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Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day

31 Jan 2025

The female Sparrowhawk pays a brief visit to the Kitchen perch.


Ref: E60_20241227_1218_016_FB3 Sparrowhawk female (crop 1).jpg


Ref: E60_20241227_1218_016_FB3 Sparrowhawk female (crop 3).jpg

A few 'sightings' most days as a Sparrowhawk rockets past a window. Here one not spotted 'by eye' catches the bird flashing past the kitchen window triggering the automatic camera.
Both movement and distance blurred and partially corrected in the photo-editor, but we hope that you get the idea.


Ref: E60_20241230_1426_006_FB3 Sparrowhawk flying by Kitchen perch.jpg

30 Jan 2025

This Barn Owl has here triggered the Kitchen Window camera as they departed ...


Ref: E60_20241229_0239_031_FB3 Barn Owl launching from kitchen perch (crop).jpg

... and made a bee-line for the Meadow Post where they spent a couple of minutes.


Ref: D01_20241229_0239_075+2040_077_FB6 Barn Owl 2 minute visit to Meadow Post 1+2 of 2 (montage).jpg

29 Jan 2025

Where there's Mud there's Grub.
A take on 'Where there's muck there's brass'.


Ref: E63_20241226_0850_002_FB1 Robin on muddy hedge bottom.jpg

A Jackdaw just landing on the tree stump.
Jackdaws used to be the main Corvid visitors here, a slot now filled by Rooks.


Ref: E6C_20241228_1112_038_FB4 Jackdaw on tree-stump.jpg

Wood Pigeon takes his portrait.


Ref: E63_20241228_1113_067_FB1 Wood Pigeon at hedge bottom.jpg

28 Jan 2025

This male Reeves's Muntjac Deer was at the top left of the photo frame, so making this portrait was the best way to enjoy this creature.
Now we know that there are scent glands on the front of the face between the eyes, its easy to see the dark edges of the sealing lips.


Ref: E63_20241223_0918_003_FB1 Muntjac Reeves Deer male head portrait.jpg

Badgers are just not disappearing from the scene in a state of "Winter Lethargy" or Torpor so far this winter. Badgers are heavy animals, and not given to leaping over the flooded ditch like many Foxes and Deer, but instead just slog through the water and mud.


Ref: BU7_20241223_2022_193+195 Badger walking through flooded ditch at South hedge gap (montage).jpg

27 Jan 2025

Our arrival at the blocked gate was greeted by this Kestrel hunting from an 11kV cable about 50m away. Aiming the camera waiting for them to pounce on prey or fly off, instead we saw and caught on camera the moment when the Kestrel made an obvious start to pounce, but changed their mind and just managed not to fall off the perch. With virtually no wind it is not a gust disturbing the perching bird. This is the first time we remember having seen this aborted launch. Read this stretched sequence bottom left upwards.


Ref: R70_20241225_1251_054-063 Kestrel on 11kV cable aborts dive & 1 minute later dives down 01-10 of 17 (spread montage @8fps).jpg

About a minute later the time was right for the attack. For us the bird vanished behind the hedge under the power cable and we didn't see the Kestrel again.
The bird on the cable was during the stare downwards, but the birds descent is accurately montaged at about 8 frames per second.


Ref: R70_20241225_1251_064+12522_065-070 Kestrel on 11kV cable aborts dive & 1 min later dives 11-17 of 17 (acc montage @8fps).jpg

Accurately spaced montages often have to discard detail in favour of representing action. So here is a 4 image compacted montage extracted from the events shown above.


Ref: R70_20241225_1251_054-1252_065 Kestrel on 11kV cable aborts dive & 1 minute later dives 01+02+09+12 of 17 (compact montage).jpg

Probably just this one Kestrel has in the last few weeks taken a shine to this branch tip about 40m from the house. For once a bit of sunshine illuminates the bird as they hunt the meadow below.


Ref: DF5_20241222_1214_037+1211_019 Kestrel hunting from favourite tree branch (montage).jpg

26 Jan 2025

This has been a sort of 'Week of the Badger' - only on the Trail Cams but something like about 40 pics of various Badgers going about their night-time world. Here this one spent half-an-hour rooting through the leaf litter while making the 50m trip from the East hedge gap to the edge of Round Pond.


