Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Extending the Buzzard Hide

Sunday is the day that I try to spend a little bit of time with the family but never the less I did get the chance to visit the Pit-hide this evening for an hour and a half before dusk.  Terry 'topped"  the grass in that part of the meadow this morning and I have to say that it all looks very smart, I am hoping that with shorter grass thrushes and a few different birds will come in  to the area. Already there was a change, two pheasants were in front of the hide, the first time that they have been in  the area of the hide since I have been watching there.  In the next few days, pheasant and partridge shooting will begin, not anywhere near the hide but I am reliably informed that once the shooting begins, more birds will move over to the area of the hide. But back to this evening,  excitingly, a Buzzard was on the rabbit when I got there, obviously I disturbed it but again it was very pleasing because it yet again proves that the Buzzards are recognising this as a constant food source.  I will try to describe the new improved pit hide which is now a large deep hide, 4 feet beneath the ground and 3 feet above, it is approximately  4 feet by 8 feet.  It has a very solid waterproofed,  slightly sloping roof.  The entire front and sides are lined internaly with hessian sacks and the outside is going to be clad tomorrow with tanalised wood "overlap"cladding so it will look a very attractive and sympathetic structure.  Access is via a side entry which is covered and means that it is possible to leave the caravan and enter the hide without  being seen and without disturbing the birds in front of you.  The opportunities are now vast.  Because, as before you can get  the camera down to ground level the pool is  very photogenic from that  perspective.  But now it means that you can also photograph from above and looking down.  Then of course, there is the chance to photograph the Buzzards, Jays, Woodpeckers and hopefully, Kestrels which I have seen very near to the area for the last few days. It goes without saying, exciting days.

Update from the pit hide

As you may be aware, a horse trashed my pit hide yesterday and I/we needed to have a rethink, maybe  we could rebulid it, but what is for sure, we couldn't let it  a horse crash in to it  again.  (Imagine sat in a hide beneath ground, and a massive 1 ton plus horse comes crashing through the roof).  So, this morning I met Terry at 9.30 to sort things out.  Firstly we removed the damaged plastic roof, with four neat horse shoe holes which left ius with just a pit.

 Whenever I meet people who know what they are doing, and of course when they have the proper tools, I am amazed at how simple everything seems, and so it was today.  With the aid of a good crow-bar and a lump hammer we burried poles at the four corners then attached a roof made from a reclaimed board. We were left with the pit, 4 foot deep pit and an area 4 foot above ground,  a substantial space.  Now all I have to do is cover the sides and the front.......it's going to be more than brillant.   My options have been increased ten-fold.  What is really exciting is the access to the hide which is via a conceald   entrance from  the caravan.  This means that you can get from the caravan in to the lower hide totally under cover and concealed This is going to be an amazing way to see and photograph the birds.  Once in the pit you can see the pool at ground level as before and also have the opportinity to look from a higher level. From the caravan, not only can you see the rabbits and logs as before but now there is the opportunity to bait an area on the roof of the pit hide just feet from caravans window.  There is still alot to do but already tonight I watched Nuthatches from 3 feet away....... yes 3 feet away..... feeding on the log placed on the pit hide rough.  More to come and watch this space.

My day

 

I have spent literally all evening sorting through the pictures from the Buzzard encounter today, in the end it almost became a chore!

I had a dental appointment at 1015, that meant that I had to put today's adventures on hold.  I planned to return to the caravan and hide at around lunchtime when I hoped to replace the Rabbit and see how long it wouldl take for the Buzzards to come in to feed.  It was incredible to see yesterday how much food was taken at one feeding session.  A really large, substantial amount of flesh was taken in 50 minutes of constant feeding.  One of my motivating factors is always to use my observations to gain as much knowledge as possible. Already I feel that I have learned so mutch about buzzards.  I can identify individuals and I know how to age them, this is all to do with the tail band which is broad and dark in an adult and thin and equal to the other tail stripes in juveniles.  Eyes are light in juveniles but dark in adults.  Its also been interesting to see how easy it is to identify individuals because of the variety of plumage.  

 

I also found it fascinating to discover a discourged pellet.  I hadn't even made the connection that buzzards would eject a pellet.  More to follow about that.........

 From the caravan hide I wrote.

"Its now just after 1200 and I have just arrived at the caravan to find that a horse has escaped from the adjoining field and wrecked the pit hide which is somewhat of a disappointment, but it will repair with a great deal of work again.  Just hope that the horse is OK.  Anyway, a great surprise, as I parked the car I could see one of the Buzzards perched on the log waiting hopefully for food.  I had removed the rabbit last night becuase I knew I wouldn't be there in the morning due to dentist as explained above.  The buzzard took to the air when he saw me and then circled above to then be joined by another!  The rabbit is now safely replaced and I am waiting for one, or both to return.  This is great news, they are asociating this area with food now and recognising it as a feeding station.  I am getting to the stage of being able to expect a visit rather than just hope for one".

The paragraph above was written just before the dark bird that came to feed yesterday returned again and fed in just the same way. I tried very hard to get some in flight shots, thats not working out too well but I need to keep working at it. Anyway heres a few efforts.

 

Wonderful Buzzard

At 1120 suddenly, there was the Buzzard in front of me and perched on the stump that I have placed for it, then it very quickly moved on to the carcass and began to eat...... it's now 1113 and it has perched on the nearby fence after demolishing the rabbit in a feed that took nearly one hour.  Not only have I got hundreds and hundreds of still photos, some of them amazing but I  also took 40 minutes of movie!  I can hardly write this comfortably because I am trembling with excitement!  You could see how gorged the birds crop looked and I am surprised that it flew off so easily.  It was very relaxed once it had fed and then eventually perched on the nearby fence line, gradually moving along the fence.  Later another bird put in an appearance, probably the blonde bird from yesterday.

The darker bird arrived on a nearby post placed there for it.

