Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day
We unfortunately see quite a few foxes with bad Mange, so it is a pleasure to see this healthy beast visiting the hedge site. The mixture of peanut butter and mouse perfume on the stone must be irresistible!
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The unexpected Buzzard on the post was also tackled from a downstairs window catching this unusual posture shooting through some intervening foliage.
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A couple of days later we disturbed the Buzzard while hunting in our
woodland section, and thought we wouldn't see it again for days.
But only 2 hours later, with no disturbing humans about, the
Buzzard makes an unexpected visit to the Woodland camera site,
unusually left active all that day in the dreary weather. It
looks like the bird wing probably broke the IR beam over the log
to take his portrait - the first time a buzzard has been
photographed at any of the ground level cameras or the tree
stump, though it was seen on one occasion in Feb 2015 at the
kitchen window perch (see 2/3 down page
http://www.moorhen.me.uk/imgofday/arch 2015 mar.htm)
Jan 2016 and Feb 2015 have been our only Buzzards seen inside our
patch - maybe the Parents are kicking out the youngsters ready
for a new batch.
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We unexpectedly spotted this Buzzard perched on the meadow post, and dashed upstairs to the pre-focussed camera covering the post top.
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A re-ordered sequence of the turning head - actually almost as impressive as an owl but the more slender neck makes it look less extreme!
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Oh Wow - all this fuss over the top of a carrot!
The Grey squirrel on the right on hind legs facing left and with
carrot in mouth is being leapt at by one of its peers - judging
by the movement blur there is no way there wasn't a big impact a
fraction of a second later.
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This looks like another serious encounter with the Squirrels face to face and claws flying as they roll over the log.
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Our dominant male pheasant giving a good view of his 'spurs' a third of the way up his legs.
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On this female Pheasant you can just see a vestigial spur a third of the way up her left leg
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This Bluetit spent several minutes searching the lichen crusted bark of this old Black Poplar. This first image is exactly what we saw - who cares about gravity!
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A montage of a single Bluetit searching the lichen crusted bark of this old Black Poplar, working its way along a branch.
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A Bluetit flying in for lunch at this ground level feeding site
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A male Muntjac Deer at the Woodland camera site hoping to find a little food.
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A close view of the interesting markings on the face of a male Muntjac Deer.
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We have chosen 6 images of a 6 minute barn owl visit to make
animated GIF of the bird searching surrounding from the post top
without moving the feet.
Don't imagine that the Owl spends 6 minutes turning his head once - we catch various
positions in each frame 45 seconds apart and select the order.
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This Barn Owl (with no leg ring) making a 6 minute visit a few hours after sunset. This is the landing.
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The Barn Owl (with no leg ring) made a 6 minute visit a few hours after sunset. Here are three images showing a nearly 360 degree rotation of the head.
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A pair of Rooks obviously a 'loving couple' trusting each other with those powerful beaks so close to each other.
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The Jackdaws are paired up ready to start the seasons activities.
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Our love of Sundogs continues. This 3 layers of cloud makes for an interesting effect. The top cloud looks remarkably like a birds longer body feather with down on the side against the body. Feathers are amazing constructions each made to fit it's niche.
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Along our access track this feather was caught on a thorn on the outside of a hedge. It is about 4cm (1.5 inches) long. We guess it is from a Sparrowhawk who will attack birds perched in hedges.
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As we walk about the Robins in each territory make their approach in the hope of some food from the bottom of Marie's bottomless corn pocket. This one is perched on a 'weldmesh' ring which does service as an incinerator.
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An image of the robin shows a reflection in his eye of the world behind the camera.
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A Tawny Owl making a 4 minute visit.
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Before the Snow (midday 15 Jan2016 ) ...
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... and the fresh snow (only about 4cm) changing the world (morning 17 Jan 2016).
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This Tawny Owl stayed for only a minute or so in the early evening. This is the landing with spread wings edge-on to camera, but with a view of the facial disc and the tail.
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A Bluetit standing inside a frozen apple is probably managing to peck some bits from it.
