Tag Archives: fox

Muscovy on a Bench

Back to the routine today with just a few photos. The Muscovy ducks stand out against the crowd. They would do because of their size and unusual body shape, but the male of the pair took it one step further. Just in case he wasn’t getting enough attention he spent the early morning perched on top of a bench.

Muscovy duck on bench

At lunchtime he was back at ground level with Mrs Muscovy, sharing a drink from a puddle at the edge of the pond. The water level has dropped slightly over the past few days, but the fringes are still prone to flooding. Not that this bothers the ducks one jot!

Pair of Muscovy ducks

Further round the pond there’s a stone wall which divides the village from the local fields, and passes along one of the two graveyards that flank the pond. The local squirrels use it as a handy highway.

Grey squirrel running along stone wall

Back home, the apparent improvement in Pretty’s foot seems to have been temporary. She was limping heavily again tonight, though I’m sure jumping down from high walls is not on the fox’s guide to avoiding injury. Other than the foot she looks in good shape. We’re watching her closely but will only intervene if she seems in genuine need of help. Meanwhile she is looking healthy and motoring around at a fast rate of knots.

Fox in garden

Camera note: all daytime photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox was photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens

Posted in Foxes, squirrel, water birds Also tagged , |

Jackdaws at Dawn

More grey skies and gloom, but the local jackdaws were enjoying themselves in St Laurence churchyard at Falmer this morning. There’s a healthy colony (or ‘clattering’) of them there, and their chattering calls ring through the air in competition with the ever-present squawking gulls.

Jackdaws

Jackdaws

Jackdaws

Jackdaws

Jackdaws

No foxes at Falmer today, but Pretty has been in and out of the garden. We’ve even had a badger come by. It dashed up the steps (all of two or three feet from me) and scurried to the far end of the garden before I could even remove the lens cap. It’s always an absolute pleasure to see a badger close-up, even when the sighting is as fleeting as the one tonight.

Pretty is somewhat more cooperative with the camera, so here she is!

Foxes

Camera note: jackdaw photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Fox photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

Posted in Badger, Birds, Foxes Also tagged , |

Falmer Fox

The pond at Falmer is full to overflowing and there’s more rain in the forecast. I’m waiting to see how much of the No Fishing sign disappears. This is the current high point.

No Fishing sign

The threat of rain means overcast skies, and there was barely any light worth speaking of this morning when I arrived. The pond was quiet, the rats were hiding, but as I rounded the far end of the pond looking for small birds in the gloom I spotted something unexpected in the next field. The photos were shot at ISO 2500 which is a long way from ideal, and gives some idea of just how dark it was.

fox in field

It’s not often I see foxes there, though they are around. It’s just that rural foxes are much more wary than the semi-urban ones that visit the garden. She stood and watched me for a few moments, before turning away and heading back across the open farmland.

fox in field

fox in field

fox in field

At lunchtime things hadn’t changed much, and it was raining 🙁 Just one shot, a great spotted woodpecker on the churchyard tree, busy tapping away and sending shards of wood flying out.

Great spotted woodpecker

With a bit of luck the weather will improve a little tomorrow. The forecast is encouraging, though I don’t expect too much. It will still be very wet underfoot but if I see another fox and a woodpecker, I won’t be complaining.

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

Posted in Foxes