Ref: BUA_20241221_2024_143_SC8+BU5_20241221_2052_084_SC1 Badger seen at East hedge gap arrives at Round pond 30m later (montage).jpg

Our leaking Round Pond has filled itself from the ground water and rain to reach only about 30cm from the top edge. Convenient for this Badger to get a drink.


Ref: BU5_20241221_2226_094_SC1 Badger reaching into Round Pond for a drink.jpg

Just after 2 a.m. we see this Badger 3 times in the same minute moving from the Round Mound to the pond that was dug out in creating it.


Ref: BU2_20241222_0224_041_SC7+BU5_20241222_0225_110+0226_113_SC1 Badger visits Round Mound & Pond at 1 min intervals (montage).jpg

Another brief 'walk by' by this Badger - the whole visit lasting less than a minute.


Ref: BU5_20241223_0159_163+165+167_SC1 Badger brief visit to front of Round Pond (accurate montage).jpg

25 Jan 2025

This compost maker must be about 40 years old and still works fine. The lid got lost during our move here 35 years ago, so it gets ad-hoc tops none as heavy as the original, so the Squirrel can push them aside and descend to pick out their favourite kitchen scraps.


Ref: PK1_20241219_1414_654 Grey Squirrel raiding compost bin.jpg

Grey Squirrels have amazing control over their tails.


Ref: E6A_20241220_1044_040_FB5 Grey Squirrel with folded tail.jpg

Every few days at the moment we see this Grey Squirrel collecting dry leaves to warm up the drey. As usual they are making their way to the trunk of a huge conifer to the left of the camera where they have successfully hidden their Drey from our human prying eyes


Ref: E64_20241222_1422_092_FB2 Grey Squirrel carrying dried leaf bedding to Drey.jpg

24 Jan 2025

This Tawny Owl spent just a minute or two on the perch outside the kitchen.


Ref: E60_20241216_2116_013+-2117_014_FB3 Tawny Owl short visit to Kitchen Perch - lands & departs 1+2 of 2 (accurate montage).jpg

10 minutes later most likely the same Tawny Owl lands on the Meadow post where they stayed for at least another 5 minutes - entirely back to camera except for the pic on the right half-a-second after landing.


Ref: D01_20241216_2128_013+014_FB6 Tawny Owl 5+ minute visit to Meadow Post 1+2 of 2 (montage over 500mS).jpg

A closer look at that lovely Tawny Owl outside the Kitchen Window.


Ref: E60_20241216_2116_013_FB3 Tawny Owl 1 minute visit to Kitchen Perch - landing and departure (crop) 1 of 2.jpg

23 Jan 2025

One of the male Pheasants was walking quietly over the recent;y seeded field to our south (bottom pic). The Pheasant decided to fly off and the camera 'found' the bird as it appeared from behind the now 4 metres high mound of spoil outside our south boundary. These pics are naturally spaced at about 8 fps


Ref: R70_20241216_1055_001+1056_004-008 Pheasant male flying from field to south (accurate montage @8fps).jpg

The first 4 of the flight images compacted for a little more detail.
We rarely see Pheasants in flight - we disturb them inside our Woodland and 'Can't see the Pheasant for the Trees'.


Ref: R70_20241216_1056_004-007 Pheasant male in flight (close spaced montage @8fps).jpg

22 Jan 2025

A sunset and the following morning sunrise features clouds that made for some interesting effects.
First 2 sunsets


Ref: DF3_20241215_1618_043 Sunset.jpg


Ref: R70_20241215_1621_007+004 Sunset (montage for width).jpg

Next morning a somewhat threatening Sunrise.


Ref: D71_20241216_0813_001 Sunrise (orig & final).jpg

21 Jan 2025

From a normally simple '1 male and a few female Pheasants' we have completely lost track of the numbers and grouping of this years Pheasants. In previous weeks we have seen 3 males and a few females.
Here we see 1 male and 7 females ...


Ref: BU5_20241215_0928_152_SC1 7 Pheasant females + 1 male at Round Pond.jpg

... while a minute later we see 2 males still on the Round Mound.


Ref: BU2_20241215_0929_109_SC7 2 Pheasant males on Round Mound.jpg

A quarter-of-an-hour later one of the females takes her selfie at the hedge bottom perhaps 50 metres from the pond.


