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John's Mammals 2015 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Farnboro John
- Start date
crazyfingers
Well-known member
I went outside at one time this afternoon and heard a rustle in the leaves in back of the garage. I had my camera as usual. So I started around and a white tail deer was there. He went into my woods a bit and I was able to work my way around down the trail where I dump my fall leaves.
Series of 4 photos starting with about how close I got, essentially no zoom, and then getting closer and closer. It stayed frozen looking at me as deer often do.
Series of 4 photos starting with about how close I got, essentially no zoom, and then getting closer and closer. It stayed frozen looking at me as deer often do.
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Farnboro John
Well-known member
Amazing views! When I've seen Roe Deer like this it has generally been yearlings just abandoned by their mother - such animals can be quite naive about people.
Just moulting to summer coat I see: also "he" seems a bit short of dangly bits and antler buds? "She" perhaps?
Cheers
John
Just moulting to summer coat I see: also "he" seems a bit short of dangly bits and antler buds? "She" perhaps?
Cheers
John
crazyfingers
Well-known member
Thanks!
Male or female I have no idea. But I agree the young ones sometimes have not developed as healthy a fear of people.
Generally I take photos like this and then wave my arms and yell and walk towards them. They run. Deer are much better off with a fear of people.
crazyfingers
Well-known member
It was just back again and I chased it away again. I got within 15 feet of it before it ran.
snlw
Simon
I though this might be of interest. A Pine Marten has been caught on CCTV in Peterhead Harbour recently.
https://twitter.com/Glenugie64/status/600596515594309632
Cheers, Simon
https://twitter.com/Glenugie64/status/600596515594309632
Cheers, Simon
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Jon Turner
Well-known member
We saw two Brown Bears high on a mountain in Turkey last week, while watching Caucasian Black Grouse.
JCL
Well-known member
A message on the Norfolk mammals thread had me scurrying to Sculthorpe Moor on Tues, following up reports on several easily viewable Water Shrews. Perhaps due to the cool breezy conditions, I had no success. Much evidence of Water Voles, though, and one alternately skulking and showy animal seen. Pics at the bottom of this blogpost: http://www.jameslowen.com/blog---21-may-2015---i-like-hairy-tussocks.html
crazyfingers
Well-known member
crazyfingers
Well-known member
So here is going to be the beginning of a story for the summer I hope. Observing a racoon family.
On my road about a 5 minute walk down to where I frequently visit a field and pond, there is a tree. A couple days ago the lady across the street from this tree told me that there is a racoon family in that hole.
I have been watching the hole and today for the first time saw that yes there are critters living in that hole.
In the days to come I hope that I can get much better photos but this is the first post of what I hope is a summer-long observation.
The hole is about 30 feet up a tree that's next to the side of the road.
On my road about a 5 minute walk down to where I frequently visit a field and pond, there is a tree. A couple days ago the lady across the street from this tree told me that there is a racoon family in that hole.
I have been watching the hole and today for the first time saw that yes there are critters living in that hole.
In the days to come I hope that I can get much better photos but this is the first post of what I hope is a summer-long observation.
The hole is about 30 feet up a tree that's next to the side of the road.
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Farnboro John
Well-known member
First bat survey work of the year last night (got another tonight) at Frimley. A frenetic start to the night with bats diving into the harp traps in numbers necessitating brisk and efficient processing. As an untrained non-bat-handler I found myself in charge of grabbing clipped fur samples with forceps, dropping them into tiny envelopes and then sealing the tops with a lick of the gum - I've never seen a better incentive to get the sample right down to the bottom of the container!
Things died down later on permitting a more sedate approach and even time to put a couple of bats on trees for launch, and photographing them. Total bats 27 I think, rough species totals 4 Daubenton's Bats,about 14 Soprano Pipistrelles and 8 or 9 Common Pipistrelles. Also a Red Fox peering at us from back in the woods while we checked the traps on one occasion, found by eyeshine.
Speaking of foxes, I can't remember if I said I'd confirmed my dominant male fox at home is Black Notch, fully recovered from the beating up he had earlier in the year. Presumably "you should have seen the other fella"!
John
Black Notch X2
Daubenton's Bat X2
Soprano Pipistrelle
Things died down later on permitting a more sedate approach and even time to put a couple of bats on trees for launch, and photographing them. Total bats 27 I think, rough species totals 4 Daubenton's Bats,about 14 Soprano Pipistrelles and 8 or 9 Common Pipistrelles. Also a Red Fox peering at us from back in the woods while we checked the traps on one occasion, found by eyeshine.