It quickly moved down to the prey which I had opened up for it. It seems that they will wait for other birds, Ravens and Crows etc to open up a carcass first.

I am sure that they will only feed on a carcass when it is "open".

Its been quite hard to get all the bird in the viewfinder with a 500 lens.

It fed on the carcass uninterrupted for 50 minutes.

This is definitely the darker bird and not the one that came to feed yesterday.

When it had finished feeding it flew back up to the original perch and then on to the nearby fence line.

I was lucky  to get a shot just as it landed.

Ageing Buzzards

I have been doing a little bit of research into the ageing and sexing of Buzzards (Buteo buteo).  It seems that determining sex is almost impossible, if not impossible.  As is usual with birds of prey, Males are smaller than females but there is a considerable overlap with some individual males being unusually large and other females being smaller than normal, therefore this is not a reliable methof of determining sex.  Buzzards are variable in colour and therefore it is not possible to seperate the sexes by plumage colour or pattern.   Immature birds are said to be more streaked on the breast but I personally would not rely on that as an indicator.  Adult birds have a broad dark band to the end of the tail, broader than immature birds where the tail bars are even in size right through to the end of the tail.  In addition The iris colour of adults is dark in adults and yellow brown in juveniles.

The above bird by this indicator ( both pictures above) is therefore an immature bird. This is the darker bird nicknamed "Murphy" that was photographed last Monday.  The lighter bird "Blondie" photographed on the rabbit this week is also a juvenile judging by the eye colour and also tail bar. See below.

Back live at the Buzzard site.

I arrived at around 1030 today but have decided on a slightly different strategy.  The camera is set up from the caravan instead of the pit, I am thinking that I will get a different perspective of their movements, their comings and goings.  From the pit you are only aware of their presence for certain when they are actually feeding, I want to know how long they sit around "surveying" the scene before they come down to the food.  When I arrived, one of the birds, I think it was the lighter one of the pair, for ever more referred to as "Blondie",  was around the drive entrance.  I expected the other to be up here by the caravan and I was correct.  He will be called "Murphy" from now on. I don't really like to anthropomorphise but it is a way to separate individuals and better than "A" and "B"  It seems that this area is perfect place  for them, quiet, tucked away and of course a  free food source!  What more could a buzzard want?  From the van I can see the logs, loaded with a fresh rabbit and the trees behind that a Buzzard so often flies from when I arrive  I am expecting, eventually when they come back, for one of the birds to make for those trees again and then I will time how long it takes for them to come down and feed..... if at all of course.  In the meantime, because it could take 3 hours again, I have got food out for the Nuthatches and tits which is already attracting some birds and of course I have regularly had a visit from a fox and yesterday evening just before I came home, a dog fox was in the field.  It is a mystery as to why the foxes are more active during the day than I have previously seen.  Does anyone have a theory as to why that is?   Which bird of the 2 is the male, I have my theory and also a plan to find out.  Buzzards seem to be messy and I have often seen them squirting their projectile droppings copiously.  When I see this again and I am certain as to which individual is responsible, I plan to take a sample and have it analysed, a great plan but I am not certain that sex can be determined in this manner.  I am currently making enquiries from a reputable lab who can 99.9% certain give the sex from blood or feather samples.  

 

A special close up of one of the Nuthatches this morning.

It's 1339 now, it was at this time yesterday that the Buzzard put in an appearance. We have had rain and now sunshine, if I do get a buzzard today and I can't see why not, it will be a good encounter from here inside the caravan.  Lots of crows in the nearby fileds but not once in 10 weeks have I seen crows or for that matter magpies, on the rabbits, this is a mystery to me, suggestions anyone?

Back at home now and time to reflect on the happenings today.  At 1459, just minutes after I had heard a Buzzard, one glided down to the log and the rabbit carcass. I was sat watching and waiting from the forward window in what used to be the bathroom.  I immediately got up and in the second or two it had taken to get to the camera protruding from the other window, it had gone!!!!  A mystery then I realised why, Dick my friend who lives in the house nearby appeared with a strimmer!  Not seeing my car...... I had been dropped off by Jenny at 1030.... he assumed I wasn't there and had come to cut the grass back from the gate and path.  Really nice of him.  As you know, I have nicknamed  the  darker Buzzard Murphy because a few times Murphy's law has been invoked involving this bird and so it was today.  I'm not too disappointing because it just further reinforced the establishment of a feeding station and I am sure that I will have lots more opportunities.

 

 

 

Live updates from the Pit-Hide

I am going to give you 15 minute (approx) updates to let you share the suspense as I wait for the Buzzards to come back to the carcass.1030. As I drive down the lane towards the pit hide location, a Green Woodpecker flies in front of  the car and a Buzzard is perched on the entrance gate! 1035. I arrive at the hide and disturb a second Buzzard sitting in the trees nearby, the norm this last few visits confirming what I already knew that at least 2 buzzards are coming down to the freebies. 1040 Feeders filled and I am in the hide watching and waiting, Nuthatches both male and female are coming and going.  Great Tit and Nuthatch have a tussle! 1120 I have a great view of the rabbit placed enticingly on the log.  Light is good and  my camera is armed with 200mm lens, I want to capture some wing flapping buzzard action. No Buzzard yet.  Squirell comes to steal food...... I shout......1125  Just to say that I am here for the long haul...... it may take some time, squirell is back on the peanuts 1156. Buzzards are still absent but Nuthatches are constant still. Dont want to use fill flash in case I disturb Buzzards. 1208. Food has run out on the pool, Nuthatches are searching, I may have to leave the hide to "top-up", coffee seems like a good idea, facilities are in the camouflaged caravan just behind me,  however..... I have no idea if there is a Buzzard just sitting and taking it all in and waiting his moment, a risk that I will have to take.  4 Nuthatches in the time that it has taken to write this.  1212 Coal Tit. It's 1245, coffee made and a few changes to the pool, I rushed back to the "hole" because a Buzzard was soaring around to my left and I didn't want ant disturbance.  Fingers crossed and it will come in to the rabbit. The Nutties are still feeding on the pool feeder. 1343 Still no Buzzard and no sign of one near the hide yet but I haven't given up..... !  

