Sunset Fox and Birds

When I first moved to Toft in the late 1960s, a favourite sunset walk was always to the rushy marshy area now occupied by the Meridian golf club which had a very large Reed Bunting roost in the winter. I thought when they built the golf club in 1983 that this would be dispersed but it just moved a short way to an area of farmland that is left in the winter as it is too wet to plough. As I approached the roost area I was aware of a large number of pheasants getting very agitated and it was only when I got home and looked at the photos that I realised they had seen the Fox before me! All the birds were very jittery but images of Reed buntings, Goldfinch and Fieldfare (we have dozens of these at the moment).

Fox Among the Bees

I was busy photographing bees on a patch of heather in the Botanic Gardens for a project I am doing,  when I became aware I was being watched. It isn't often you end up photographing a fox with a macro lens. He did a few large yawns and then moved to a more 'secret' place deeper in the bushes. 

(Bees for records Ashy-mining Bee, Common Carder bee, Honeybee, Red-tailed bumble Bee, Mourning Bee, plus two to be ID'ed)

Tracks and Trails

With all the heavy rain over the last few weeks, all the paths are muddy around us. One upside is the visibility of animal tracks, even more so in last week's snow.  We have a Badger Sett that I walk past most days - the first two images show hind and fore paw prints. The tracks clearly lead from the Sett into Toft Wood and across. Badgers are protected by the Badgers Act 1992 which prevents injury to and the disturbance of badgers. Land owners must not disturb a badger or its sett without obtaining a licence but with all the clearing going on of the banks of the Brook, fingers crossed that this is upheld.

The other tracks are Muntjac, Fox (two photos), Dog and Rabbit

Wicken Fen - Insects, Fox and Returm of the Hobbies

Yesterday was the first bright and relatively warm day for a time, so headed to Wicken Fen for a session with the birds and bugs. Not a lot around on the insect side though Brimstone, Red Admiral and Peacock all active plus as Red and Black Bug Cercopis vulnerata and a Cardinal beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis. An old Vixen fox (obviously with suckling young) watched as things hotted up from the hide - first the Terns and then up to five Hobbies entertained us with their antics (separate blog to follow). Also Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Courting Great Crested Grebes

Big Cats and Small fox

Hamerton Zoo has recently acquired two more white Bengal tigers and they are in tip top condition. The Cheetahs have great pens with long grass to hide in and bushes to shelter under. The Corsac foxes are growing their long winter coats. 

Story of a Fox

I have been starting to sort through my Swiss holiday images and thought I would record the tale of the Fox as a lesson on keeping your longest lens on the camera when walking. I had been photographing flowers and was in a bit of a hurry to get the train back to Wengen so did not change to longer lens. Round the corner comes this bold fox carrying a discarded sandwich so the first shot was with the 50mm (fortunately not the 24mm). He came pretty close so a reasonable shot was had before he headed off into the rocks on the left. As I had a hard-boiled egg left over from lunch (dyed an orange colour!), I threw this for him as delaying tactics while I changed lenses. It worked and with my 70-200 mm I was able to get closer photos as he buried the egg and then went back to retrieve more discarded lunch.