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Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day

31 Jul 2024

This badger on the Round Mound is momentarily IR lit from 2 trail cams at once creating a much better image than the usual single light source directly from near the lens.


Ref: SP1_20240620_2215_122_SP1 Badger peers down holes on south of mound.jpg

A sturdy Badger stops for a moment near the south hedge gap


Ref: BU7_20240626_2042_228 Badger on edge of south ditch.jpg

30 Jul 2024

A couple of 'edge of camera frame' portraits of Reeves' Muntjac Deer. First the still immaculate older Fawn.


Ref: E6A_20240625_2120_096_FB5 Muntjac Reeves Deer Fawn.jpg

Much less immaculate, but very characterful, is our regular male, with his Antlers growing back apace.


Ref: E6A_20240626_2053_137_FB5 Muntjac Reeves Deer male with growing antlers.jpg

One of the Reeves' Muntjac Deer Fawns walks quietly through the Meadow site.


Ref: E6A_20240627_2129_109_FB5 Muntjac Reeves Deer fawn at meadow site.jpg

29 Jul 2024

This Fox spent about 5 minutes wandering around this patch of ground near the east hedge gap before leaving.


Ref: BUA_20240624_1957_040-2001_044 Fox spends 5 minutes near east hedge gap (montage).jpg

This adult Fox stops momentarily near the south hedge gap for a last look back. Their slight open mouth shows a couple of the long 'killer' teeth.


Ref: BU7_20240625_1942_202 Fox stops momentarily near south hedge gap (crop).jpg

28 Jul 2024

While walking round the North West corner of the house, we find this startling Moth. It is perched on the remains of the rendering under a bay window. This is a Scarlet Tiger Moth that we have never seen before anywhere but ID books. It is a daytime flying moth so we have never caught one in our night-time moth trap.


Ref: DF3_20240626_1054_093 Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula) on subsidence damaged rendering (1st sighting) (crop).jpg

Our first Large Skipper Butterfly this year.


Ref: DF3_20240623_1648_391 Large Skipper Butterfly (1st of 2024).jpg

27 Jul 2024

One of are recent arrival male Banded Demoiselle Damselflies perched on the tips of some leaves, providing a view of the banding through all four wings at once.
The first sighting this year was on 22 June 2024


Ref: DF3_20240625_1121_046 Banded Demoiselle male seeing through all 4 wings.jpg

A delicate female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly poised for a moment on a leaf.
This and the Banded form of Demoiselle seem to live a a few weeks, but they never seem to pick up the wing damage that their larger Dragonfly relatives seem to quickly acquire.


Ref: DF3_20240626_1046_082 Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly female.jpg

26 Jul 2024

Various things are growing on the now massive spoil heaps along our south boundary. The most hilarious is a pretty decent crop of Oil-seed rape. But this solitary Poppy caught our attention as potential little gem. These 3 pics each 3 days apart illustrate the super-fast life cycle of what is called the Common Red Poppy.


Ref: DF3_20240617_1024_012+R70_20240620_0709_074+DF3_20240623_1110_223 Poppy Common Red (Papaver Rhoeas) (montage 3 day gaps).jpg

2 days later the poppy has grown a second stem and flower, turned it to seed in just another 2 days.


Ref: DF3_20240625_0610_009+D71_20240627_0605_006 Common Poppy flower makes seed capsule 2 days later (montage).jpg

25 Jul 2024

Jam-making (it must be admitted, from last years frozen Cherries) always creates a slurry of pips and skins to dispose of. This Grey squirrel is having a lovely time, face and paws thoroughly gunged up with the sticky fruit pulp. Yummy!


Ref: E63_20240622_1609_061_FB1 Grey Squirrel at Hedge Bottom with jam making pulp stuck on face and paws.jpg

24 Jul 2024

A Rook landing on the Meadow Post. The eye is clouded over by the precautionary closing of the nictitating membrane. Half a second later the already stable bird opens his eye for a clearer check around.