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A Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) at the hedge bottom suddenly raised our interest because it
shows a nictitating membrane over the corner of the lit eye. We often see
these on birds where they are fully active transparent eye protection but
we didn't know anything but birds had them.
A little web-search discovered that they are more widespread, but
that in Mice they are vestigial - they have them but no longer
have the muscles needed to actually use them.
More info at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nictitating_membrane
We love the instructions on looking at the membrane on a sleeping
dog - it does not mention losing fingers as a potential hazard!
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A fieldmouse (wood mouse) showing off to its potential mate?
The blurring on the front of the leaping mouse is most likely the effect
of a water drop or mark on the glass window of the camera box.
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OK - we put down the chopped bark (and it helps a lot).
Then the birds toss it aside to feed in the mud, and every boot footstep
squelches up mud all around it!
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Robin. Mud. What more to say!
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Robin on twig in a bit of hazy sunshine, waiting for the reward of some corn from the photographer
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Whee!
The firmer surface of the chopped bark we have had to lay over the sticky
mud has encouraged back the leaping Fieldmice (Wood Mice).
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This barn owl made a short stay less than an hour after sunset.
Late last year we saw this bird with just the missing wing feathers.
The black marks on the other wing have appeared since last years visits
and we have no idea what made them .
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The following morning this OTHER Barn Owl (with ring on its right
leg and pristine feathers) made a 3 minute visit.
This bird normally stands on just its left (unringed) leg and we
have wondered whether the ring bothers the bird. But here it is
standing on just it's ringed leg without obvious problems.
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This is our first sighting of a Short-eared Owl inside our plot, and only our second record in
the 25 years we have been here, so don't hold your breath for the next!
The previous sighting was over what was then over pasture on 9 Nov 2008 which
you can see for 24 Nov 2008 at
http://www.moorhen.me.uk/imgofday/arch 2008 nov.htm
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The face of the Short-eared Owl is very striking, so here is a larger version of the
bird on the right.
From a page as http://www.owl-help.org.uk:-
The very small & often unseen ear tufts from which the Short-Eared Owl gets its name have
nothing to do with hearing but are used to communicate mood to would-be aggressors.
This bird is on the Amber list of species.
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There is none of the wing activity we associate with a take-off,
we assume that this Robin is jumping off a log in search of more
things to eat.
The claws are already off the wood, leaving their shadows behind.
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This Song thrush is giving us a good look at the speckled breast.
Meanwhile a female Blackbird lurks in the background.
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These two birds from a single frame give an idea of the difference in size between Chaffinch (left) and Goldfinch.
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This Wood Pigeon caught our eye for the range of colours on the neck plumage. We have NOT 'wound up' the colours.
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We have not tampered with the colour of the sheens on this magnificent healthy Rook
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The warm days see several Grey squirrels out feeding, and on the odd occasions
that the sun comes out they find a sheltered branch out of the wind to have a sunbathe.
According to a BBC documentary broadcast a few days ago:-
A Hazel nut is between 5 to 10 Calories.
A Grey Squirrel needs 20 Hazel nuts or equivalent per day & will cache 3,000 nuts
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Our first Barn Owl sighting since the end of October last year.
A brief visit of just these two frames 45 seconds apart.
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This open-air site had become so muddy we had to place about 100 litres
of chopped bark over it. The mice made an instant (next night) reappearance
now they didn't have to paddle in sticky mud.
This moment catches a moment an hour after sunset of two Fieldmice (Wood Mice):-
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Next morning the birds take over from the mice. On the left are 3 of several Tree Sparrows recently returned to our patch, along with a Bluetit and a Robin that looks rather like an 'overseer'.
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A little assortment of small birds at the large kitchen window peanut feeder while the Squirrels couldn't cram any more in and allowed them to feed in peace.
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Along the path across the meadow this Robin came expectantly to the top of the meadow post (where you see Owls from a different angle at night) and we took a few portraits before delivering his reward from the pocket full of corn we take with us.
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Along the path across the meadow this Robin came expectantly to the top of the meadow post (where you see Owls from a different angle at night) and we took a few portraits before delivering his reward from the pocket full of corn we take with us.
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