1349.  Buzzard success, after 3 1/2 hours!  A Buzzard came down to the remains of the old carcass placed in the field for the fox.  I saw it fly in, hesitate for a while and then fly off with the rabbit remains in it's talons.  I can't see it from this position at the moment but I suspect that it is on the gate or fence just out of my field of vision, not too far away, 50 feet or so.  I honestly didn't imagine that it would take the remains, mostly already  eaten when it had the choice between that and a nicer, fresher and more appealing "meal".  I am on a steep learning curve.

The bird flew in to the old rabbit carcass.

At 1355  It came back and finished some other scraps then flew up on to the fence and I took  a hundred or so pictures including flight shots.  It appeared then to get very wary and flew off.  I think it may return to the carcass on the log  which I am sure it is aware of.  battery is about to go on the iBook so I may have to "fill you in" on the details later........ did it return? Check back for pictures of all this and to see if it did come back, or even another which may be why it was wary and flew off? It's now 1410 and I am still waiting for that once ina lifetime shot.

 Notice that this is the light bird that I saw yesterday.

 

The wind blew hard.

 

 

A Red Admiral Butterfly flew by.

It was starting to spit  and the bird shook to get rid of the rain.

 

Back to my hide.

First of all before I start, I am really glad to tell you that the Oppose the Badger Cull Petition has now reached more than 100000 which means that the government by their own law, has to debate the issue in parliament.  This is a real success and lets see what happens now. Surely if people keep signing they cant ignore this opposition.

I wasn't sure what I would find when I got to the caravan and the pit this early afternoon.  It's been wet and wild, how was that going to affect things   A decent amount of water had tidied things up a bit, the grass is regrowing nicely.  The dead  rabbit that I had left wired to the log was just a head and a spine, picked almost clean, surely the work of a buzzard which was pleasing.  Access to the hide was a mess.  It was wet through but not too bad really.  I have had a heavy weekend away with my band and friends so I was feeling lethargic to say the least.  It was pleasant sat waiting though, I had manufactured a screen from a hessian sack which was working brilliantly and I will have to use more of them.  You can still see through the loose weave of the sack but I am absolutely certain that no bird...... or fox...... could see through from the outside.  I cut an eye size hole to peer through and another larger flap to poke the lens out of.  I can't recollect how long I was waiting but I suddenly became aware of a shadow and there was  a buzzard again on the log right next to a new frozen rabbit.  Before I could react, the rabbit was lifted and dropped behind the log where the buzzard tried to feed but I could hardly see it let alone get a photo.  The rabbit was frozen so it was probably impossible for him to get to the flesh. With my camera readied and armed with a smaller lens, I waited, quite certain that he would eventually come back up to the log to rest.  That's exactly what happened and I was ready to snap away as he entered the viewfinder.This picture has really pleased me because it didn't just happen by accident. Back in May when I was first invited in to the wood by Terry, I have been thinking of a way to photogrph the resident buzzards, I know that  there are three at the moment, probably a breeding pair and their one successfully reared youngster although I am only guessing.  Gradually as I got to know them and their movements a plan formed and at first it didn't work particularly well. I have tried to establish a feeding station by constantly supplying a rabbit carcase and it has taken since those first days in my for plan to work.  We have dug a pit hide which is at ground level and covered with earth and turf from the hole.  The birds are absolutely oblivious to the hide and come and go as though it isn't there.  At first they only ocassionally came down but in the last week they have been very interested and while not there constantly, if I wait long enough, eventually they have paid a visit.  So, the photo isn't the product of a chance encounter and has taken 4 months of effort.  It is just going to get better and better I am sure.

But back to this particular photo....... I had the smaller 200mm  lens on the camera  as I have said, this is because I wanted to be able to get the wings in the shot which is much more difficult with a 500 lens.  It obviously paid off as far as that was concerned but after I had rattled off loads of shots with the smaller lens I moved the camera  back in to the hide and swopped with the 500.  Now all I had to do was wait for the bird to get distracted and try and poke the larger lens out the the flap.  It didn't work! The bird was gone in an instant, probably just a tiny bit of movement was enough to distract him.  After 20 minutes I assumed it was all over and I packed up and climbed out, there was the buzzard sat on th fence just watching and waiting, that was very annoying.  But, the birds reaction was very interesting.  Instead of flying away from me it again flew accross my front and in to the wood behind me.  It seemsa as though I am being tolerated and associated with these 'freebies" that keep appearing on the log here.  Then just minutes later, two more buzzards were circling not too far above me. Its going to be good when more than one comes down to feed and there is a bit of a scuffle.

This pictures  a bit soft but I have included it because it shows the difference in plumage from last Monday's bird.  This one is different, it is much lighter on the belly unlike the previous one which was darker all over particularly on the lower belly.  Still an impressive bird though.  I haven't any idea about sex or age.  Perhaps when it gets cooler and there is a feeding frenzie I may be able to see some dominant behaviour.

 

Still live and a Buzzard update.

It has got very exciting here now, the Buzzard is a wary beast, he knows something isn't quite as it seems and he's not falling for it.  A few minutes ago  he suddenly landed on the up-right log that we had burried in the ground especially for him when this  was all set up.  I have a canouflaged veil over the openeing of the pit hide just feet away and I am sure that any tiny bit of movement from me would have seen him departing rapidly.  I was pretty sure he was staring at me intently and it just took one slight twitch from me and he was off this time like lightening. It was incredible to see him though from even closer than before.......... I am just loving this, it's very tense and exciting. I am still confident that eventually he will come down to the rabbit, he must be hungry or he would have left the scene ages ago.  I have now seen him very close, three times this morning.   He is actually calling from behind me as I speak. I am learning that Buzzards are very careful before they come down to suspicious prey, this bird sits looking at it for hours before he takes achance.  Even if today doesn't work out today though, it really bodes well for the future. In the meanwhile, here's some photos of Nuthatches from earlier. By the way it's quiet again, sure he is still behind me.

