Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day
Here is the Male Kestrel hunting from his favourite perches to our north over the Bridleway. Here he is on one the the 11kV crossbars ...
.jpg)
... and here next day on one of the cables - incidentally giving the photographer 'the eye'.
.jpg)
The female Kestrel on another post top - this time perched on a looped cable on the south boundary pole where the underground cables rise up to power our overhead supply.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
The female Kestrel continues to make multiple visits.
)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
This female Kestrel spent at least 5 minutes on the Meadow Post.
The middle image is only half a second after the imminent landing on the left.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
The female Kestrel is making a regular 'thing' of visits to the Meadow Post since starting to clear a few years of unavoidable neglect.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Another female Kestrel plonks down on the post top.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
The female Kestrel displays all her flight feathers for us as she sets down on the Kitchen perch.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Probably the same Jay appears here, and at various Trail cams.
.jpg)
A male Blackcap graces the Meadow site.
.jpg)
A Great Tit stands on the log across the Meadow Site.
.jpg)
It seems that 'everybody' in the UK loves the cheeky Robin.
Robins are actually quite viscous to another invading their territory.
.jpg)
Soak up the colours!
.jpg)
A young Rabbit stepping over the log at the Woodland site.
.jpg)
The Classic Squirrel Nutkins (even if the wrong colour!) with a grain of mixed corn in the side of the Squirrel's mouth.
.jpg)
On the north side of the Farm hedge to our East we see this little group of Red-legged Partridges.
.jpg)
Next morning on the south side of the same hedge we startle this Covey of Grey partridges. They flew as group away from us, landed, and then walked into the ditch.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
More detail of the flight (from another frame) showing the rusty-red sides to the tail feathers.
A discovery for us - and much clearer here than in our ID books.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This female Kestrel brought the (apparently already dead) Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) to the Meadow Post top and proceeded to rip it apart over about 5 minutes. She then spent the next quarter-of-an-hour sitting quietly on the post presumably 'digesting' her prize. At this time of year the house casts a shadow onto the post in late afternoon, nicely blacking out the post while leaving the bird reasonably lit.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
A bit more detail of the Kestrel eating the Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) from a frame not included in the montage.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
The Kestrel makes a 15 minute or so visit to Meadow Post.
Perhaps she was hoping for another Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) -:)
 to meadow post 1+2+4+5 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
What looks like the same Tawny Owl making visits on several nights.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
What looks like the same Tawny Owl making visits on several nights.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This female Kestrel seems to be making a determined landing on the Meadow Post.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
This female Kestrel was perched of the farm railings and wasn't pleased to see the Human invasion. - the bird decided to depart. The period between perched and first in-flight is at most a few seconds, but the remainder are alternate frames at 8fps, so three-quarters of a second of flight here.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Much more detail of the frame between the first two in-flight frames above.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This female Kestrel spends 13 minutes on or around the Meadow Post before triggering the beam while spreading her wings for departure.
 to meadow post 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
At Duck pond our arrival disturbed this female Reeves' Muntjac Deer. She moved into the scrub behind Duck Pond but really didn't hide very well. We enjoy seeing their activities on Trail-cams, but an eye-to-eye encounter really is a pleasure.
.jpg)
A 'pair' of Reeves' Muntjac Deer share the water in the trough at Round pond.
.jpg)
Mr and Mrs Reeves' Muntjac Deer, him on the left by the water trough, and her in the dried out Round pond
.jpg)
A female Reeves' Muntjac Deer calling by the Duck Pond.
This is probably 'Mum' calling for her youngster.
.jpg)
Surprise of the week was this messy image of 3 Reeves' Muntjac Deer at the Meadow
Site.
We assume a 'pair' of adults off the left edge and centre top, with a very young Fawn just
below centre.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Here is a crop of the Fawn, processed to make it clearer if not as beautifully coloured.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
This seems to be our first record of a Magpie (or any other bird) collecting a dead Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse)
left on the tree-stump and flying with it to the top of the Meadow Post.
