Another Gentle Variety Bag

By Words | Published June 24, 2010

More sunshine! I could get used to it. And so I'm sure could these signs of summer…
Yellowhammer singing out loud!

I could hear the next shot long before I could see it. And despite the bright sunshine, the tree canopy shrouded them in darkness. This shot was taken at a snail-pace of 1/100s.
Fledgling blue tits

At lunchtime I spent a few minutes by one of the local ponds, this time in a small 'woodland walk'. The damselflies were as abundant as ever.
Mating damselflies

By early evening, the light was softening, and the insects taking one last tour before dusk.
A lone ladybird

The bees were still foraging among the foxgloves…
Bee and foxglove

And as the last of the light disappeared the cheeky young vixen joined me outside. She is unbelievably curious and kept approaching within the 1.5m focusing range of my 70-300mm lens. I let her approach to within a couple of feet, but never let her touch. A small movement, or slight noise is enough to send her scurrying back out of harms way.

Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, except the young vixen which was taken with the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens.

This entry was posted in Birds, Foxes, Insects and tagged , , , , , .

12 Comments

  1. RobinL June 24, 2010 at 6:06 am #

    Wonderful shots! The vixen takes after her mother. She is very pretty.

  2. SittingFox June 24, 2010 at 7:06 am #

    She has a lovely eye colour.

    I suspect the yellowhammers are as pleased to see summer as you are! To be honest it's really too hot for me right now :insane:

    Glad to see the fledglings. I have been wondering about how our strange weather has impacted bird breeding success.

  3. Vulpes vulpes June 24, 2010 at 12:06 pm #

    Great photos…as usual! You'll have to give the vixen a proper name soon, especially as she appears to becoming a fixture! 😀

  4. gdare June 24, 2010 at 2:06 pm #

    She looks beautiful. It is better for her safety to be alert in presence of humans. Not every human would be kind to her as you are :left:

  5. Words June 26, 2010 at 10:06 am #

    Robin, thanks!

  6. Words June 26, 2010 at 10:06 am #

    Vulpes, I think I'll call her 'Cheeky'… it suits her character 😉

  7. Words June 26, 2010 at 10:06 am #

    Adele, I seem to have come across a good variety of fledgling this year, although maybe I'm just more aware of them. Very few swallows and swifts relatively speaking though.

  8. Words June 26, 2010 at 10:06 am #

    Darko, it's too easy to forget they are wild but yes it's better for them to be cautious around people.

  9. Words June 27, 2010 at 12:06 am #

    Thanks Erwin!

  10. Flying Red Fox Blog July 18, 2010 at 3:07 pm #

    Its been a beautiful Summer so far, July looks changable but hopefully will get warmer again soon. 😀

  11. Words July 18, 2010 at 11:07 pm #

    Mark, I'm looking forward to a good August. That would do me just fine!

  12. Wulpen October 19, 2012 at 8:10 pm #

    Beautiful Pict