 

Live from the pit hide and the Buzzard flies in.

I'm fortunate enough to have the day to myself today so a short £7 taxi fare out to the wildlife centre means that I can spend the day staking out the Buzzard who has been sat looking at the free offerings from trees very close nearby when I have arrived on my last three visits, including today............ it's obviously working well.  It's not ideal that I can't get in to the pit or caravan without disturbing him but the more he sees me the more he will be accustomed to me, at least that's the hope.  It's just a case of being (very)  patient and waiting for hime to be hungry enough to overcome his suspicions, I wouldn't call it fear, pretty sure that birds of prey would never admit to anything approaching fear!  There has been a constant stream of Nuthatches to the food, 3 different ones for certain but perhaps more, there is plenty to look at.  No fox yet today but who knows?  Is it relevant that from time to time it suddenly goes very quiet on the feeders, I put this down to the arrival of birds of prey in the vicinity, it's quiet now .... perhaps the Buzzard has returned and is behind me out of view?

....... and as if on cue........  

It's now 1146 and the Buzzard has just flown in to the Rabbit on the log in front of me, so I was correct, the small birds were aware of him and keeping their heads down.   What an encridible buzz (no pun intended)  and burst of adrenalin I had. Disappointment though, he was suspicious and left again after 20 seconds or so, but he's in the trees behind me I think..... and hopefuly he will be back again soon!  However the small birds are back on the feeders so perhaps he has left the area...........I really hope he comes back.  He obviously hasn't fed today yet. It would be hard to put in to words how magnificent a Buzzard is when you are less than 15 paces from one. 

 

An update from the pit-hide.

A lovely Nuthatch comes to the feed that the Squirrels haven't found yet.

The Nuthatches keep coming and coming and it's not in the least bit difficult to get shot after shot but the Buzzard, well he's a bit more difficult to pin down.  I would have had a better day today if I could have visited in the morning but unfortunately I had to pay a trip to the dentist, annoying things these tooth abscesses.  It's on the mend hopefully!

I paid a visit late afternoon, you have to put the time in to "get lucky".  The worse bit of luck you can have though is for the Buzzard to be sitting there as if he's waiting for you to arrive.  This is exactly what happened this evening, as soon as I got to the site I discovered him sitting on low branches behind the caravan.  He saw me first and off he went but he didn't seem particularly  stressed and flew across my front before flying in to, or over the wood behind me. I quickly filled up the feeders and squeezed in to the pit to wait for his return.  I couldn't believe it when after only a few minutes, a fox appeared in the field again.  This time it was further away and I watched it looking for something to eat with its head cocked on the side. Still nice to watch him acting naturally though.  I hoped it would come closer but unfortunately not on this occasion.  Like I said yesterday, nice animals but they have some nasty behavioural habits like raiding chicken coups etc. which are bound to make them unpopular with lots of people.  Very interesting to watch them though.

I have to confess that I am not really fond of grey squirrels, they are not native to the UK. They do loads of damage to birds, trees and.... well they are just a nuisance and they don't belong here.  They are illigal immigrants who have taken over at the expense of our natural Red Squirrels, they rob birds nests and eat all the nits like  hazel at the expense of our  Doormice who would be far more common without them.  They breed really well and if you get rid of one, another will replace it within a day or so. At my feeding site they must have eaten most of the food that I have left out for the woodpeckers and jays.  Its hard to leave enough food, you absolutely can't feed enough to keep the squirrels happy, more food ...... more squirells!  Having said that, some pretty good portraits taken today.

When I have photographed Grey Squirels in their native USA I have always enjoyed seeing them, but in the UK I am not so keen.

A Fox comes a calling!

First of all, before I continue with today's adventure, what a great week I am having, I must have done something nice to someone somewhere because I am certainly being rewarded what with a Buzzard on Monday and now a Fox today.

I went  back to my pit hide this morning and with a fresh rabbit carcass placed on the log,  I sat staking out the Buzzard again.  I really hoped for a visit and waited with lots of optimism.  I hadn't been there long when there  on the edge of the corn field was a fox!  I quickly managed to swing the 500 lens on to her (I think it's a vixen), but she was hidden amongst the grass at first. This is the 3rd or 4th time I have had a fox in front of me during the day but before they have all "got wind" of me and departed pronto.  She squessed under the fence now and made her way towards me, sniffing the air as she came nearer.  I expected her to hurry off as soon as she was aware of me but today was different.  She stopped dead in her tracks and started to feed on what I later discovered was the fetid and rotten rabbit carcas that I had burried the day before yesterday.  It seems that another fox had dug it up in the night and dragged it away, dropping bits as it went.  She was obviously attracted by the smell and had come for a mid-morning snack.  I watched her for 10 minutes or so and had some great views.  Obviously I have seen foxes very often but rarely have I been able to study one like this.  They are stunningly attractive with  striking red fur and bushy long  tail.  Being able to get a series of shots like this has made all of my sitting around and planning of the last month or so well worth it.  You could travel the world and photograph animals on the plains of the Serengetti for instance, once you were there it would be easy I think but it's a lot more difficult to get photos of our non-urban foxes here in the UK.  The first pictureis one that I will treasure, I love it! It shows what an attractive animal the Red Fox is. Look at the hairs inside the ears, I need to do some research in to this.  It is hard to seperate the sexes but males are said to have longer muzzles whereas females have softer more appealing faces, hence I think this is a female.

