Monday, November 9, 2020

The Mysterious Fox...

                My Garden 

               
             23/04/2020

I was in my kitchen minding my own business when I noticed what appeared to be a large lump of ginger fur at the back of my garden. After peering at it for a second, I realised that it was a fox, and ran to get my camera.                




                                                                                       
                                         
                                        

I managed to sneak into my garden and get quite a few shots before the fox slunk away into the shrubbery. I was particularly happy with the photo of the fox directly facing the camera! It was quite difficult to get any good shots without frightening it, so I had to stay very still and hide partially behind a bush.


This fox reappeared multiple times over the course of the next few weeks and it became apparent that it in fact had a family! Before long there was a litter of 6 cubs that would regularly frolick around the lawn - and two very tired parents.
        
 It's wonderful being able to see this creature right on my doorstep. There's often more wildlife activity in your garden than you may at first think!

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Great-Spotted Woodpeckers and a Treecreeper!

            Shipley Glen

                       

                    

                     23/03/2020 


I decided to use my daily allowed exercise to head out into Shipley Glen with my camera. 
On the way up to the glen I saw many woodpigeons and various corvids, which I briefly photographed before continuing further into the woods to pursue the familiar drumming noise of a woodpecker.
    After a little while I managed to catch sight of the woodpecker(great-spotted), and I perched myself on a boulder to photograph it. 
                   
                           
                       

                         
                              A great-spotted woodpecker perched on a branch.
Shot with

















After snapping some shots of the woodpecker, I noticed a flicker of movement on another tree. I moved from my perch on the boulder to get a better view and saw a small, speckled bird with a white underside - a treecreeper. I don't see treecreepers particlarly often so I was delighted to get a sighting of this little bird.



Treecreeper clinging to the trunk of a birch tree.

I returned home satisfied and happy with my sightings and the photos I had captured. Hopefully I'll catch another glimpse of the treecreeper next time I return to Shipley Glen!