Ref: D01_20240621_1637_137+138_FB6 Rook landing with nictitating membrane closed & half-second later eye open (montage in 500mS).jpg

23 Jul 2024

A Reeves' Muntjac Deer family - this Fawn is much smaller than the Fawn we have been watching, so Mum at least is not the original Mum.
Dad's antlers look suspiciously like the part grown pair of our normal male so perhaps he is 'two-timing' her.
Breeding and Antler growing don't follow any calendar pattern in this species.


Ref: BU7_20240620_2226_016 Muntjac Reeves Fawn & parents.jpg

An affectionate moment between Mum and Fawn Reeves Muntjac Deer as the day draws to a close. This may be a good place to start the nights forage - the pond at the right is still comfortably full for a drink.


Ref: BU8_20240624_2059_019 Muntjac Reeves Deer Fawn and mother by Duck Pond (crop).jpg

Mum and Fawn Deer in a quiet moment just after dark.
The incidental grass stems and seeds seem to add to the intimacy of the moment.


Ref: BU8_20240625_2128_066 Muntjac Reeves Deer mother affectionately watches Fawn.jpg

22 Jul 2024

An adult female Green Woodpecker on the Meadow Post.
We are aware of juveniles around the site from calls and fleeting glimpses, but this year Parents and youngsters are extremely human intolerant.


Ref: D01_20240620_1948_082_FB6 Green Woodpecker female on Meadow Post.jpg

We usually see Green Woodpecker on this pole top from inside our patch. Here, across the tonnes of soil heaps the bird seems unusually tolerant of our presence - enough time to aim the camera before the bird departed


Ref: DF3_20240623_1250_372-374 Green Woodpecker on disused pole flies off 4-6 of 6 (accurate montage @7fps).jpg

Camera resolution extract of the middle moment.


Ref: DF3_20240623_1250_373 Green Woodpecker on disused pole flies off 5 of 6 (crop).jpg

A gorgeous Green Woodpecker lands on the Meadow Post.
The air temperature and sunshine cause him to pant - the main way that most birds cool themselves.


Ref: D01_20240625_1640_116_FB6 Green Woodpecker male on meadow post with beak slightly open.jpg

21 Jul 2024

The Blackbirds are obviously rearing a brood.
This male has collected a quite disgusting looking beakful of invertebrates to stuff into the ever open craws.


Ref: E64_20240620_1248_031_FB2 Blackbird male with beak full of invertibrates.jpg

This blackbird has something in his beak as he walks along this log lying on the Round Mound. We have to assume that another worm is on their way into a chicks maw.


Ref: SP1_20240623_1306_373-376_SP1 Blackbird male carries item in beak along fallen branch 1-4 of 4 (montage at 3 sec intervals).jpg

20 Jul 2024

The north edge of the meadow - where the land turns to woodland, produces a great show of Oxeye daisies every year, always all leaning towards the sunny-side south


Ref: DF3_20240620_1024_003 Oxeye daisies at north edge of meadow (crop).jpg

On a different scale Fox and Cubs make splashes of colour just a few centimetres across around the south and west of the house..


Ref: DF3_20240620_1035_005 Fox and Cubs cluster of flowers.jpg

Stinging Nettles can be a real nuisance, but several butterfly species need them to breed. When these nettles flowers the appearance can be rather interesting.


Ref: DF3_20240620_1039_013 Flowering nettles stems backlit.jpg

A view of Hedge Parsley - the lower head in full flower, and the upper head turned to seed.


Ref: DF3_20240622_0944_134 Hedge Parsley head in flower and another turned to seed.jpg

19 Jul 2024

The Odonata family (damselflies and Dragonflies) seem rather reluctant to appear this year. But one 10 minute session on a warm afternoon produced these 3 encounters.
A male Azure Damselfly.


Ref: R70_20240618_1611_021 Azure Damselfly male on Hop Sedge leaf.jpg

A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly.


Ref: R70_20240618_1613_022 Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly female.jpg

This Broad Bodied Chaser Dragonfly is perched on the tip of a flowering Nettle making what we think is a rather interesting contrast.


Ref: R70_20240618_1623_035 Broad Bodied Chaser Dragonfly on top of flowering nettle.jpg

18 Jul 2024

The Reeves' Muntjac Deer Fawn seems to have lost his stripes.
We now know that this is a male - the antler Pedicles are beginning to form.


