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It's once again that time to waffle on and seek attention in the form of showing ya'll a few pics and me mumbling on about what i see whilst i busily idle away through life.
This is all from Aprils observations.
Badger:
A lone Badger forages desperately in the middle of a field, oblivious to the fact that i'm walking up to it to watch, video and takes pics.
At one point, he even walks to within a few feet of me.
Head on and hungry.
His likely to have been pushed out of a territory and is struggling on his own to survive.
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This field has been flooded for months, all the worms and beetles have long gone, but still, he must try..
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Unusually pale, a signal of his poor health.
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First came the Sand Martins, then the Swallows and the House Martins, Tricky to Photograph in flight.
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Toads, hundreds of then having travelled far and over many roads, find their way to the place of birth and to Spawn.
Many females will have had to carry a male, even two for a day or so.
But finally, she can spawn, and he's there on hand to fertilise the eggs as they leave her body.
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And when i stuck a waterproof camera on a stick, i gained a whole new view of life in the stream by where i now stay.
Check out all these vids below.
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyTok-p2DUg ]toads spawning[/url]
And there's more than just Toads there...
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlxYVURZK0Q ]Pike[/url]
Also getting ready to spawn are these, and what great little fish they are. I've personally never seen them properly before, so this was a real treat.
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PGjMH_z9zQ ]Stickleback[/url]
Also a less common fish of streams, more found in rivers and larger bodies of water. These come to shallower places to spawn amongst tree roots.
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc-TWtCM7ow ]roach[/url]
Eels spawn in the sea, then their offspring swim to rivers and streams as elvers to grow and mature, they then return to the sea and the cycle continues.
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSfzg1Ff1q0 ]Freshwater eel[/url]
Baby predator.
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEp2x91UEiE ]jack pike[/url]
I also filmed a bullhead, but it's rubbisher than that lot ^^
As the flowers come, so do the pollenators, like this Ash mining bee.
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Or a head on look of another bee.
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Also lizards come out to enjoy the warmth. Here's a slow worm and check out it's eyelid. Snakes don't have them, so if a slow worm doesn't blink, be warned...
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Dippers. I'm so lucky, that a pair of these have decided to nest here, in a tunnel by the water wheel. This makes me happy.
And today after doing my butterfly survey, where my species total goes up to 9, I got up close to an Adder.
I started off from a distance to this stunning mature male and used the telephoto lens to get in close.
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But not close enough, so after it moved for me, i put on the 100mm macro and from about 400mm away snapped a few more pics. Shame about the grass blades. This is lightly cropped.
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And finally a close up on the Adders armour.
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Happy springtime peeps.
Enjoy it, the long light days, the sounds and the smells and the warmth on the skin..
🙂
The badger is happy now, right?!
Awesome again Sharki.
loving the toad pic sharki.
I've got a frog living in the vault infront of my house.
It's about half the size of my hand and looks almost black (probably mud/ dirt) - I can't imagine it's happy in there but it's surviving and I don't want to move it if I don't have to.
the spring has also brought the pigeons roosting above my garden, can't wait for my raspberries to come out and the purple shit on the decking that follows...
Cor. Smashing stuff.
That head on bee pic is amazing, nice work all round.
Lovely stuff Sharki..
That little Pike's hardly even a Jack is he..?
I'd call him a Pikelet..
I remember seeing one about the size of my thumb sitting motionless in the shallows by the Turf Locks pub at the end of the Exeter canal, a Pike in miniature..
I was treated to the site of a Hare today that came lolloping out of the woods not 15 yards from where I was stood quietly next to my bike.. He didn't even change pace as he went past me along the trail a bit, before turning back on himself and back towards me to follow a different fork in the path..
I felt very honoured
Great stuff. Pipistrelle bats now back to feeding in the beam of my exposure lights.
Absolutely great stuff.
I had a quality ride last Saturday, but it was really enhanced by spotting a Great Spotted Woodpecker going about his business, a few jays and a really big buzzard. Not exotic species by any means, but lovely to see nevertheless.
Other highlights over the years have been:
Wild ponies in the howgills
Merlin (I think) on rushup edge
Green woodpeckers
Tawny owl just sitting on a branch a few metres away
Goldcrests
Muntjacs
Sparrowhawks
Fly agarics
Lapwings
Bullfinches
And plenty more. What a great hobby mountain biking is!
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Just thought of some more!
Treecreeper
Fox
Hands down the best stuff on here.
Wowsers!
