Fox

 

Fox

 

Spent a few hours up at the hide at Ipswich on Tuesday afternoon, hoping really to get a shot of either the male or female Bullfinch bathing at the pond. Unfortunately, neither paid a visit, but I will keep plugging away at it. There is always something to photograph up there.

 

I had only been in the hide about 30mins when this Fox appeared and I managed to get a few shots of it. I think it is a young one from this years litter but I am not 100% certain. He seemed quite inquisitive when he saw the lens protruding from the hide move slightly, and rather than run off, he sat down and watched to see if it moved again. By this time, I had him framed and focused nicely so I hit the motordrive and got a few shots.

 

Are You Looking At Me ?

 

Sometimes, being photographed can be so tiring that it makes you yawn !

 

If you have got an itch, you just have to scratch it !

 

Time to get up and find some food !



Minsmere

Minsmere

 

On Tuesday morning, I went to Minsmere to photograph the waders from the East Scrape Hide. Light was changeable, although at times the birds were bathing in lovely early morning sunlight.

 

Black Tailed Godwit Calling

 

Preening

 

Resting in the Sunlight

 

Greenshank

 

Greenshank

 

Cormorant - A pair of Cormorants were feeding and diving a short distance behind the scrape

 

Cormorant Take Off

 

Cormorant with small fish in its beak

 

Barnacle Goose take off

 

Common Tern

 

Common Tern coming in to land

 

Lapwing

 

Lapwing Feeding

 

Avocet Feeding

 

Avocet

 

Common Sandpiper

 

Hide at Ipswich

 

Hide at Ipswich

 

These shots are from three separate recent visits to the private hide at Ipswich that I share with Liz Cutting. My last visit was on Monday afternoon/evening, and was the longest of the three sessions - six hours in length. I do not usually do such long periods in a hide because it can be quite boring when nothing much is happening, but on Monday there was quite  a lot of activity.

. Although birds were coming for food put out for them, I wanted to concentrate more on getting shots of them using the `pond`. This is in fact a small bird bath set into the ground, and only measures approximately 3ft x3ft. It is set about 15ft in front of the wooden hide that we use.

 

Although the Green Woodpecker has been a bit of a `bogey` bird for me, I was lucky that at about 6.15pm, two juveniles came down to the pond and bathed and chased each other around for about 10mins so I managed to get a nice set of images of them.

 

Drinking from the `pond`

 

This one looks as if it is calling but I think it was just putting on some form of display.

 

A very wet Juvenile Green Woodpecker after a good soaking

 

This one landed on the silver birch log that I have positioned upright into the ground. Holes are drilled in it and a mixture of suet, breadcrumbs and ground almonds are pugged into the holes to entice it to feed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a young Fox Cub that came to have a look around. This was taken about three weeks ago. As soon as it saw the lens that was protruding from the hide move, it ran away quickly, but I managed to get a couple of shots of it before it was `spooked`  

 

Male Blackbird with a beak full of worms that it had collected from the damp areas at the edge of the pond.

 

Male Blackbird `posing` in the pond.

 

Bathing

 

 

 

On top the silver birch stump

 

Jay

 

Jay in pond

 

After a good soaking

 

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the silver birch stump. You can actually see its tongue protruding.

 

Great Spotted Woodpecker on log

 

This adult Magpie seemed quite interested in the midges that were flying around this old log.

 

Juvenile Magpie at the edge of the pond.

 

Stock Dove

 

Dunnock

 

Adult Fox. Unfortunately, urban Foxes are more prone to catching `mange` than their country counterparts and this one shows the characteristic `bald patch` above its hind legs.

 

Wood Pigeon



Tough Guy 2014

 

Tough Guy 2014

 

On Saturday four of us went to the Tough Guy event near Wolverhampton. Having been on two previous occasions I knew what to expect but I was surprised how few people where there. Certainly not the numbers I had seen on previous occasions. Apparently, it clashed with the `Tough Mudder` competition, which was being held near Northampton. It did mean that at least you did not have to fight to get to the front this time. All pictures taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and 70-200mm lens.  

 

Falling over in the muddy water

 

 

 

I managed to persuade these four girls to go back and go through this part of the course four times to make sure I got them all in a line. Fortunately for me, the girl on the right fell over !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this part of the course, the competitors had to run through straw that has been set alight, and then into a muddy wet area. Some loose their footing and fall over,-not pleasant for them, but it does give great photo opportunities.

 

Jumping through the flames

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taken in the area they call `The Killing Fields`, the competitors have to put themselves through muddy pools holding onto the ropes.

 

 

 

Having to go `underwater` to get underneath the large wooden poles in the background, a competitor comes up for air.

 

Help ! I`m drowning !!

 

 

 

Seems like a nice boy !

 

In this area they have to crawl along on their belly or risk getting caught on the barbed wire !

 

 

 

It hurts !