There will be a fox cub in this post, but a few other things first. The rain is persisting (most of the day), making this one of the worst I can remember in a series of bad summers. The drizzle was falling when I photographed this wren perched on a roof early this morning. I think that must be the first time I've seen one quite so far from the security of thick foliage.
A larger but younger bird was also sitting out the rain. This is a young magpie.
As predicted the young gulls have left the immediate hatching nest and are now secure on the main roof. Two of them are anyway. One didn't survive the weekend, although whether the storms are to blame or whether it's just the way things go (three reduced to two last year as well) I can't tell.
One thing I can tell though is that it is wise not to stand behind a stooping chick!
My shot of the day came early this evening in the garden; and no it's not a fox. It's a bat. This one was flying low over the garden and though far from perfect it is an improvement on previous efforts.
Finally, the day's cub shot. There are more over on my Complete Fox of the Day collection.
Camera note: all bird shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The bat and the fox cub were photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
derWandersmann
12 Jun 2012The wren and the magpie are delightful, Words … the third gull chick was probably killed by one or both of the others. The weakest one gets picked on.
The bat is marvelous … the light is so good. Was it flash? And what is it flying in front of, that it's casting its shadow on?
That fox kit is one of the best so far … you can almost read his mind.
anonymous
12 Jun 2012Anonymous writes:
That pooping chick shot is something else!!! What excellent timing. LOL.
Marilyn
gdare
13 Jun 2012Excellent photo of a bat :up: I must admit I was looking at it trying to get what it is before I read what you wrote.
And pooping chick 😆 As Marilyn said, excellent timing 😀
serola
13 Jun 2012Actually very good picture of bat :up: And amazing that stooping chick picture :hat:
Poor young gulls. Their body temperature surely drops down in the rain.
Words
13 Jun 2012Marilyn, I saw it crouch down and knew what was coming! :yuck:
Words
13 Jun 2012Darko, thanks! I was pleased with the bat. So tricky to photograph. Mostly I get sky and nothing else.
Words
13 Jun 2012Sami, the rain was torrential over the weekend. I'm sure many new born animals failed to survive the weather. And it's been cold for the time of year, which won't have helped.
Words
13 Jun 2012dW, thanks. You may be right about the third chick, though the weather was truly awful over the weekend so I'm not at all surprised they didn't all survive. The little moorhens seem also to have lost a couple (there were five, now three as far as I've been able to see). It's all to be expected.
The bat was shot at a high ISO with flash. The shadow is probably simply a slow shutter effect. The bat is flying in open sky with nothing behind it.
The cubs are now nightly and I'm getting some nice shots and beginning to start trying slightly different techniques with the shots as they get more used to me.
Mickeyjoe-Irl
14 Jun 2012That poor magpie looks utterly drowned. :yuck:
Words
15 Jun 2012Mick, it seems most of the bad weather has moved to the East this evening. Things are looking up.
SittingFox
18 Jun 2012Excellent capture of the bat! And the magpie is great 😀
Words
20 Jun 2012Adele, I got plenty of shots of the magpie youngster. It looked so sorry for itself. The bat was nice to get, even if it looks fake (which it isn't).