Ref: E63_20241215_0943_091_FB1 Pheasant female.jpg

20 Jan 2025

We disturbed this Red Kite from somewhere near the front of the house. The Kite circled about before flying off West towards the gradually increasing number of nests in the distant Rookery. Only a few of the nests had a current occupant, so the Kite got away with his flyover without being mobbed by several territorial Rooks.


Ref: DF3_20241214_1344_025+028+032 Red Kite flying over Rook Nests far to West (accurate montage).jpg

19 Jan 2025

In the depth of the woodland a shaft of sunlight illuminates the power distribution box for the camera equipment to the north sites, complete with this Grey Squirrel enjoying a few minutes of 'sunbathing'
How does wildlife know it needs Vitamin D, and humans don't?


Ref: DF3_20241214_1058_012 Grey Squirrel on top of power distribution box by Tree Stump FB4 in shaft of sunlight.jpg

Grey Squirrels are lively inhabitants, here scampering across the hedge bottom using the stone as a transient stepping stone.


Ref: E63_20241214_1341_072_FB1 Grey Squirrel running past stone using it as step on their left side.jpg

18 Jan 2025

One of two Foxes, seen together 6 minutes before, quietly slinks their way to the bank of Duck Pond in the hope of catching some unfortunate creature unawares.


Ref: BU8_20241210_0052_031-033 Fox hunting along bank of Duck Pond (montage).jpg

14 minutes onward sees what looks like the same Fox arriving at the Round Mound some 80 metres away.


Ref: BU2_20241210_0106_059+0105_057_SC7 Fox 2 minute visit to Round Mound (montage).jpg

Another 9 minutes on sees the arrival of a Badger at the same Mound.
The Fox has disappeared - Foxes and Badgers mostly really dislike each other.
The Fox did reappear on the mound another 10 minutes on, as a glimpse of their tail disappearing out of frame (not shown)!


Ref: BU2_20241210_0115_061-0116_069_SC7 Badger 2 minute visit to Round Mound (montage).jpg

17 Jan 2025

This Badger seems to be walking down the flooded ditch and turned towards the camera for this portrait.


Ref: BU7_20241210_1549_067 Badger in flooded ditch near south hedge gap.jpg

An hour later probably the same Badger ambled through the high resolution camera in the meadow, providing this 'Prey's eye view'


Ref: E6A_20241210_1647_092_FB5 Badger walking towards camera at Meadow Site (crop 2).jpg

16 Jan 2025

This Fox moves with a purpose across the Woodland Site.


Ref: E64_20241207_2303_268_FB2 Fox passing through woodland site.jpg

The Fox checks out the island at Duck Pond.<
Is it worth the cold swim to check it out more thoroughly?
NO!


Ref: BU8_20241207_1935_113 Fox on bank of Duck Pond looking at the island.jpg

This Fox is already staring at the camera Dark Red illuminator as they enter the frame.


Ref: BUA_20241206_2238_085_SC8 Fox looks at cameras dark red IR illuminator.jpg

15 Jan 2025

The stone provides this Grey Squirrel with a way to keep their feet out of the mud!


Ref: E63_20241207_1221_123_FB1 Grey Squirrel on stone at flooded Hedge Bottom.jpg

With the temperature stuck at 5C and 6C over several days and nights it is cold enough to need to supplement the bedding in the Drey.


Ref: E64_20241209_1156_027_FB2 Grey Squirrel collecting dry leaves for Drey.jpg

One of the at least 3 male Pheasants stomps through the dead leaves at the end of the 'orchard'. Note the match of colour of the bird and the leaves.


Ref: BU9_20241205_0957_010_SC2 Pheasant male walking over colour matching fallen leaves.jpg

14 Jan 2025

One or more Tawny Owls visited 3 different photo-sites in 3 hours after midnight.
    An attack at the Woodland site - no way of knowing if the bird succeeded.
    A fly-by or otherwise unrecorded visit to the Kitchen Perch.
    A landing for a few minutes stay at the Meadow Post.


Ref: E64_20241207_0144_135_FB2+E60_0440_029_FB3+D01_0452_071_FB6 Tawny Owl appearances over 3 Hrs (montage).jpg

One of the several Tawny Owl visits over a week.


Ref: D01_20241210_0456_061+0500_069_FB6 Tawny Owl 5+ minute visit to Meadow Post 1+3 of 3 (montage).jpg

A few minutes of a Tawny Owl visit.
The left and next are just half-a second apart - straight to the hunt then.