 

 

She appears under the fence and it certainly looks as though she is awatre of me?

 

 

Then she trots towards the scource of the smell.

 

 

She sniffs the air, I have read that they can recognise different people by their smell, perhaps she doesn't associate my smell with danger now?

 

 

..... and then finds the rotten meat, surely smellier than me?

 

 

She investigates it before starting to feed.  Dog foxes are well known for their bushy tails, perhaps she is a male after all?

 

 

She  licks her lips with anticipation.

 

 

Then she  gets stuck in to the awful smelly rabbit.  You you can see her canines, of course named after a dog and also called dog teeth by some. 

 

 

There was some movement from Dicks house 150 metres  accross the field and she checks that she is safe.

 

 

What a lovely animal a fox is.

 

 

Now back to the carcass and something gets stuck in her throat.

 

 

Everything is  gone and she marks her territory before moving off.  Do dog foxes "lift their leg"?  Perhaps she is a vixen for certain?   Foxes are known to mark like this frequently, or is she just urinating.  She is very relaxed and either not aware of me or not concerned about me.

 

 

I think she could smell my presence or more likely heard the camera's shutter and she was taking no chances.

 

Nuthatch - Sitta europaea at the "pit-hide"

I hope you will excuse me for saying that I am absolutely thrilled with this photograph.  I know that there is so much still to come but I am getting there at last.  The secret?   Just a hint of flash to bring out the detail. The background is smooth and creamy because there is nothing but infinity for the camera to record except the fields and grass 100 metres away and what a great effect.  The bird "pops out" of the background and the fill flash has brought out the detail even in the eye of the bird.  The colour is perfect as well, it's a female so the colour is not as intense as a male would be.  It wasn't a fluke because once I had taught myself  to deal with the flash properly I managed quite a few more.  Flash light is very harsh, or can be, and the effect can be a bit artificial.  The way to deal with that is to diffuse the flash so that it is soft and subtle rather than harsh and glary.

It's an  effective way to bring out the white areas of the bird. If the flash hadn't been diffused it would be  too harsh and it would make the eye look very artificial and it wouldn't be half as successful. Here's a few more.

The background is entirely natural.  It was almost dusk, the sun was lighting up the fields in the distance with golden late evening light. I used the fill flash to bring out the detail, without it, it would have been just a silhouette.

All in all a great days photography even though the Buzzard didn't come in to feed.

Live at the "Pit-Hide"

I made my way out to the "nature-centre" at mid-morning again today, the scene of yesterday's amazing Buzzard encounter.  I have been baiting the Buzzards for the last 10 weeks or so by placing a road kill rabbit carcass down and trying to entice one of the local Buzzards down in to photo range  and yesterday it had worked.  I know that they have been down to feed before but not while I have been "in residence" so to speak.  Yesterday was my lucky day!  I am writing this whilst sat in the "pit" yet again hoping beyond hope that I will have a repeat....... could I be that lucky?  I investigated the rabbit carcass as soon as I got here and it has been well and truly picked over with a large amount of flesh taken. Whether that was today or not will determine if I have another encounter and opportunity today.  However it is obvious that a buzzard has been down to feed again in the last 24 hours so my long detailed and planning, preparation and work has paid off and will continue to you.

In the meanwhile I am having some real fun with the resident Nuthatches after deciding that the only way to get some good photos was to use some fill flash.  I am getting some sumptious results with fabulous detail.  It's great to be able to look at them and almost post live from the hide.

Keep checking back because I will be constantly updating this post during the session......... who knows, there may be a buzzard!

 

Some promised additions.

Is this my best ever nuthatch photo?

 

Anti Badger Cull Petition update

Just to tell you that Brian May was featured on BBC Breakfast this morning, he is responsible for putting up the e-petition opposed to the Badger Cull.  I am glad to say that his short piece has led to a doubling fof the numbers who have now signed with more than 40000 signatures. Please sign if you have'nt yet. It's important 70% of the entire population of Badgers are about to be exterminated. Link to the Petition.

More about yesterday's Buzzard.

Sorting throuh the pictures taken yesterday at lunchtime here are a few more.  To see the whole series then clickon this link One of the great things about the visit was the way that the hide had been so successful and the bird was totally oblivius of me. It was interesting to see him (or her) behaving in a totally natural way,  mostly, totally relaxed.  When it had decided that enough was enough, either it couldn't take any more flesh from the cacass because it was frozen or  because of the leg it swallowed, it stopped feeding and then just stood calmly on the log.  If it had been wary about the situation I am sure it would have eparted the scene immediately. I was very taken with the markings on the chest that froma distance look so messy but close up you can appreciate the creamy shades and see how beautiful they are (see the picture below).

Gorgeous cream markings are not appreciated from a distance.

The eyes were stunning, brown and large and very attractive. Because of the closeness of the bird it was hard to get some shots of the wings which it used to balance itself as it moved around the prey.  I think it is very relevant that the carcass was newly place and very fresh.  I would be interested in any feed back if anyone has any experience of this but I am convinced that old fly blown carcasses that have started to rot are ignored. For example for the last two weeks a carcass had been gradually rotting away and totally ignored.  I removed it on Sunday and buried the remains, it was fetid by then. Yesterdays carcass though not ideal because it was frozen, was obviously very fresh and this was a factor in it being taken I believe.  Can it be that Buzzards will only feed on fresh meat?

The eyes are so intense they almost look like glass.

Buzzard Success!!!!!!

