Another bright, sharp winter's day. It was bitterly cold early on so I headed over to the village pond. Nothing unusual to report, but the ducks were active and some small birds were foraging at the water's edge. In this shot the drake on the left is pecking (and pushing) at the one on the right. 
The light offered some nice reflections.
And the pied wagtails hopped among the rocks.
At lunchtime I headed back out to the local fields.
For the best part of an hour I saw little, but as I was leaving to get back to work a pair of buzzards flew into view. There was just time for a few shots.
Out in the garden, we've had further visits from the badger overnight and a brief glimpse (also on the trail cam) of a vixen who appears to be lactating. So there are cubs in the vicinity, though I don't expect any tangible sign of them for several weeks (at least). This evening I caught a brief glimpse of a fox through the window, sitting sedately at the rear of the garden next to a cat. No photo of them (what I actually saw were four bright eyes reflecting the torchlight back through the darkness), but I did get a picture of our hedgehog. 🙂
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, except the hedgehog which was photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.
SittingFox
5 Mar 2011My vixen has suddenly disappeared, so I assume she's got cubs as well now 🙂
The buzzards are great. Amazing to think how rare a sighting would have been only a few years ago!
gdare
5 Mar 2011That hedgehog is smart and knows how to deal with foxes 😆
Words
5 Mar 2011Adele, it would be a treat if your vixen brings the cubs to your garden this year.
I thought I was doing well with buzzard sightings until I saw a tweet with someone mentioning seeing 22 of them in the air about 10 miles from here!
Words
5 Mar 2011Darko, I'm now trying to discourage the hedgehog from roaming into the centre of the garden, though I'm not sure it will work!
Mickeyjoe-Irl
5 Mar 2011Originally posted by Words:
:confused: I'm not sure what to make of your new diet. 😆
Words
5 Mar 2011Mick, high in protein I think!
cakkleberrylane
5 Mar 2011Foxes and cats, ponies and birds – you certainly have a wonderful variety in your wildlife. When I think of buzzards, I think of remarkably ugly birds, but yours are really beautiful.
cakkleberrylane
5 Mar 2011Yes, I was thinking of turkey vultures. 'Well adapted' is so much nicer than "ugly"!!
Words
5 Mar 2011Lois, we're quite fortunate with the range of species locally, though it's always good when something new appears (as happens sometimes). Are you thinking of the turkey buzzard (turkey vulture)? I can understand why they might be thought of as ugly, though 'well adapted' is another way of looking at it 😉
Words
8 Mar 2011Erwin, thanks!
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Beautiful shots