Super pics. That toad looks very content with his/ her lot 🙂
I had a close encounter with a barn owl tonight - it emerged from a hedge and flew along in front of me for what seemed like about 100 yards as I was out for a quick hour on my road bike. Surprised how big it was. Its back a lovely coppery-gold colour in the fading light.
No exquisite photographs though, you'll just have to take my word for it. It looked a bit like this: 😯
Great stuff but that poor Badger looks very sick.
i saw scraps between a buzzard and crow on 3 consecutive days last week. Friday on the way back from antur stiniog, Saturday driving down the m6 near Warrington and Sunday near delamere. Couple of jays out the back of the house earlier today, but the woodpecker seems to have moved on after a few weeks tapping away.
Great pics btw.
I've seen two rattlesnakes so far this season, I didn't see any last year until about July. Apparently this year there is a bumper crop.
Yess nice one Sharki!
Cheer peeps, glad you enjoyed.
Yunki. Turf locks Mmmm! I've seen a Brown hare in the field out the back of here but could get anything like within range for a foto. You've had a great experience with one, i used to years ago when they were plentiful, then i shot most of them. 🙁
I guess i should of titled this. 'Some of my wild life....' as the list is a boring long monster.
The young Brock will have it's work cut out to survive the gauntlet of survival, farmers and roads are just extra challenges for it.
On the subject of owls. There's a barn owl and tawny's near here and a hours ride away, i got to see short eared owls as well as a gorgeous pair of little owls that have taken up residency near a footpath and reward keen eyes of them out during the day.
Pinbob. Adders breed alternate years, so i wonder i Rattle snakes do to and you've getting them all on the same year..At least they warn you if you get near. Stay safe.
Nice snake pics 🙂
Not seen much in the way of spring wildlife yet. Only thing of note were some Black Woodpeckers. No Cuckoos yet (or weren't 2 weekends ago when I was in that area), and Swifts should be imminent. No slow-worms either (they have a habit of basking on the bike/foot paths).
Great thread 😀
oblivious to the fact that i'm walking up to it to watch, video and takes pics.
Yep - very blind they are, so if you are upwind and quiet you can walk right up.
I love these threads!!
Poor badger.
brilliant pics , thanks.
I once urinated on a basking adder. 😯
Great stuff. Thanks 🙂
Wow!! Excellent update. Love the close up of the adders and the underwater video...
In the last few months I have seen several badgers, barn owls, a fox, hedgehogs (none of them took the offer of the hogitat we put in the garden), red kites, oooh and we saw and adder at Fineshade woods while picking blackberries in October last yr.
We have a very curious robin that comes into the garden & is getting fairly used to us.
I would love to see a Kingfisher.
I have only ever seen one in the 'wild' - which was completely unexpected as it was on the tiny River Pinn that goes through the campus at Brunel Uni in Uxbridge! Walking along the path past the sports hall towards the bus stop & it flew down the river, past me.....!
Nice adder photos, I spent some time on Sunday watching lizards shed their skin
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[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8680621438_689cea93ab_m.jp g" target="_blank">
I've just remembered another one.
Just before a ride in Horton in Ribblesdale I nipped for a quick slash down by a river and saw a kingfisher not 10m away. The only time I've ever seen one and I was a bit of a twitcher when I was younger.
Shame I was in the process of having a waz the only time I've ever seen one, but mustn't grumble!
that badger you sure it's not tb?
Great pics.
I'm loving my favourite walk at the moment which has recently served up barn owls, kingfisher, green and greater spotted woodpackers, deer, cormorant, great crested grebe, nesting kestrals and most spectacularly
an actual real life Otter...
I was giddy like a kid at Christmas...
Fantastic update as usual sharki.
Got some tip offs from a local bird watching chap that there are a pair of little owls on my local rides. So lucky to get to see one in broad daylight sitting on a wall fairly close a fortnight ago.
Local farmer has made some drainage channels on his land and a nice area of wetland has appeared. So far seen quite a few lapwings on nests and a snipe in the field.
That badger really doesn't look like he'll survive much longer, I've never seen one in that state.
Tens of toads on our night ride last week along the canal tow path, had to keep eyes to the ground watching out, as it would be so easy to sqwish one.
Edit helios - so jealous of your otter, it is an animal that I would dearly love to see in the wild. Even though I've been trying to spot one (in all the right places) it's not happened.
Chapeau Sharki great photos.
Saw two Buzzards mating a week ago and yesterday saw ducks mating on the river, not a lot of affection or romance involved in that act, I thought the Drakes were going to drown her.
Sharki - great photos thanks for sharing. Where did you take them?
I loved the pike video by took me quite a while to see the toad - the wonders of camoflauge!!