Speaking of foxes, I can't remember if I said I'd confirmed my dominant male fox at home is Black Notch, fully recovered from the beating up he had earlier in the year. Presumably "you should have seen the other fella"!
John
Black Notch X2
Daubenton's Bat X2
Soprano Pipistrelle
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Farnboro John
Well-known member
Second bat survey last night, new place for me down near Haslemere. A few Soprano and Common Pipistrelles, but a couple of goodies last night as well: two Whiskered and two Alcathoe Bats (one of which left us with a radio tag on its back, a process I haven't seen before.)
So a most entertaining evening albeit gone 0200 when I got home. One of the foxes (Black Notch I think) was nosing around the shrubbery opposite our house and, hearing my voice, allowed me to walk past it five yards away without bolting, but it didn't hang around to see if I was going to come out again with food.
Bat pix probably tomorrow, I'm off out in a minute.
John
So a most entertaining evening albeit gone 0200 when I got home. One of the foxes (Black Notch I think) was nosing around the shrubbery opposite our house and, hearing my voice, allowed me to walk past it five yards away without bolting, but it didn't hang around to see if I was going to come out again with food.
Bat pix probably tomorrow, I'm off out in a minute.
John
crazyfingers
Well-known member
I got my raccoon baby today. It briefly stuck it's head out to see what was going on in the road and then went back in.
Photos are taken while standing in the middle of my dead end street.
Photos are taken while standing in the middle of my dead end street.
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Farnboro John
Well-known member
crazyfingers
Well-known member
Baby raccoons, along with baby foxes, are on the short list of super-cute critters.
They are common here but being mainly nocturnal it's my first photo.
It was one of 4 critters on my must get a photo list but are hard for their mainly nightime activity. The other common critters I need photos of are the skunk, coyote and beaver. They are all here but hard to find in daylight.
They are common here but being mainly nocturnal it's my first photo.
It was one of 4 critters on my must get a photo list but are hard for their mainly nightime activity. The other common critters I need photos of are the skunk, coyote and beaver. They are all here but hard to find in daylight.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Feeling a bit of a mug this evening. Maz put the chicken out and I stood at the door, couldn't be bothered with the camera but interested in which fox turned up. Fox turns up, grabs chicken, takes it a mere five yards along the path and settles down to eat it, with me in full view and apparently only worth an occasional glance.
Having finished chicken, fox (Black Notch) then returns to my lawn and conducts a thorough visual and nasal search for any missed morsels. Fox then sits down facing me and expectantly awaits developments. After my initial astonishment I invited Maz to see. She laughed (fox didn't bat an eyelid) and went to get him another.
As Maz returns, fox bolts. Nothing she's done, just a neighbour's son returning from somewhere. We both tongue-click after him and sure enough a couple of minutes after youth is safely indoors, Black Notch reappears, grabs chicken and this time sets off with it in the direction Mrs F normally takes with her prizes. I now strongly suspect they are a pair.
It's just the way the fox sat down and regarded me with a commanding look of "Come on, then, another one." Am I being had for a sucker?
John
Having finished chicken, fox (Black Notch) then returns to my lawn and conducts a thorough visual and nasal search for any missed morsels. Fox then sits down facing me and expectantly awaits developments. After my initial astonishment I invited Maz to see. She laughed (fox didn't bat an eyelid) and went to get him another.
As Maz returns, fox bolts. Nothing she's done, just a neighbour's son returning from somewhere. We both tongue-click after him and sure enough a couple of minutes after youth is safely indoors, Black Notch reappears, grabs chicken and this time sets off with it in the direction Mrs F normally takes with her prizes. I now strongly suspect they are a pair.
It's just the way the fox sat down and regarded me with a commanding look of "Come on, then, another one." Am I being had for a sucker?
John
crazyfingers
Well-known member
Jon Turner
Well-known member
Looks like it FJ!
On another note, I was up on the fringes of Exmoor today, and a pair of Red Deer appeared on the hilltop behind me as I was searching for Whinchats. One of them started 'barking' at me (or maybe just letting all the other local deer know I was around perhaps(?) This carried on for a while and attracted the attention of 6 more Red Deer on the opposite hilltop. Then they all took off and a dog walker appeared. Later I saw another herd of 14. Question is, " Was this a male barking, and when do they start to grow their antlers?"