This morning was a bit special, very special in fact.  I had my laptop with me in the pit hide out near the wood and I had already blogged about the comings and goings to the feeders.  There wasn't  too much going on to be honest then suddenly I caught sight of a Buzzard gliding in to the wood in the field to my right.  I had taken a frozen rabbit with me and it was on the log where I had placed an hour earlier.  I cursed to myself and thought it odd that the buzzards were not coming to the free offerings.  Surely a rabbit carcass is an attractive meal for any scavenging bird of prey, especially a species that is known to eat rabbit.  I sat quietly for another 30 minutes and had forgotten the buzzard totally. Suddenly there on the grass in front of me was  the Buzzard!   At first it was just on the grass and then  gradually and cautiously it made it's way towards the rabbit.  My lens was already pointing out of the small gap in the pit hide and I waited with my heart beating heavily as it came up to the carcass.  Then suddenly here it was (as above).  It was exactly 13 paces from me (I paced it out later) and I was very careful not to move the lens too much and spook the bird who was behaving very cautiously as you would expect.  I didn't have a perfect view of the log where the rabbit was and there was some grass and debris in the way.  Even worse, I had underestimated the size of the bird and I couldn't easily get it all in the frame.  It was very frustrating but exciting to watch the bird so close to me. It was a magnificent creature with piercing eyes and long talons.  It began to feed on the rabbit and I could see that it wasn't finding it too easy. The rabbit was still frozen so it was impossible for the buzzard to take big pieces of meat.   After a while it dragged the carcass off the log and then in the grass began to get stuck in.  It was getting small pieces of meat and when I checked much later I could see that it had taken meat from the rabbit's face and skull.  Then I saw it with a detached foot in its beak which it swallowed whole, bones and all, with very little trouble. Then it took a break  and stood resting on the log low to the ground and I watched and took a few more photos during the next 20 minutes.  Eventually with little fuss, off it flew. I eventually emerged from the hide, I had half expected it to come and drink at the pool, wouldn't that have been something.

It started to feed.

It was taking small pieces of meat of the face of the rabbit.

The only way I was going to get all the bird in the frame was face on.

Eventually it tore off a leg and swallowed it whole, bones and all.

When the sun came out I managed a great portrait.

Buzzards are magnificent and too big to get all in the frame unfortunately. I rarely go to the hide with just one lens and it was Murphy's law today when I really needed the smaller lens.

Sat in my Pit hide

I am actually sat in the Pit Hide at the moment over-looking the infinity bathing pool.  A few birds are coming and going but it isn't nearly as busy as I expected it to be, hopefully I  will get more visitors when the weather worsens and food isn't as easy to find out in the woodland.  Last evening just before dusk I filled up the feeders and placed peanuts everywhere and when I returned  half an hour ago pretty much every peanut had been taken.  Squirells and Badgers are responsible I think, hopefully mostly  Badgers, they love peanuts and  have a big set in the wood behind me.  These particular badgers will not be culled..... well over my dead body literally, if you are going to die then you may as well die for something you feel passionate about.  Yes I do feel that passionate about the impending cull. Sign the petition please! (See yesterday's post). 

Back to the Nuthatch picture taken at 1131. The light is not ideal at this time of the day.  Too bright behind and dull in the forground and its hard to set the camera to deal with the conditions.  I may revert to fill flash and if used sensibly it may work well just to pick out the detail.  Sometimes a back lit subject can be effective but not in this case I don't feel.  Also, note that the beak is slightly out of focus that is because this bird was very close to me and I focused on the eye.  At close quarters like this it's even hard to get the whole face in focus. I thought it interesting that the pupil in  bird's eye was so big, proving that it was in shadow.

Badger Cull

This is a massively controvertial and emotive subject that needs your attention.

Here is a link to my previous blog post about the Badger Cull.  Oppose the Badger Cull

I want to direct you yet again to the Petition to oppose the Imminent Badger Cull.  This evening there was a piece on the popular BBC programme Country File about the cull.  There was an interview with the National Farmers Union President Peter Kendall who seems unrepentant and is hell bent on the cull, refusing to contemplate vaccination.  Could this be that it might cost more money than the cull?  There was also an interview with one of he marksmen who said how he had been on an intensive course to learn about the  cull and then unbelievably said without irony, it had lasted all day.  I don't call that a course!  One days training is not a course when we are talking about the survival of a species. 

Just another point of view, but if it is called  Bovine TB then does that not imply that it is a disease of cattle and it's the cattle that have spread it to the Badgers.  The badgers were the original inhabitants of the English countryside, cattle came later and they have infected the Badgers. Eradicate the cattle and then there will not be a problem. Obviously thats not going to happen. But if you want to keep your cattle amongst the Badgers then you can't complain if the  cattle continue to be re-infected with the disease that they were responsible for bringing in to the countryside in the first instance.  

My objection is it's the thin edge of the wedge. Badgers are first. Next it will be Peregrine Falcons because they take racing pigeons.  After that Buzzards because they take pheasant poults. Its already been mooted that Sparrowhawks should be killed because they take songbirds, just where is it due to end? Fishermen can already under license kill Cormorants and Goosanders and horror of horrors, they also want to shoot Otters and I have spoken to the anglers in Exeter Angling Shop who tell me without remorse or sentiment that they would glady kill Otters if they could find them to shoot.

Further, I am pretty confident when I say if we had a strong national voice speaking out for mamals in the same way that the RSPB speaks for birds, then the Badger cull would not be taking place.  Therefore it is imperative that you sign the petition here .  THE PETITION  many more signatures are required so please, please sign.

Ringed Plover in flight

 

One of the features of birds in flight that I find so attractive is the issometric patterns of wings and feather shapes. I find the white wing bars so very attractive and pleasing to the eye.

It's quite difficult to get close enough to photograph small waders and I think the pictures from my previous post were not as good as they could have been.  I returned to Cockwood again on Thursday hoping to take better picures and I think I was successful.  I always get a buzz when I make the effort to improve my pictures and then have some success.  I have notoced before that Turnstone tend to move around in the company of Ringed Plover, quite why that should be the case is a mystery to me? But they do. I dont find them a very photogenic bird but in flight they are at their best with a striking pattern showing really well. 

