Author Archives: Words

Digging for Grubs (fox video)

October 13, 2013 by Words | Comments Off

This is a rare event. I mentioned yesterday that I might edit some video and I’ve actually done what I said I’d do!

Pretty was enjoying being left alone in the garden, and when she thought we weren’t watching got down to the serious business of hunting grubs. Grubs are a regular food source for foxes (chafer grubs are a favourite), but getting them means digging them out from under the grass. This does remove a nasty garden pest from the lawn, but probably isn’t ideal if you like your garden to be bowling-green smooth. 😉

fox digging for grubs

fox

Camera note: stills and video taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Posted in Behaviour, Foxes, Wildlife Tagged , , |

Saturday is Pretty Day (Fox Photo Special)

October 12, 2013 by Words | Comments Off

She’s been in and out of the garden all week, so it wasn’t a surprise when, late morning, we looked outside to see Pretty, the young fox, lurking in the garden. For the first few minutes she was cautious, running off into the hedge before slowly re-emerging, but gradually became more confident.

fox sitting

fox walking

fox scratching

fox yawning

fox resting

fox portrait

All told she spent several hours out there from late morning to mid-afternoon, and for much of the time we left her to her own devices. Apart from sleeping, she enjoyed herself digging for grubs in the lawn (term used loosely), rolling around and watching birds fly overhead.

I also shot some video from a window, but have yet to edit it. Photos are so much easier to manage, but I may put a couple of short clips together tomorrow.

Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Posted in Foxes, Wildlife Tagged , , |

Runner Ducks

October 12, 2013 by Words | 2 Comments

Apologies to anyone who came by yesterday and saw a DNS failure notice. I’d been tweaking some settings on my host and then changed my mind and then the site went down. Good support, and all was back up by morning. Anyway, the weather has been conspiring against me today although there was a brief period early this morning when the clouds cleared and the sun shone down. About that time the local Indian runner ducks spotted one of the locals arriving with the daily food parcel 😉

Here are the ducks. They are such odd looking creatures, domesticated from wild ducks and originally bred for their egg-laying and the fact that you could walk them to market. This group has taken up residence at the local pond. I suspect they originally arrived by car.

Indian runner duck

Indian runner duck

Indian runner duck

Indian runner duck

And to tidy things up a sample that should have appeared last night.

Brown rat

Rat 😉

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Muscovy Ducks

Muscovy Ducks

Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Posted in Birds, rats, water birds, Wildlife Tagged , , , |