Chance encounter

The nice weather went on holiday while I wasn't looking, and we've been drenched in near continual rain. I have had a couple of interesting chance encounters though. The first was on Sunday. I had been in town and was just arriving back home. I turned to go into our narrow drive and stopped. Right in the middle of the drive, fluffed up in a ball and being watched closely by a crow was a … Well actually, I can't be sure about what it was but my best guess is either a woodcock or sandpiper of some sort. Definitely a wader. I took a few seconds of video on my phone (still have to figure how on earth to transfer it), but I doubt that the footage will be conclusive. It flew off strongly when it spotted me. An absolute surprise, and a sharp lesson never to go out without a camera (most unusual for me but I really wasn't expecting to have the chance to use it).

The second encounter was this morning. It was raining and so I didn't detour to look for the deer. Just as well. As I was driving into work a small figure caught my attention. Yes, the much rumoured local fox was out and about. I parked, grabbed the camera, struggled with shutter speeds as low as 1/30s and 1/50s and managed just a handful of long distant snaps.
Walking

Scratching

And gone
Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. gdare

    11 Nov 2009

    It seems she payed no attention to you at all 😀

    As for mobile phone video, you may send a PM to Mik, he is the biggest local authority for mobile phones and mobile blogging I know 😀
    http://my.opera.com/Furie/blog/

  2. Words

    12 Nov 2009

    Darko, I don't think it saw me. It was more interested in the magpie that was flapping around nearby. Or maybe a rabbit!

  3. Words

    12 Nov 2009

    Thanks Erwin.

  4. SittingFox

    12 Nov 2009

    It's always fun to something odd right at home. (An estate agent in BC once told us that he turned into his drive one evening and found a cougar sitting there! :eyes: :cat:)

    This has been a very frustrating week blogging-wise. Glad you've had a few sightings; I've been limited to the garden foxes.

  5. cakkleberrylane

    12 Nov 2009

    Good shots anyway. It's just amazing how much we can see close to home.

  6. Words

    12 Nov 2009

    Lois, I'm constantly surprised by the local wildlife. It sometimes take a sharp eye to see it, and often the sightings are brief (seconds not minutes), but there's usually something out there.

  7. Words

    12 Nov 2009

    Adele, a cougar in the drive… now that is something.

    Dreadful weather for doing anything this week. Precious little going on in the garden here, but I like your throwaway remark about being 'limited to the garden foxes' (though I know exactly what you mean).

  8. SittingFox

    13 Nov 2009

    I love my garden foxes, but photographing them is always hard when they come in the dark and I cannot use a flash on them.

    I'm actually trying to catch the Silver Dogfox – he's got an ear infection. I'll try to do a post about that but I've got virtually nothing to illustrate it with 🙁

  9. Wulpen

    19 Oct 2012

    Great post and photos

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