home five local Greylags over the house were a birthday bonus.

9th January and continuing bright sunshine lead me to take Maz on a drive round to see the snow while a lot of it was still coating trees. After that I went to Moor Green, having increasing confidence that I could drive in and out of the car park safely.

I made my way down to the hide from where I could see the regular red-and-grey fox hunting the North shore of the lake. He was trotting across even snow but poking his nose and sometimes insinuating his entire self into every clump of snow-clad Gorse and bramble under which animals and birds might be feeding on bare ground. I got a couple of snaps of him then began scanning the wildfowl. Apart from three or four Goosanders, the only duck of note was a hybrid Aythya, with a pointy chestnut head (and breast), reddish eye, grey flank patch and much darker grey (though not black) back. The crown peak was about over the eye. My guess would be Pochard X Ferruginous Duck but I am no expert on yuck ducks.

Two Barn Owls were sitting in the box entrances. I thought they might come out later and decided to stick with Moor Green for the rest of the afternoon. In the meantime I began checking out the feeders, getting nice pix of Great Tit and Blue Tit (the latter species has always given me trouble photographically) plus a showy Nuthatch. At the bottom of a big Oak, below a peanut feeder, a Bank Vole hoovered up the scraps falling from above but was just too quick for my camera.

Another birder was just up the track, also photographing birds. I spotted a Roebuck in velvet and set off to get a shot. Because I was watching the deer and not the path, I accidentally walked into the area the other chap was using. Whoops. He was very understanding about it. I had to go round onto the road but did find a line through to the deer and got some reasonable shots.

As the afternoon came towards its end the two Barn Owls did indeed come out to hunt, and I was happily getting better and better shots until suddenly my card was full with no spare, just as one owl came straight across the field at me down to ten yards. Aaarghh!

Mega view though.

Back at base I was due to go for a belated birthday curry with Maz, my brother Dave and his partner Taru (whose birthday had been on Monday). Normally birdthday owners aren't required to drive but his Rover 75 was, frankly, hopeless in the snow and Maz's little Rover not much better so I volunteered my own car and driving services. We had a good evening including seeing a pair of foxes near Dave's house on the way back.

Tansy and I flushed a Grey Heron off the brook at about 1130 and also saw the local fox there (I'd love to know what the dog has against it: she doesn't bark like that at either dogs or cats as a rule) but the last mammal of the day was a Wood Mouse bombing along under and over the snow just outside our front door, to Marion's horror.

10 January was another slow start before I picked up Clare for a tour of both Moor Green and Greywell. Both Little and Barn Owls were showing at Moor Green, along with the lunchtime fox, yuck duck, Goosanders, a drake Goldeneye, a bank Vole in the car park and both Rabbits and Roe Deer.

At Greywell Clare's sharp eyes picked out the thin top line of a Brown Hare in a snow form (we found three more later) and we had three Brown Rats raiding game bird feeders. Thee were several Reed Buntings in among the Yellowhammers but raptors, apart from Buzzards and Kestrels, were not in evidence.

A cup of tea at the car was serenaded by a pre-roost of about a thousand mixed Rooks and Jackdaws to close a day in which we noticed for the first time a distinctly later dusk.

The local fox once again thumbed his nose at me while I was walking the dog late at night (she didn't see him this time), but had gone by the time I returned with the camera.

John

[Jos Stratford]

Happy New Year John, good luck on the mammals this year.

Not a bad Christmas and New Year to report, highlight on the mammal front two Eastern Grey Wolves and one Fisher, none photographed very well. Best efforts on the wolves below (picture three a crop of picture two)...

[Farnboro John]

[quote=Jos Stratford;1697574]Happy New Year John, good luck on the mammals this year.

two Eastern Grey Wolves and one Fisher, none photographed very well. /QUOTE]

Depends on your point of view, given I haven't seen Eastern Grey Wolf (or any other - just what is the current taxonomic thinking?) at all I'd be considering pic 2 for next year's Christmas card!

Bravo

John

[Farnboro John]

Foxy sat for his first portrait last night, and I do mean sat!

I reversed the usual order of things and before giving Tansy her closedown walk, went out with my camera. Our local Red Fox was just crossing the wooden bridge back to the playing field side of the brook from the estate. He heard my approach crunching over the snow and walked off along the far side of the brook, not hurrying but going faster than I could comfortably walk with a tripod and big lens over my shoulder.

At this point I remembered that although my head torch was stretched over my ridiculous fur hat (best Secret Santa present ever), it wasn't switched on. That may sound a*** about face when you are sneaking up on a fox but that is the point: you can't sneak up on a fox so your best hope is that he recognises you as not a threat, and he normally sees me with a light on my head. I switched it on and he stopped near a line of oaks leading away from the brook and sat down while I walked along my side of the brook to the point of closest approach.

I set up the tripod and looked across: he was still sitting watching me. There was plenty of light reflecting off the snow to allow me to accurately focus manually, and I noted happily that I could also use the eyeshine reflected from the head torch for the purpose, which will be useful once the snow has gone!