Neither bird nor mouse were still there 1 minute later.
Although the images are time-stamped at the same time, the camera clocks are only accurate
to within a couple of minutes.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Magpies seem always to do this tail rasing as they land, presumably to counter the forward torque of their bodies still moving forward. Half a second later the tail is already back to 'normal'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
A portrait of one of our Magpies.
Perhaps we should say he is wearing 'perfect black shorts'.
.jpg)
A Chaffinch male on the Hedge bottom stone.
Perhaps we should say he is wearing 'perfect white shorts'.
.jpg)
What is probably an individual Tawny Owl visits the Meadow Post on either side of midnight.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
The regular Tawny Owl stops at the Meadow Post for an at least 5 minute visit in the small hours of the morning.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
NOT a messy flight montage, but a genuine unmodified single frame.
On the ground is a Great Tit, while airborne are 2 Blue Tits.
.jpg)
A portrait of this elegant Blue Tit.
.jpg)
A male Blackcap stops for a moment at the Meadow site - possibly for a
drink.
Most years we see a Blackcap just once or twice.
.jpg)
It is amazing how putting out a couple of water containers accessible to the wildlife pulls in visitors to the camera at all hours of the day. Well we are in a drought.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
At least one female Kestrel is starting to frequent the area.
Here she is landing on the Meadow post.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Probably the same female Kestrel visits the Meadow Post twice in 13 minutes.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
The atypically regular Jay stops for a moment on the Meadow Post.
.jpg)
A currently rare sighting of a Fieldmouse (Wood Mouse) at the hedge bottom.
.jpg)
Craneflies are the dominant insect at the start of Autumn. Here were three in a surging heap in some long grass. Perhaps mating behaviour - we really don't know.
.jpg)
For the time of year, a surprisingly immaculate Speckled Wood Butterfly.
.jpg)
This image had us rummaging through our ID books.
The Bucks bird recorder kindly resolved our puzzlement by identifying
this as a juvenile male Pheasant moulting into his first adult plumage.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
The moulting juvenile male already has this accompanying female Pheasant.
She seems to be gazing quizzically at the camera - some trail cams sometimes make a slight
click before taking the photo as they select or de-select an IR filter, and she may have heard
it.
.jpg)
The day before we see another mature male Pheasant picking up food at the Woodland site.
There seem to be 4 different male Pheasants frequenting
the site at the moment.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
The night of the 23-24 September seems to have been 'The Night of the Owls'. Firstly 2 visits to the Meadow Post an hour before midnight .
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
A 10 minute visit to the Kitchen perch shortly after midnight, flying directly to ...
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
... the Meadow post
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Next night a Tawny Owl is back for a couple of landings on the Meadow post. We have to assume that the Owl finds voles or Mice in the chaotic rough grass, even if the rodents rarely appear at any photo site.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
The first sighting of a Goldcrest here for 10 years, last seen in 2015 at the tree-stump, and never before at this site.
.jpg)
Judging from the lack of movement blur on all but the wings, this Dunnock is almost hanging in the air over the Meadow site.
.jpg)
This freshly coloured ladybird makes a vivid splash on this seed head.
.jpg)
Ladybirds fade with age.
Is the UV in sunlight responsible for this fading like on so many human artifacts?
.jpg)
The female Kestrel provides an almost statuesque pair of images landing on the Meadow Post
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
A female Kestrel lands on the Meadow post and stays for a couple of minutes.
Read this montage right to left - right to middle half-a-second apart and middle
to left 1 minute apart where the bird has turned around.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
This female Kestrel lands on the edge of the water dish. The camera didn't catch her drinking, but why else would she make such a targeted landing with no prey in sight.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This Red Kite swoops by.