Ref: E64_20240618_0818_124_FB2 Muntjac Reeves Deer Fawn (crop).jpg

In the early hours this disparately sized pair of Badgers amble over the grass towards the south hedge gap.


Ref: BU7_20240616_0241_187+189 2 Badgers walking side-by-side towards south hedge gap (montage).jpg

A pair of Badgers forage over the grass near the south hedge gap. They look to be similar size and fairly young so probably siblings.


Ref: BU5_20240619_0102_108_SC1 2 Badgers paused to forage after entering at South hedge gap.jpg

17 Jul 2024

A bit of a classic pose from this Grey Squirrel nibbling something in their paws.


Ref: E63_20240617_1551_062_FB1 Grey Squirrel nibbling food from paws.jpg

A Rook uses their enormous beak to carefully pick up a single grain of corn.


Ref: E64_20240617_1613_097_FB2 Rook picking up single corn grain at Woodland site.jpg

The Study peanut feeder here sports a pair of Short-tailed Field Voles.
One or two volves inside this feeder is becoming a remarkably regular event so long as the gap between the cage and the wooden post is no more than a few centimetres.
NOT a montage.


Ref: D5C_20240615_1017_003 2 Short-tailed Field Voles inside caged peanut feeder.jpg

16 Jul 2024

Within 5 minutes we see the Green Woodpecker on the Meadow Post top and then getting their beak caked in mud probing the ground at the Meadow site.


Ref: D01_20240616_1107_450_FB6+E6A_1113_239_FB5 Green Woodpecker on Meadow Post flies down to Meadow site (montage).jpg

A couple of hours later we see the female Green Woodpecker making a short visit to the Meadow Post.


Ref: D01_20240616_1334_466_FB6 Green Woodpecker female 2 minute visit to Meadow Post.jpg

Next morning the mile of new railings installed by the Farm provides a perch for this Green Woodpecker.


Ref: R70_20240617_0649_045 Green Woodpecker landing on farm railings to east.jpg

15 Jul 2024

Sparrowhawks rarely perch on the Meadow post, but this female spends 6 minutes resting and preening on the Meadow Post. Before the last pic clouds rolled over the sun producing a dramatic change to the impression.


Ref: D01_20240616_0733_393-0738_404_FB6 Sparrowhawk 6 minute visit to Meadow Post while clouding over 1+3+4+6 of 6 (montage).jpg

An afternoon Fox out on the Prowl by the Duck Pond.


Ref: BU8_20240610_1616_105 Fox hunting along edge of Duck Pond.jpg

14 Jul 2024

Tawny Owl preference in Rodents is undoubtedly for Voles, but here we see that an incautious Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) will do just fine. This is at half-past midnight


Ref: D01_20240619_0031_236_FB6 Tawny Owl 3 landings on Meadow post inc one with Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) 2 of 6 (crop).jpg

3 hours later what looks like the same Owl makes another of his three landings on the meadow post in the same night


Ref: D01_20240619_0311_239_FB6 Tawny Owl 3 landings on Meadow post 5 of 6 (crop).jpg

Here we catch this slightly awkward position.
Just visible at this size are speckles of rain over the bird's head.


Ref: D01_20240616_0349_389_FB6 Tawny Owl brief visit to meadow post in rain.jpg

13 Jul 2024

An interesting stand-off. In previous years we would expect the Pigeon to launch upwards out of reach of the Squirrel's claws. But this year we have seen several instances of these confrontations going nowhere. In this case the Pigeon simply walked quietly to the right.


Ref: BU7_20240613_0934_028 Wood Pigeon vs Gray Squirrel face-off - the Pigeon walked away.jpg

Not sure what is going on here!


Ref: E64_20240617_1340_037_FB2 Grey Squirrels frolicking.jpg

The lower pic here was taken about half a second after the top one.
We would love to know 'what happens next'.


Ref: D01_20240618_1812_215+216_FB6 Wood Pigeon lands on Meadow post & immediately another arrives 1+2 of 2 (montage over 500mS).jpg

What happens next - we don't know.


Ref: E60_20240619_1328_058_FB3 Wood Pigeon about to land by dozing Grey Squirrel.jpg

12 Jul 2024

FOOD!
Youngsters go on hopefully begging well past there ability to collect fod for themselves.


