After yesterday's rather public moan about the awful weather we've been having, it seems that if I shout loud enough I get listened to. At least that's my explanation for today's modestly warm sunshine, and noticeable lack of precipitation. All of which means a little more variety in today's entry, and some very cute ducklings. (edit: it's just started raining again… 11.50pm)
The last time I saw the squirrels by the pond they were little more than sodden strings of matted grey, their tails soaked to a thin string. They're not quite at full 'bushy tailed' phase yet (wait for the autumn when all the native mammals look their best), but I assure you this is a lot more squirrel-like than the last one I photographed.
There must be some young sparrows about. The adults are much less cautious than usual as they come down to feed. Here's a shot of a male resting by the side of the pond.
Another creature resting up pond-side is the one inhabitant of the pond that I have extremely mixed feeling about. Terrapins are a predatory invader species. Thankfully the chances of them breeding are small (thugh not impossible), but they do impact on native wildlife and these ones are certainly growing.
Now for the promised ducklings. This one is from the smaller brood and may in fact be the sole survivor of its clutch.
I can't finish without some fox updates. Rough-ear was out early this evening, as the sun was setting. I shot some video which I may get round to processing (it's not great quality), and took a few stills. This is at ISO 2000, which gives an idea of just how little light there was.
Soon after that shot I resorted to flash. This next shot is interesting in that if you look just above the cub's head and to the right you can see one of the innumerable May Bugs (cockchafer) that are blundering their way around the garden at the moment. Easy pickings for young foxes.
And from later in the evening, the shy male cub poses for a portrait.
Camera note: all pond shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens. As ever, the garden foxes were photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.
derWandersmann
6 Jul 2012Hmmm … Caught a June bug in flight, did you? No great feat, for they're miserable fliers, but I've never seen a picture of one flying. Thanks. The little stinkers pile up at the bottoms of walls and in corners, going all crunchy and gooey underfoot. Sometimes they cover the roads so deep that cars will skid on them.
The duckling is delightful, and the fox kits are, as usual, totally disarming.
gdare
6 Jul 2012ISO 2000 gives impression that it was middle of the day 😀
serola
6 Jul 2012Cute duckling and fox pictures :happy:
anonymous
6 Jul 2012Anonymous writes:
Very nice photos – like the first one with the voew of some of the garden.
Marilyn
Words
7 Jul 2012Darko, the main reason for going so high is to allow some sort of shutter speed. It was really quite gloomy when I took that first fox shot.
Words
7 Jul 2012Sami, thanks!
Words
7 Jul 2012Marilyn, thanks! I often forget to leave any background in the shot but it does give a better sense of the size of the cubs.
Words
7 Jul 2012dW, the May (June, July) bugs were making the most of the one dry day we've had. England is back to flood warnings (and floods), though thankfully they bypassed the south coast for once. Far fewer of them tonight.
SittingFox
9 Jul 2012That photo of the cub trying to catch the bug is exceptional. As for the rain – well, at least the drought is now officially over 😉
Words
9 Jul 2012Adele, the bug in the shot (and in focus) was a bonus although I knew he was jumping for them so the odds were slightly in my favour.