 

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These two were particularly "close" seeming to seek each other out and even when the main group of Plovers moved away it stayed in the company of the Turnstone.

It has been a busy couple of days for me. Last evening I presented a "Talk" to the Topsham Bird Watching Society entitled Birding Opportunities in South Florida. This was a great opportunity for me to look at some of my best images from my Florida trips which I enjoyed immensely. However, presenting an illustrated talk of 2 hours duration is quite a daunting challenge and it took days and days of preparation meaning that I had to spend the entire day sat in front of my computer yesterday adding the final touches. As I stood on the stage with a mic strapped to my neck, a screen as big as a goal mouth and the onerous responsibility of entertaining a hall full of knowledgeable, expectant people, I began to wish that I was back sat in a hide quietly on my own somewhere. It seemed to go well and I think my photographs were enjoyed with them being described as some of the best pictures seen at their talks. Being appreciated is always good!

The Badger Cull, my view.

I remember a day when it was exciting to even know  that Badgers could be found in the countryside nearby but now farmers are being allowed to  cull them.  I do not want to live in a country where the wildlife is culled.  This is a politically correct way  of saying killed...... yes the government has decided to allow farmers to shoot and kill  them.  This is a disgusting state of affairs. The Badger is a protected species and should remain protected. The Badger is blamed for being a vector of Bovine TB but the way I see it is that the cattle are responsible for the passing of this disease to the Badger. Badgers were here first.  The dairy industry in the UK uses the land that already existed and has  manipulated the environment to accommodate dairy cattle which have been artificially created to produce unnaturally huge amounts of milk. Dairy products are an unnatural part of the diet and unnecessary, I am lactose intolerant and soya is a perfect substitute so we don't even need a dairy industry.  Farmers could quite easily make a living producing soya.   Dairy cattle are kept in disgusting overcrowded conditions.  Farmers bleat when their cattle become contaminated and have to be destroyed but don't bat an eyelid when they kill day old calves on a daily basis, or cull barren cows who cannot conceive.  Further more, they are adequately compensated when the infected cows are "taken out". They are in the business of slaughtering livestock as a matter of routine and it is somewhat hypocritical to claim to be upset when a dairy cow has to be killed a little bit earlier in spite of the fact that they are very generously compensated by the tax payer, yes that's me and you.    The government has decided to allow the culling of Badgers.  I am absolutely and totally  opposed to the culling of Badgers. I will not enter in to, or accept opposition to my views on this matter so please do not bother to comment in a negative way here on the blog.  However if you are a decent human being and you also object then please sign the petition by clicking here   It will take just a few seconds.  I believe that in Wales, vaccination is being undertaken, why cant we do that here in England or even more sensibly, vaccinate the cattle. Please do not kill the Badgers, they do not belong to farmers or the government, nor me or you and we have no right whatsoever to try to try to eradicate them. 

 

Ringed Plover on the Exe

I always enjoy September, it's the time of year when birds start to arrive..... and leave...... on migration. In short, there are a few nice birds to see and usually some good photo opportunities. I had been looking at pictures taken on Florida beaches of small waders and it prompted me to get myself out there, close to home  and have a look.  Cockwood Harbour is always a  good place with easy access and in the past I have seen Black-tailed Godwits feeding in the inner harbour and I really love them.  On the river side of the harbour I have often seen Ringed Plover roosting at high tide on the banks b y the railway line and so it proved today.  Was it my imagination but I am sure there wasn't as many as previous years with just a very small group today, hardly a flock!   There were a few adults, that's one of them above and then some juveniles,  (see below).

 

Obviously a youngster with an all black beak as well as a lack of head markings and chest bar.

The beak of the adults will be almost completely yellow when breeding.

 

Amongst the roosting Ringed Plovers were a few Turnstone, slightly larger than the plovers and a bit dreary.   Not the most  attractive bird but in flight they look their best. 

A Turnstone and a Ringed Plover.

A couple of the adult plovers in flight. 

A Little Egret on the river at Powderham.

Its been quite hard to find the time to "stake-out" the Kingfishers this last few days, I can't be in two places at once.  At the wood hide, things have also been worryingly very quite on my last two visits I have hardly even seen a bird.  However the food is disappearing from the feeders so I am confident that birds are coming and going. 

 

A few flight shots from today's session at the wood.

A Blue Tit flies in, grabs a peanut and flies off again.

It's not  easy to photograph these very fast flying small birds in flight but my method is to pre-focus on a likely spot, a baited post for example, and then fire off the shutter as they fly in and out.  A fast shutter speed is imperative and as I have said before, needs to be at least 1/4000 to freeze the action without any movement blur.

Capturing the action is what it's all about and this shows one of the Nuthatches leaving the free offerings, wings just about to open fully.

I had another interesting day at the "infinity hide" yesterday, I waited for the Buzzard(s) to come in and perch at least on the near fence posts but you need more than just patience, luck is a big factor as well of course. I am hoping that when the weather gets colder and winter sets in, food will be more difficult to find, they will be more inclined to come in to the rabbit carcass. Frankly it's been quite a revelation to learn that they don't home in on the dead rabbits as soon as they have been put out. I have seen Buzzards soaring above and looking for prey but ignoring the dead rabbit. I would have thought that the free and easy to find food would immediately be taken but that is not the case. The rabbits however, are very attractive to the local foxes and if left out overnight, almost invariably they are taken. The foxes also eat the apples that I have been leaving for them, again interesting and I hadn't realised that fruit was such a big part of a fox diet.

Sexing Nuthatches and the Buzzard comes nearer.