One frame: totally sharp, some flare from the eyes. Fox still there. Second frame, totally sharp, slightly more flare, he must have looked more straight at me. As I looked back again he casually rose to his feet and began to walk away. I squeaked as I would for a Weasel and he stopped and turned his head, so I got another frame off (not quite as sharp and still eye-flare) before he completely lost interest and ambled off.

Hopefully this is the start of a long term relationship with Foxy and his family.

Here's one I prepared earlier (over Christmas, just before I started work with the new lens, unfortunately).

John

[AlexC]

Man, I wish I had an eye for mammals like you do, John!

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by Farnboro John

Depends on your point of view, given I haven't seen Eastern Grey Wolf (or any other - just what is the current taxonomic thinking?) at all I'd be considering pic 2 for next year's Christmas card!

Despite living in a country with a population numbering some hundred, I have yet to see them here (finding tracks is easy).

I'm not well up on it, but it seems there are currently six or so wolf species - so far, my wolf tally amounts to a pack of Indian Wolf (Canis indica) in the desert grasslands of Gujarat some years ago and these two Eastern Grey Wolves (Canis lycaon) this hoiday just gone. In both cases, India and Canada, the Woves really were highlights of the trip.

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by AlexC

Man, I wish I had an eye for mammals like you do, John!

Thank you very much. It comes of thinking very hard about how to get close enough to the various animals for a picture, because what works for one species (or individual) won't necessarily work for another, and trying for pix is a whole order of magnitude more difficult than just getting a sighting (which can be hard enough in itself).

As a result my fieldcraft and photographic technique has become more varied and inventive over the last five years than the change over the previous twenty - and still there are animals out there that I get a headache trying to think what might work on them!

There are a few common themes:

Hours in the field matter - the more you are out the more you will see, and the more mistakes you will have the opportunity to learn from.....

Bait is massively useful, sometimes in unexpected ways e.g. shrews coming to seed in late winter/early spring as well as the expected rodents. Multi-day baiting works even better. it matters when you put the bait down: don't expect rodents to get much seed if you put it down in the morning then leave, the birds will eat it.

Learning to move slowly and in a controlled manner is more useful than hiding behind things. This includes the restraint to raise your bins or turn your head very slowly when instinct makes you want to whip round or flick your bins up.

Moving very slowly also allows you to pick exactly where to put your feet, which keeps noise down. Learning what surfaces make what noises leads you to choose the quietest, and this can change depending on dryness/dampness as well - there's always something else to learn.....

Its amazing how well an oblique approach works. An animal that will spook if you go straight towards it will often keep still if you aim ten yards to one side or the other.

Keeping still is of course even better. Watching animals for patterns of movement or finding game trails can put you in the perfect ambush. Of course you can't always look in both directions at once: lying on a track waiting for voles I once half-turned at a small sound behind me to find a Brown Hare stepping carefully over my legs. I stayed still and watched it go about its business - watching me warily but not spooked.

There's plenty more. No doubt others have their tips as well.

John

[TheSeagull]

Happy New Year! Wish you all luck. So far only one mammal this year - Grey Squirrel. I've never been very lucky on the mammal front though hopefully that will change this year, Bottlenose Dolphin and Red Squirrel should be relatively easy but I've never been good with any others. Never seen a wild mouse/rat in my life! That will change though! If the weather improves I might try to make it up to Ordhill on the Black Isle for a day, supposedly it's great for Red Kites and hopefully the trip will also get me Bottlenose Dolphin and Red Squirrel. The Forestry Commission also mentions Pine Marten but I don't hold out much hope!

[MarkHows]

I agree with John, bait is very useful especially over several nights in the same spot. But try looking under bird feeders rodents often come to feed under them.

I have been out with John and he is very good an noticing fieldsigns a skill I envy. This will give you info where to stake out / bait etc.

Hopefully I will be finally able to get out and see some mammals this weekend as being ill since Christmas has hampered things somewhat, grey squirrel, rabbit, brown hare and Brown rat my total so far.

Mark

[Farnboro John]

Originally Posted by TheSeagull

Happy New Year! Wish you all luck. So far only one mammal this year - Grey Squirrel. I've never been very lucky on the mammal front though hopefully that will change this year, Bottlenose Dolphin and Red Squirrel should be relatively easy but I've never been good with any others. Never seen a wild mouse/rat in my life! That will change though! If the weather improves I might try to make it up to Ordhill on the Black Isle for a day, supposedly it's great for Red Kites and hopefully the trip will also get me Bottlenose Dolphin and Red Squirrel. The Forestry Commission also mentions Pine Marten but I don't hold out much hope!

The regular dolphin photographers at Chanonry Point told me that driving the roads through woodland of all types on the Black Isle at night was a shoo-in for Pine Marten, though I haven't tried it myself yet.

John

[michael23]

hey john, sounds like the fox and family could bring you some superb images, fingers crossed for you!