There was a brief period today when it seemed that Spring had really arrived. Blue skies and sunshine, with just a slight wintry bite in the breeze. This being England, the good weather didn't last and we are back to a steady rain this evening. Still, it was beautiful for while today and I managed to get out at lunchtime for a trek into the wooded area on the edge of the fields.
There was plenty of activity in the undergrowth (rabbits I think), but always too fast for the camera. And I noticed a faintly familiar smell in the air which makes me think that I've stumbled upon an area where there may be foxes. I didn't see any, but I've made a note of the area and will re-visit over the coming weeks.
One of the pleasures of going out with a camera is capturing a new subject, and today was I in luck. As I reached the fields I spotted a pair of pheasants in the distance. I've learned the hard way that when you see something new you photograph first and find a decent vantage point later for a better shot. You may not get the opportunity again. I'm glad I did as I managed only two frames (of one of them) before they were off.
My first pheasant
Meanwhile a horse was grazing at the rear of the same field.
Eventually I was able to grab a couple of rabbits racing along the field boundary.
I also saw plenty of crows
And as for the foxes, well this has been a relatively quiet week. Just a fleeting glimpse of the young male a few nights ago, and occasional visits from the dog fox who thankfully seems to be recovering well from his mange, though as you can see in this photo his brush is quite pitiful.
Last night
Looking at that last photo made me think about how he was when we first saw him, back in early 2005.
The dog fox in early 2005 was in a poor state, with signs of mange.
It will be interesting to see how he recovers over the next weeks and months. We didn't treat him in 2005, but by the end of the year he was looking absolutely splendid.
Full brush and winter coat, October 2005.
SittingFox
2 Mar 2007Congrats on your first pheasant! Nice pictures, especially of the crow :up:
Our rabbit numbers are just starting to pick up again. We had heavy losses from myxomatosis last summer. Hard species to photograph everywhere except the UEA campus, where they're about as fearful as pet rabbits. They've been studied there for twenty years and are kind of a university icon.
sprogger
3 Mar 2007I haven't been around here in far too long:(
Great photos, the Crow particularly is a great shot, its so difficult to get a nice exposure on them with the bright sky behind them:up:
sanshan
3 Mar 2007Nice pheasant. It's funny, here in Canada we have a lot of them, but I believe they are not indigenous, probably brought over from your country.
Flying Red Fox Blog
3 Mar 2007Nice photos!:) When iam on the train to horsham West sussex to see my girlfriend i see plenty of rabbits alongside the train, i try to take pics but many are blurred, hmm my train is in 90 minutes i better get dressed lol:P
coxy
3 Mar 2007Lovely shot of the crow!