The damp weather persists and has largely put paid to lunchtime excursions with the camera, though I did manage to dodge most of the showers today. Which was great but I missed the best shot of the day… which suggests some sort of theme for today's entry.
Now I've known for a while that we have stoats locally, and I know where supposedly they hang out. I've also seen the evidence of their kills. But until today I've never actually seen one. I was up by some woods about half a mile from their 'base' when one emerged briefly and trotted quite sedately across a corner of a field before vanishing into the undergrowth. I had a perfect view, but as luck would have it the camera had been packed away out of the rain. So a perfect missed opportunity. To compensate I took a photo of the view from the spot where I nearly photographed a stoat.
And while I'm talking about shots that never were, I saw the shy cub out playing late last night (early hours of Wednesday). It was rushing around at the rear of the garden, while I kept still and some distance back. Here's the resultant shot.
And even the woodmouse tricked me this evening, deciding to scarper over the back of the feeder having seemingly settled into a perfect cute pose on the lid.
This next one is not quite a missed shot. There was a small pile of feathers in the garden this morning. Obviously the work of foxes, the giveaway sign (apart from the sheer improbability of it being caused by anything else in our garden) being that the tips of the feathers are broken. Birds of prey are much more careful in their plucking, and the feathery remains of their work display perfect, unbroken feather tips. I'll keep my eye open for an example and post a comparison if I come across any. But as a rule: broken tips equals foxes; perfect plucking equals birds of prey.
SittingFox
28 Jun 2007A stoat?? How exciting but how frustrating! 🙁 If it's any consolation I was photographing the mountains yesterday when I glanced over my shoulder and a mink went bouncing across the road. I should have tried with the 55mm lens, really, instead of just freezing in astonishment :insane:
I hope the stoat is more cooperative next time.
Flying Red Fox Blog
28 Jun 2007Nice pics, yes it can be frustrating when we see an animal and by the time we react its gone! I was very lucky yesterday catching the fox from the moving train, pure chance and luck, also i had the cam on for a rabbit. 😛
Hope the weather gets better soon, we are due about 3 inches of rain in the southeast and midlands on friday and saturday 🙁
This time last year were were basking in temps close to 30c!!!!
Words
29 Jun 2007No more stoat sightings (yet), but I live in hope. And this weather is beginning to get me down. I'd forgotten how wonderful it was this time last year. Actually I seem to recall moaning that it was too hot. Never satisfied, me 😉