Ref: E63_20240614_1215_087_FB1 Dunnock youngster begging from parent.jpg

FOOD!
Mum or Dad really doesn't look the least bit impressed.


Ref: DF3_20240615_0827_051+055+056 Rook youngster begging from unresponsive parent 1-3 of 3 (montage).jpg

11 Jul 2024

The Reeves Muntjac Deer Fawn is getting steadily more independent ...


Ref: E63_20240608_2114_116_FB1 Muntjac Reeves Deer Fawn at hedge bottom.jpg

... but still has an interest in Mum's milk-bar ...


Ref: BU5_20240608_2144_373_SC1 Muntjac Reeves Deer Fawn nuzzling mother by Round pond.jpg

... seen here as a Fawns eye view of Mum's most interesting bit.


Ref: E6A_20240607_0753_073_FB5 Muntjac Reeves Deer mother with detail of nipples.jpg

10 Jul 2024

Suddenly Fieldmice (Wood Mice) are appearing at both the hedge bottom and the Woodland site. Here at the hedge bottom there are at least 2 individuals - the pair at right are genuinely fighting or loving photographed over 3 days.


Ref: E63_20240611_0116_070-20240613_0058_217_FB1 Fieldmice (Wood Mice) around midnight at hedge bottom (montage of 3).jpg

At the Woodland site this action was limited to just 3 hours.


Ref: E6A_20240613_0039_244-0338_258_FB5 Fieldmice (Wood Mice) (+ vole on left) visits to Meadow over 3 hours (montage).jpg

09 Jul 2024

A male Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly flicking his wings. Some do this and some don't - we haven't worked out any pattern. Demoiselles are, at their own scale, voracious hunters.


Ref: R70_20240608_1629_217+1630_239 Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly male fluttering wings 1+2 of 2 (montage).jpg

At a different scale the Sparrowhawk is also a voracious hunter, here making an early morning stop-off at the Kitchen perch.


Ref: E60_20240610_0718_007_FB3 Sparrowhawk landing on Kitchen perch (crop 2).jpg

08 Jul 2024

Loud bird alarm calls rang out from the east end of the main pond. Dashing to the pond caught this thoroughly 'guilty' Fox obviously disturbed from his attack by the arrival of the greatest predator (man). We stared at each other for a few seconds ...


Ref: R70_20240608_1341_123 Fox causing bird alarm calls flees when human arrives 2 of 6 (crop).jpg


Ref: R70_20240608_1341_123 Fox causing bird alarm calls flees when human arrives 2 of 6 (detail).jpg

... before the fox turned away left at speed - see the departing Fox near the top of the montage.


Ref: R70_20240608_1341_126+131 Fox causing bird alarm calls flees when human arrives 4+6 of 6 (accurate montage).jpg

6 minutes later outside the South hedge a Fox was loping across the harrowed field. Over 200m away it's difficult to be sure, but the black mouth suggests that the Fox is carrying his latest catch back to the cubs.


Ref: R70_20240608_1347_137 Fox probably causing bird alarm runs across field to south.jpg

07 Jul 2024

In most years we see a family group of Long-tailed Tit flitting high in the trees, and whether being obviously watched or not, soon move on. For a couple of minutes we were treated to initially 4 juveniles only a few metres away. This is the first 'grab-the-moment' shot.


Ref: R70_20240608_1330_074 4 Long-tailed Tit juveniles in Dog Rose branches through Laural tree (crop).jpg

Two of the juvenile Long-tailed Tits moved out of sight to an adjacent tree, but these two stayed long enough to get this little portrait of one of them.


Ref: R70_20240608_1331_094 2 Long-tailed Tit juveniles in Dog Rose branches through Laural tree (crop).jpg

06 Jul 2024

This is a Little Owl (actual species name and it fits). They made 3 visits in the first few days of the week - usually back to camera!


Ref: D01_20240607_2220_176_FB6 Little Owl 2 minute visit to meadow post 1 of 2 (crop).jpg

The Tawny Owl makes a single appearance at the Meadow post an hour after midnight.