Quite a few lines in the sand on the commons near me, suggesting the snakes are more active. a bit worrying when walking the dogs as they like to bound in the heather!
Good work Sharki love the pics.
There's been a pair of swallows in the same place twice this week on my ride home. I'm just waiting for the Swifts to arrive then I know its summer.
Thanks.
The one thing I've got round here that I am keen to photograph is a stoat. I've seen running through the orchard and amongst the wood piles, bit yet to work out its habits to work with.
I don't think the Badger is showing symptoms of having TB, from all the various experts I've spoken too, they all suggest its from malnutrition.
The next month is vital to see if last year was damaging to the small colony of Duke of Burgundy butterflies that are on the site i survey.
The species is in rapid decline as they tend to form colonies of only a dozen. They appear from late April, peak in the two middle weeks in May and die off by the first week in june(in the north they appear generally and peak two weeks later). Food plants here seem to be delayed, hopefully the duke will be delayed also as its vital for them.
Teamhurtmore.
The images and videos were taken east of the Quantocks, the adder was seen and photographed at the butterfly conservation site south of Taunton in the Blackdown hills.
I used to see a stoat on my commute in Germany - at least in early spring when it was still bright white. Never had my camera out in time though.
Brilliant stuff thanks Sharki, some great photography there. I see deer, badgers, buzzards, owls, deer etc down here in Devon regularly but never get photo's. Can I ask do you work in photography and / or wildlife as you also seem knowledgeable.
I did have a kingfisher fly into our window last year, I looked after him for a few hours and then he flew off right as rain, was incredible to see how frail and beautiful they are!
Love the Swallow pic 🙂
My encounter today was a female Roe Deer that it thought was invisible 😉
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8680435653_752c963438_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/58162507@N07/8680435653/ ]P1100491[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/58162507@N07/ ]SGMTB[/url], on Flickr
Lovely photos, especially the toad! We saw loads of toads on our MTB ride last night, mostly "double toads" in the middle of the road!
nice one red.
Nacho, the word work implies doing something for financial gain.
Therefore I don't work in either.
But have a passion for wildlife that means wanting more than just the visual impact that a species has on me. I want more from it, I wish to know more, and learn from watching their behavior and also from reading about them. Although I lack the confidence to be a wildlife or field guide, I do know that knowledge can enthuse others about a subject more than an image alone will ever.
As for the photography, I just aim to take images that show a species in a way that best demonstrates its intricate detail, with the most natural look possible.
It takes hours or patience, failed attempts and frustration. And all for person knowledge gain and being able to share it all with those less privileged or aware enough so see things as I do.
saw three deer on my commute on monday, one on it's own, thought I was pretty lucky to see him, then two more a few minutes down the trail. Lovely. Couple months ago saw a kingfisher again on my commute, first one I've seen. Lots of squirrels and rabbits, seen a fox once, last year, no (live) badgers or snakes tho.
oh and nice pics everyone 🙂
Yessum, that is a good snap of the Swallow - bloomin' hard to get, I would imagine.
I'm going to muscle-in on your thread, Sharki, if that's okay. I have a few pics I'd like to share as well as a caterpillar you might be able to identify for me.
great stuff 😀
i have been lucky enough to see quite a few wild animals whilst cycling over the years.
everything from a barn owl flying over my head during the day whilst i was descending pewsey vale,to 10 sightings (yes 10!) of kingfishers whilst cycling to bath on k & a canal (i think it was more like 7 different ones tbh,as i saw 3 at the same spots not all together).
i also saw the whole towpath at caen hill locks devizes covered with frogs/toads one night (i had to get off my bike and walk between them) there were literally thousands of the little dudes all chilling out 😀
i always feel very lucky when i see wildlife 🙂
They're not of the same quality as yours as I need to get myself a DSLR at some point.
Here's a couple of dragonflies from last year...
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A Scorpion Fly...
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...caught doing its thing. It's eating the other fly, not doing what you thought (sorry for the blur, it wouldn't stay still)...
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Here's the Muntjac that visits daily for a snack...
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You can see his scent glands under the eye in this shot. There are two more above the eyes in-line with the vertical dark hair markings - about two inches long - though I've never seen him use them, just opened whilst stretching...
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Some weird wildlife. Some fungi stuff on a lump of oak...
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...and here's the caterpillar. For a size reference, it's sat on a car tyre...
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Any idea what wonderful beast it morphs into...?
Sharki, your enthusiasm for the subject is fantastic, as is your photography, thanks for sharing both. One of the joys of what we do is what we see on the way.