I sat for quite a while in the pit in front of the infinity hide. The Nuthatches and Coal Tits were quite a treat, particularly Nuthatches. I had a previous conversation here on the Blog with Jeff about sexing Nuthatches so when several started to arrive it was interesting to try and see if I could see any obvious differences. Armed with some prior knowledge
it was relatively easy to see the difference between males and females.  Look at him closely and you can see that he has quite prominant dark "brick-red" flanks, in a female this colour would not be so intense.  Also the under-tail coverts are edged with the same colour, (you can just about see them here), in the female this is less intense.  This is obvious if you have two birds to compare but one thing that was quite a surprise was the size of the male, noticeably larger and more bulky with much thicker and bulkier, larger beak. In silouette this difference in size was quite noticeable.  To help me, his bird also called in the musical way that male Nuthatches  do.

This appears to be a female based on the above with much less intense markings on the flanks, lighter on the face and a horn coloured lower mandible. Even the face stripe is dark grey in this bird as opposed to black in the male.  However, on reflection, if you have an adult female in good condition without a male to compare it too it is not always easy to say with certainty.

This is a Coal Tit, quite how they were named is not certain to me but probably due to their darker coal like colouring.  They are an attractive, very small tit species, very quick, they always come down to the food and fly off immediately, unlike the other tits who take more time selecting their food. Not sure how to seperate the sexes in Coal Tits but sure that could form part of another post in the coming days.  

The building of the pit and the infinity pool was quite a physical job but it has already started to prove worth it.  The main reason for it's construction was to try and photograph the Buzzards and as you can see from the picture at the top, yesterday I  was nearly successful with one of the residents, oblivious to me, perched on the nearby fence line.  From the "pit" I had a clear view and it's quite a nice photo with the yellow ragwort and brambles in the picture.

 

Kingfisher update and an interesting development.

This is not my best Kingfisher photograph thats for sure but there was, lets say, a development at the Kingfisher hide this evening.  When I arrived at around 5.30, I could see someone dressed in bright blue, peering in to the brook right next to the hide.   As I got nearer I reconised her as a friend of a friend, someone who has an interest in the Kingfishers, and who can blame her!  However from my point of view, her interest is probably going to have an impact on the birds choice of territory.  If she continually goes to the area of the hide to look for the bird then it won't be long before the bird will move on elsewhere.  In a way this will be OK because she will lose interest and stop coming to look and then the Kingfishers will probably return.  I think her disturbance has already had an affect. I climbed in to the hide but still couldn't get the message to her to leave me to it, weird! Eventually she left, at least I think she did, but of course I couldn't tell.  Anyway 20 minutes later, suddenly a Kingfisher was on the perch in front of me......... a female and not the usual male.   I took some photos but I didn't have the best lens with me so they were not the best.  Suddenly there was a scream from the bird as another Kingfisher flew in, she left chasing the intruder down stream.  I wonder if we have got a new territory holder now.  Its going to be interesting over the next few days particularly if this new female wants to hold on to her new patch at the expense of the original young male.

Here is a picture of her attcking the intruder, probably the original male, I only momentarilly caught a glimpse of the rival.

The first Photos from Fleming's Folly

Apologies for the lack of photos and posts this last 3 days. Photography has been difficult because I have been working on the "Nature Centre", now nick named Fleming's Folly by my friend Dick who mischievously stuck a name plate  there while I was away.  the work has been disturbing the birds of course and it's been hard to get a photo to post. Today though, I went wit the intention of getting some photos, the Kingfisher will have to wait a while! The pit hide is going well and now giving perfect views of the water with an infinity background but the birds, so far are not so keen but I am sure they will start to use it very soon. Pleasingly, at least 3 Nuthatches are regular visitors to the feeders and I am getting the chance to photograph them as they investigate the log placed there for them and the Woodpeckers that have yet to find the freebies. As I have always enjoyed Nuthatches then I am more than pleased.  In the shot above the infinity background is very effective so I am pleased with the results.Three Buzzards were around this morning so the thought of hem coming down to feed is a real possibility and the main reason that the whole thing was set up in the first place. I continue to leave a carcass for them and last night the foxes  had quite a feast.  They decapitated a Rabbit carcass,  I am hoping to get them accustomed to feeding on the free offerings too and really hoping for some photographs of them  soon.

This is the infinity pool (taken on an Ipad) with perches and feeding station tree trunks in the background. The pit is to the right at ground level of course.   You can see the difficulty the light might present, but in the late afternoon and early evening the pool and perches are surrounded in a golden light.

New "Wildlife Centre".

Work started today on the new "wildlife centre" which is going to be a perfect location for observing and photographing birds and other wildlife at close quarters.  The entire location is being set up to allow close observation and photography, from just a few feet, of the local resident woodland birds and hopefully some winter visitors as well. The main accommodation is a converted caravan which will eventually be disguised to look like a log cabin.  There is  a bed, heating, electricity and cooking facilities. It is carpeted, warm damp free and comfortable. The windows will be converted to feature "two-way" glass and ports for camera lenses. This will all give a clear view of a new wildlife pool for drinking and bathing birds as well as deer and foxes. A variety of feeders are positioned just feet from the camouflaged windows.  There are specially  constructed clamps that can allow for the changing of natural foliage to vary the photo opportunities.  A large 6 foot high log is buried two feet in to the ground and because of the natural slope, it is at eye level to the viewer.  This log  will be baited with "road-kill" to encourage the local breeding Buzzards (Buteo buteo) to come down and feed. Baiting has already been going on for the last 8 weeks and there is evidence of some use by Buzzards already.

The main exciting feature is the specially dug pit in front of the pond. This pit  allows for two photographers to be  positioned with a lens at ground level directly on the same level of the pool. From this position, some stunning views will be possible at the same level as the drinking and bathing wildlife. The roof of the pit will be turfed and will blend in perfectly with the natural vegetation. Access will be via a hinged hatch. This is all very exciting and when it settles down will just get better and better.   The results of all this will obviously feature very regularly on the blog and future  plans include a 24 hour streaming web cam which will be viewable from the blog.  It will be fascinating to watch, in infra-red, foxes, deer and badgers foraging and feeding in front of the cameras.   Again watch this space.