Ref: D01_20240610_0058_145+0059+0100_149_147_FB6 Tawny Owl 3 minutes visit to meadow post 1-3 of 3 (montage).jpg

05 Jul 2024

A portrait of a female Reeves Muntjac Deer ...


Ref: E63_20240605_1507_137_FB1 Muntjac Reeves Deer female at hedge bottom.jpg

... and a few hours later the male - antlers seeming to bulge more at each sighting.


Ref: E63_20240605_2002_152_FB1 Muntjac Reeves Deer male at hedge bottom.jpg

A little 'family group' of the Reeves' Muntjac Deer, Fawn on the right.


Ref: BU7_20240606_1815_337 Muntjac Deer family group - male + Fawn + mother.jpg

04 Jul 2024

This male Green Woodpecker spends a very active 7 minutes on the top of the Meadow Post.


Ref: D01_20240603_0925_021-0932_031_FB6 Green Woodpecker male 7 minute visit to Meadow Post 1+2+4+6 of 6 (montage).jpg

03 Jul 2024

The Foxglove at the conservatory door is now taller (about 2m) than we are. Testing a lens created this closeup image of a single flower showing a mass of light coloured 'hairs' in apparently random scatter over the inner surface.
A web search suggests that these are to stop small insects getting inside - they get tangled in the hairs and leave.


Ref: R70_20240604_0943_017 Foxglove flower detail of small insect blocking hairs at side of conservatory door (crop).jpg

Having shown you several details of the only Foxglove on the plot (that we know of) reaching about 2m high in this protected corner.


Ref: DF3_20240607_0936_043 Foxglove at Conservatory security gate showing full height (crop).jpg

In the weeds along the farm fence to the west across the main road we find a lovely little patch of Meadow Cranes-bill.


Ref: DF3_20240601_1038_047 Meadow Cranes-bill (Geranium pratense) (crop 1).jpg

Many leaves have quite different top and bottoms. This caught leaf flipped over holds the water crops far better than the normally oriented leaves. Water drops make interesting if imperfect 'lenses' as shown in the x3 insert.


Ref: DF3_20240605_0847_038 Dewdrops smothering underside of flipped leaf (crop + insert).jpg

02 Jul 2024

Who's building a nest then?


Ref: D01_20240604_0818_069+0825+071+D01_20240605_1137_204_FB6 Wood Pigeon collecting twigs for nest (montage over 2 mornings).jpg

A most unusual moment to capture is this simultaneous arrival at the Meadow Post of two Wood Pigeons. Normally one or both birds would veer away to avoid a collision and come around for another go, so we expect this is a 'pair' who trust the other bird not to create a problem.
Rather sweet - bird style.


Ref: D01_20240604_0908_073+074_FB6 2 Wood Pigeons landing simultaneously on Meadow Post 1+2 of 2 (montage over 500mS).jpg

A lucky-to-catch launch.


Ref: D01_20240605_0746_177+178_FB6 Wood Pigeon launching from meadow post (accurate montage over 500mS).jpg

01 Jul 2024

The (at least) two immature Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonflies spotted a few days ago have now matured and we have both males and females. This is a female.


Ref: R70_20240602_1534_056 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly female 1 of 2 (crop).jpg

This male Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly is about the same size as the female (wingspan about 70mm) but his abdominal segments are coated with this beautiful blue pruinescence.
We know from experience from handling these insects that the blue power is rather easy to rub off, and in fact the males gradually get a bit tatty as they brush the blue powder on vegetation. The pruinescence reflects Ultra-violet (UV) light very well for some reason.


Ref: R70_20240602_1802_160 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly male 5 of 6 (crop).jpg

So far all the Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonflies have been spotted well away from water - perfectly normal. Here this female spends several minutes hunting from this broken off stem sticking out of the Duck Pond's water. Read this bottom then top just an eighth of a second apart.


Ref: R70_20240602_1809_212+213 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly female hunting from stem in Duck Pond 04+05 of 13 (montage).jpg

Another landing montaged into a single image, in reality taking about half a second.
We believe that the Dragonfly was hunting the cloud of midges low over the water.


Ref: R70_20240602_1811_238-241 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly female hunting from stem in Duck Pond 06- 09 of 13 (imp montage).jpg

 


 

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