Ref: D01_20241211_1940_089-1943_095_FB6 Tawny Owl 4 minute visit to Meadow Post 1-4 of 4 (montage - 1st pair 500mS apart).jpg

One and a half Hours later this Tawny Owl probably landed on the Kitchen Perch.


Ref: E60_20241211_2112_033_FB3 Tawny Owl approaching Kitchen perch back to camera.jpg

13 Jan 2025

This female Reeves' Muntjac Deer looks a bit awkward as she scratches her fur behind her head with a rear hoof. You can see how developing upright posture and hands gave humans such an advantage.


Ref: BU5_20241206_1147_104_SC1 Muntjac Reeves Deer female grooming at Round Pond (crop).jpg

A female Reeves' Muntjac Deer portrait an hour after midnight.


Ref: E64_20241207_0055_133_FB2 Muntjac Reeves Deer female at Woodland site (crop).jpg

A pair of Reeves' Muntjac Deer visited the edge of Duck Pond.
The male is behind the female while female has a light patch on her flank that suggests that the male has recently mounted her.


Ref: BU8_20241210_0620_059 Muntjac Reeves Deer pair by Duck pond - female showing possible hoof mark on flank.jpg

12 Jan 2025

2 Rabbits visit the Meadow site shortly before 'sunrise' - or what would be sunrise if the weather wasn't an almost continuous overcast.


Ref: E6A_20241206_0614_050+0715_051_FB5 Rabbit visits to Meadow site (montage).jpg

Its a shame that animals are most remembered and identified by their physical defects.
But is nice to catch up with this old 'friend' that we call Three-ears after an accident of some sort several years ago almost completely split one ear.


Ref: BU5_20241209_0716_245_SC1 Rabbit with long healed torn ear (ID only).jpg

2 different Rabbits visiting the Meadow site about an hour apart a bit before 'sunrise'. The one on the left looks like our venerable 'Three Ears'.


Ref: E6A_20241210_0633_056+0737_057_FB5 2 different Rabbits visit Meadow site (montage).jpg

Almost every actual sunrise for weeks has been obscured by overcast skies. On this morning partial cloud cover provided this view of the sun below horizon illuminating this stream of clouds.
3 horizontally accurately montaged pics to get the width.


Ref: R70_20241202_0754_005-007 Sunrise lit cloud to South 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage for width).jpg

11 Jan 2025

What we assume is a juvenile male Kestrel visits the Meadow post twice in 12 minutes


Ref: D01_20241205_1133_013-1144_016_FB6 Kestrel visits Meadow Post twice in 12 minutes 1+3+4 of 4 (montage).jpg

The 'current' Kestrel makes a short stay on the Meadow Post.


Ref: D01_20241209_0959_023-1000_025_FB6 Kestrel 2 minute visit to Meadow Post (montage).jpg

10 Jan 2025

The Buzzard doesn't seem bothered by 10 ton lorries driving beneath them when perched on the Lombardy Poplars along the east section of the Farm Road, but a pair of humans 100m away is 'too much' and off they go.
Climbing away we catch these first 3 frames accurately montaged at 8 f.p.s.


Ref: D72_20241206_0944_011-013 Buzzard flying from Lombardy Poplar along Farm Road (accurate montage @8fps).jpg

About 4 seconds later the bird takes a look back to be sure that we haven't taken off after them?


Ref: D72_20241206_0944_045 Buzzard flying from Lombardy Poplar along Farm Road checks that humans are not following (q).jpg

09 Jan 2025

A male Reeves Muntjac Deer stops near the flooded south ditch, looking back at the camera while licking his muzzle with that formidable tongue.
All 4 scent glands on his face are back to the normal closed position.


Ref: BU7_20241127_0709_088 Muntjac Reeves Deer male looking back while licking face.jpg

The female Reeves' Muntjac Deer comes in over the south ditch.


Ref: BU7_20241203_0319_082 Muntjac Reeves Deer female enters through south hedge gap.jpg

08 Jan 2025

The ever-territorial Robin has decided they can't share the bird table with the already resident Dunnock.


Ref: E60_20241202_1218_012_FB3 Dunnock defending from in-flight Robin.jpg

We are unfortunately seeing the rat regularly despite trying to ensure that no food waste is left at this site overnight.
We have to admit that this one looks almost 'twee'?


