Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day
A very cold and snowy (light so far) spell brings out the birds looking for accessible food. Here we start with a male blackbird.
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One of the pheasant hens that habituate the plot. The other is much lighter so we call them the blond and the brunette, and often see them together. The male is about but never where we can get a photo.
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A pair of moorhen. The lack of colour in the left birds beak indicates it is not yet in full breeding colour. This is the pair from the main pond.
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The Robin found his Christmas day afternoon snack by way of this unlucky worm. We really don't know how they find worms in the impacted sanded soil at the main feeding station, but we see a robin with a worm here a couple of times a year.
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Taken an hour after 'yesterdays' image there is still plenty on the table/log. For scale the log is about 8cm high at this point and the mouse can barely see over it.
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A fieldmouse (wood mouse) sized Boxing day supper. Even has blackberries out of the freezer for desert.
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LEFT: 2005 was the year of the Muntjac Deer. A fawn was raised in our 2 acres and we watched it grow up. This is Doe and Fawn in mid April in the garden backed by a carpet of forget-me-nots. The adolescent male fawn visits occasionally, but a similar age female visits almost every night & we have seen them together. RIGHT: These 2 robins have to be courting - the only time Robins tolerate each other let alone nuzzle each other. We have a number of pairs of robins nesting each year in the hedges (open boxes are a waste of time here) and they did well.
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The moorhen pair from the main pond, still wet and spattered with duckweed, are probably disappointed not to find any more food yet.
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This portrait of one of our moorhen shows the wonderfully sleek plumage of a moorhen in top condition ready for the onslaught of winter.
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A muntjac doe photographed just after dark at the weekend without the disturbance of the roofing works.
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The Round pond and its surroundings now bare of most leaves. The buddleia on the left of the island and others around the plot have not dropped their leaves despite some hard frosts - the brown seed-heads have been left for the birds. Interesting to compare with the image for 22 Sep 2005 in full leaf (still in the archive for a few weeks).
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A robin flying over the feeding area carrying a wisp of dried grass or similar, possibly to line a roosting nestbox or natural shelter.
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A pair of blackbirds are regular visitors. This is the female.
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The main photo kit is under a field maple tree. It was breezy this night and here a falling leaf has taken its own picture along with it's shadow from the flashgun. Leaves fall even in the darkness of 3 a.m.
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The fieldmice (wood mice) are back at the main feeding station, here carrying off potato peel.
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A couple of rabbits nibbling the offerings. Typically half of our exposures include rabbits.
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A robin inspecting a hole in the log for insects or spilled grain. Remember they don't have binocular vision but get the best view to the side.
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Carrion crows still around and sometimes looking over last years nesting tree, so have hopes for the next season.
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This image from February shows what we see now through the scaffolding at the end of the day when there is no light to photograph them. We let the Teasels run wild in patches and many finches spend hour on them picking out the seeds.
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On the other hand nothing seems to perturb the Robins.
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While the Muntjac Doe keeps appearing we are happy to see her. She is turning up regularly in dark despite the day being full of disturbances while we are having the roof reslated.
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Robin appearing to fly straight at the camera. Imagine being that size and seeing that coming at you.
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Female Blackbird perched on the feeding station log.
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Yuletide log?
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First proper photo of the Muntjac Doe at the feeding site near the house.
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Our pair of moorhen are seeing off all-comers on the main pond. Here in a more tranquil moment looking for breakfast
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The Muntjac deer female looking for food covered by the leaf litter.
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One of dozens of nice portraits of robins among the fallen leaves.
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A Dunnock among the autumn leaf litter.
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After a day with the flash not firing, the Muntjac Doe again graces us with her presence.
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The goldfinches arrived mid November and made straight for the teasel seed heads. On a still but frosty morning this little creature looked so alone high up in our tallest tree. You can see the normal sleek look is replaced by plumped out feathers.
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