Images grouped for artistic effect.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
The same Red Kite then flew over the set of 3 11KV cables providing this accurately spaced montage at 8 fps (frames per second), so three-quarters of a second of flight here.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Presumably this is the same Jay on the Kitchen perch seen landing at the Meadow perch a couple of minutes later.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This Jay spent several minutes quartering this grass area near the SW corner. One of the Oak trees drops some of their acorns here, and the Jay knows it.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Enlargement of the bottom right image above with an acorn in their beak.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Lunchtime for this Red admiral on Ivy.
.jpg)
This Red Admiral Butterfly is in good condition for the time of year. It seems doubtful that the insect can obtain sustenance from the Rose hips.
.jpg)
This Comma Butterfly is drinking juice from this delicious looking over-ripe cluster of blackberry fruits.
Only while working up this pic did we spot the yellowish ladybird just beneath the head of
the Butterfly. The head-end spots are 'wrong' for 7-spot & ID is uncertain.
.jpg)
Our lovely male Pheasant stepping quietly along the hedge bottom.
Original camera frame reduced in size
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
The male Pheasant stops for a lunchtime drink.
.jpg)
This looks like the male Pheasant just launching from the ground at the Woodland site.
.jpg)
Except for youngsters playing, Badgers provide a solid and serious countenance.
.jpg)
The Bushy tailed Fox reaches down to inspect something we don't have a hope of spotting from this static camera
.jpg)
This feather was suspended by 'magic' between the rungs of farm railings.
(r+mb id@288).jpg)
In this more detailed crop you can clearly see the predictable spider web. We couldn't see a spider - no doubt this major contamination of the trap sent the spider off to make a new web elsewhere.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Identifying many juvenile birds is often a 'nightmare', but this one is 'easy'. This male juvenile Green Woodpecker is growing his adult feathers, producing a messy appearance as the juvenile speckles gets replaced by the plain breast.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Obviously a corn grain just about gripped in the tip of this Robin's beak.
.jpg)
Just 2 visits from the Tawny Owl this week, on either side of one midnight.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
At some times of year we get to see quite spectacular Sundogs, but here, only limited by the sun
being less than 22 degrees above the horizon, is a 22 degree Sun Halo, accompanied by a moderate
sundog on the left and a hint of one on the right.
The order of the colours in the ring is the OPPOSITE of that seen in a rainbow with Red inside
rather than outside - the same as the sundog. No wonder artists get the order wrong sometimes.
The reason for this reversal must be interesting, but life's too short.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
We missed the best of this 'conjunction' between the crescent moon and a brilliant Venus due to the classic UK astronomers bane - clouds the previous night, but it is still an arresting sight.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
This Wood Pigeon took off from the wooden electricity pole that is out of crop half a frame
width to the right.
We rather like the mix of fluidity and stolidity
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
There seem to have been just a single pair of Carrion Crows in the area
for several years. We don't think that they nested this year.
When we see one Carrion Crow, we always look for their partner and
except while nesting, usually find them in visual contact within about
50 metres. In this case the partner was about 30m away perched on an 11kV cable.
Took a pic but messed it up :-(
.jpg)
A reasonable crop of apples this year are being prepared for freezing. There is inevitably some damaged fruit we put out for the wildlife to enjoy, and this Magpie with tail vertical looks keen to grab their share.
.jpg)
Fir Cones have their seeds extracted by various intricate techniques.
But Grey Squirrel have no scruples - they just chew them up to get at the seeds.
.jpg)
Grey Squirrels systematically carry off Conkers (Horse Chestnut fruit) to bury as a cache for the winter. In their husks or already 'bare' nuts doesn't seem to matter.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Right at the edge of frame this male Reeves Muntjac Deer takes a 'head and shoulders'
portrait. You can clearly see the curved gland opening under the eye. and
the vertical slits for other glands between the eyes.
For years we thought this vertical line was just a 'marking' until we caught a pic
with the glands open - see
http://www.moorhen.me.uk/imgofday/arch 2024 dec.htm#22
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Better positioned in the frame this female Reeves Muntjac Deer takes a more complete portrait.
.jpg)