My excitement over a spectacular couple of days bird watching has meant I've fallen behind on news of the foxes. Today's birding highlight was a sparrowhawk which came in at reasonable altitude over the garden. And for once, I had a chance to take some shots with the sun behind me.
As an attempt at file-space management I've uploaded the rest from today to my main web space, along with some from yesterday. The album is called Raptors 2008.
Edit: I'm adding another shot, of the most commonplace of birds, the starling. It's a shot I've been after for a long time and I've got countless near misses. Today was good though.
As for the foxes, well after several weeks of relative quiet we seem to be back on their regular circuit. Last night was brief but special. It was the first time I can recall seeing the old dog fox and the nicked-ear vixen in the garden together. The surprise was too much and this shot does the old fellow less than justice.
Last night the vixen remained cautious, but tonight she excelled herself and trotted around the garden for 10 or 15 minutes while I sat there firing off the camera. There's a small part of me which makes me think the old dog fox has told her not to worry about me. Probably just me anthropomorphizing like crazy, but it's odd that one night they're together and the next she rushes around me without any concern at all. I'm still working through the pictures (there are over 50) but here are a couple. A few more are posted on my web site.
Yes, she finally got her egg 😉
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens. For the 'two foxes' shot I used the Kenko Teleplus 1.4x Pro 300 DG teleconverter as well.
Words
13 Apr 2008Well she was being so good, I couldn't deny her.
cakkleberrylane
13 Apr 2008WOW Excellent photos!! So happy she got her egg!
Vulpes vulpes
13 Apr 2008😀 I assume she prefers free-range. :whistle:
Words
13 Apr 2008Absolutely. And organic 😀
gdare
14 Apr 2008That sparrowhawk is excellent :up:
UrbanExtension
14 Apr 2008The other photos are great but the one that really caught my eye was the starling, you can almost see through those wings. Gorgeous. Glad to see the foxes back again. Wonder where they have been? Jane
Words
14 Apr 2008Jane, the foxes have been around somewhere nearby but keeping out of sight. The dog fox has always gone into vanishing mode. He seems to have a larger range. The vixen is based somewhere nearby in a neighbouring garden. The dog fox comes across from a couple of streets away judging by the route he takes.
As for the starling, I usually only get tail feathers or a blur. That was taken at 1/2500s shutter and still isn't quite pin sharp, but it's easily the best (and closest) I've managed.
Words
14 Apr 2008Thanks Neil. It was a good couple of days 🙂
Words
14 Apr 2008Thanks Darko. I take photos no matter how far away they are. Nice to have one come in close for a change.
Ukwildlife
14 Apr 2008op sparrowhawk pic! the others are good too! 🙂
anonymous
14 Apr 2008Ivywall writes:
Lovely shots – as per usual!! I like the starling shot – the light through feathers is great!
I especially enjoy looking at the fox photos – we don't have any around here much. One of the hazards of living in an area where they raise and shoot pheasants…….:(
SittingFox
14 Apr 2008Deeply jealous of the hawk! Superb once again!
Nice to see the foxes together.
Guess what…I saw a cub this evening :eyes: but trotting about a residental road, far from the garden, so definitely not one of the Chipped Vixen's. It was pretty lanky for April. Must have been born very early :confused:
Words
14 Apr 2008Hi luftgucker :hi:
luftgucker
14 Apr 2008grrrr
Words
14 Apr 2008Thanks Adele. It was a good weekend for raptors.
That's very early to see a cub trotting along, but a great sighting. I'd have expected them to be nearer being balls of fluff still at this stage. Nice though. But why no camera!!!
Words
14 Apr 2008Ivywall, thanks! It's a shame you don't get to see foxes where you are, but I can appreciate that the local environment is a bit risky for them. I presume they become very wary of humans.
SittingFox
15 Apr 2008The light was so bad, I didn't bother taking the camera, and my movie camera isn't feeling too well right now. Isn't it always the way! 😥
Trevor Williams from the Fox Project was around here on Saturday and he said that he's got a few cubs that are big enough to be in outdoor pens already – some are twelve weeks, the earliest of the earliest. But most are much smaller of course.
Words
15 Apr 2008Put it down as a 'missed opportunity' 😉 12 weeks for a cub means a January birth :faint:
anonymous
16 Apr 2008TBR writes:
Absolutely stunning photographs of the Hawk, Words.
I'm very jealous!
TBR