Excellent, as always.
Sharkis photos remind me of a guy I know who's a prison governor & used to be my boss. Really nice guy (for a governor) & must be the most patient person I know of (apart from Sharki) He took these...
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8582946786_646cbe7777_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8582946786/ ]Dolphins[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/6855012978_2a5966b335_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/6855012978/ ]Red Squirrel by Andy Crofts[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6115/6855012970_e7b25a0e50_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/6855012970/ ]Red Grouse by Andy Crofts[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8581844661_4f173f4e74_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/8581844661/ ]Bearded tit[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
Teasel. I can't name the larva. Many are hairy, but that's really hairy. I first thought it was a form of tussock moth larva, but they have more tufts along it's back and are generally yellow/green. Maybe a Tiger moth or sorts but not any of the UK's native species. I'm away from my moth book, so might have to come back to this.
And very Jealous of the Muntjac.
Qwerty, thanks. How's the roof?
Essel, i recognise the Red Grouse and Bearded tit images. The red grouse one is exceptional and really works.
If in Brum for a few days and aren't really getting my fix. I didn't bring my DSLR and time in the outdoors is spent with a dog. Which just doesn't work well with wildlife. Still a nice wander around Sutton Park today.
Excellent work fella keep it up!
interesting encounter yesterday... disturbed what I thought was a pigeon on a fast descent and it appeared as it sped off to lose it's tail which odd cause it was dark brown. Turning round to investigate it turned out I disturbed a Sparrowhawk which had just snatched a female blackbird and my arrival had startled it into dropping the poor thing. Any didn't look to good for her I moved it off the trail and into cover.
I love the Bearded Tit pic.
I'm away from my moth book, so might have to come back to this.
It'd be interesting to know for certain. And regards the muntjac, there are more deer appearing this year as the old boy in the pics is on his final run, I reckon, so quite a bit of behavioural studying to be had (which seems to take-up a lot of my time recently). If you'd like to get some up-close pics for yourself, you're welcome to visit. I don't know where you're based but I can email you further details, if you're interested.
Saw this viper at the weekend.
In sunny Cornwall
Only had iPad to take picture with so it's abysmal .
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Shark - 1 hour ago. On a dive in the Canaries.
Was sooo lucky on a local walk last weekend to see a kingfisher actually fishing.
Amazingly this was happening just a couple of metres from where I was standing and to see the little bird dive in pick up the fish, wack it a couple of times and gulp gone just made my entire week.
The bird even moved to a branch nearer so I just had to stand completely still and just drink it all in.
caher you win 🙂
Teasel.
The Moth larva is almost certainly a Pale tussock moth larva. They are usually a stunning yellow like the one below that i found in South Devon along the coast path. The are known to have colour variations as well as hair length variations.
Do you recall it having dark sections and those distinct tufts?
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I'm always interested in viewing new wild species, so if you're within an area i visit or can incorporate it into a trip(any excuse) i could.
I'm mostly in Somerset, but like to explore. Mail me further details.
Nice Kernow Adder that. I didn't see one on the whole of the SWCP when i walked it. But saw a few near Goongumpas when i was last there.
Sharks! Big fan and need to meet some. Hopefully if i sort out some money i can see a few off the coast of Belize this year. A friend has bought a small Caye and wants me over there helping out with developing it, loads of nurse Sharks there. 🙂
Bunnyhop. Shame it's feeding itself and not fishing for it's chicks...YET. Here's hoping. Blimmin cracking experience for you. 🙂
Aye sharki, I know it's hunting ground well and have been lucky enough to spot it several times. However the last few hard winters have really hit our local kingfisher population hard.
On today's ride, late afternoon 3 curlews came flying low over my head, heard them well before seeing them. Stopped and put the bike down to watch for a few minutes, lovely.
The Moth larva is almost certainly a Pale tussock moth larva...Do you recall it having dark sections and those distinct tufts?
Not sure, I'll have to dig out the other pics.
Mail me further details.
Will do. Gotta dash right now but I'll have more time in the week. Meanwhile, here's a recent vid of the old boy from a shoot-em-up perpective. He looks as if he's been hitting the gym, to be honest...
Once again, I don't host or name these vids.
Bunnyhop.
I was watching the local dippers hunt for their chicks last week, when i heard a familiar sound above me, when i looked up, i saw a kingfisher flying over with a fish in it's beak. Head first suggesting it's for someone else. 🙂
Teasel. What a fantastic deer. And a great trust it has.
It's such experiences that brought my heart close to nature and keeps it there..
Excellent!