Ref: E6A_20241125_1755_068_FB5 Rat.jpg

07 Jan 2025

Across the Pond as viewed from inside the house, this Jay spends a couple of minutes scampering about the trees before disappearing into the conifer behind.


Ref: DF5_20241202_1145_046-1146_058 Jay in pollarded Willow N of main pond 1-3 of 3 (montage).jpg

Rooks seem to like lining up along the rails of the few months old railings.
Its unfortunate that they look a bit like the targets at fairground shooting stalls.


Ref: R70_20241202_1036_008 Rooks lined up along top of Farm railings (orig & final).jpg

06 Jan 2025

A vigorous Rose grows up inside our one Laurel tree. Both produce fruits at the same time, and the Squirrel seems to enjoy them both.


Ref: DF5_20241202_1142_012 Grey Squirrel on Wild Rose stem (through Laurel) eating Hips.jpg

Enough Rose Hips for now!
It seems weird to watch any creature 'walking down' head first however many times we have seen it! Squirrel have rotatable rear claws that allow them to perform the feat.


Ref: DF5_20241202_1142_031+34+35 Grey Squirrel walking down Laurel and Rose tree (approx montage).jpg

05 Jan 2025

A bit of a barney between these two Magpies.
The near bird has their beak wide open - a little disguised by the background.


Ref: E64_20241129_1040_047_FB2 2 Magpies squabbling at Woodland site (crop).jpg

The Meadow Post is smothered in frost which doesn't seem to bother the Magpie at all


Ref: D01_20241128_0854_003+004_FB6 Magpie landing on frost covered Meadow Post (accurate montage over 500mS).jpg

04 Jan 2025

Bill and Coo, or a less friendly interaction?


Ref: E63_20241128_0953_019_FB1 2 Wood Pigeon interactive at Hedge Bottom.jpg

This must be a loving pair of Wood Pigeons for the already perched bird to trust the landing bird not to collide.


Ref: E60_20241203_0954_014_FB3 Wood Pigeon lands next to a trusting partner.jpg

A Wood Pigeon conducting the Wind? Certainly MAKING some wind ahead of the landing.


Ref: E60_20241129_0757_016_FB3 Wood Pigeon Aerobraking over Kitchen Perch.jpg

These two pics half a second apart of this Wood Pigeon is landing on the Meadow Post.


Ref: D01_20241204_0904_077+078_FB6 Wood Pigeon landing on Meadow Post (montage over 500mS).jpg

03 Jan 2025

A nicely poised Fox near the East Hedge Gap.


Ref: BUA_20241127_2336_191_SC8 Fox passes another walking to east hedge gap 1 of 5 (crop).jpg

What happened next (skipping 1 of 5 shown individually) was
    2 of 5  The Fox obviously knows that 'someone' is coming.
    3 of 5  The arrival turns out to be another Fox who it seems walks straight by.
    4 of 5  The arriving Fox goes straight towards the east hedge gap.
    5 of 5  The remaining Fox turns to watch the passer-by leave.


Ref: BUA_20241127_2336_192-195_SC8 Fox passes another walking to east hedge gap 2-5 of 5 (montage).jpg

02 Jan 2025

Owl visits to the ground must be mostly Rodent attacks, and mostly occur away from the cameras. Here a Tawny Owl landed and spent a few seconds on the patch of path near the East hedge Gap. The Owl was stationary for the few seconds covering these images, so we have spread them right to left.


Ref: BUA_20241126_1724_142-144_SC8 Tawny Owl on ground near East Hedge gap 1-3 of 3 (right to left montage of stationary Owl).jpg

A couple of moments from this Tawny Owl's visit on the Meadow Post.


Ref: D01_20241203_2106_063+2110_071_FB6 Tawny Owl 6+ minute visits to Meadow Post 1+3 of 3 (montage).jpg

01 Jan 2025

The female Sparrowhawk makes a flying (how else?) visit to the kitchen perch.


Ref: E60_20241126_0959_015_FB3 Sparrowhawk female landed on Kitchen perch.jpg

A previous visit by the female Sparrowhawk giving a good view of the feather patterns on the top of the bird.


Ref: E60_20241121_1529_011_FB3 Sparrowhawk landing on Kitchen perch (crop).jpg

 


 

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