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15/07/2012 |
| This page has my photos of British wildlife and is being added to frequently, it has sections for:- Deer Birds New Forest Dolphins Seals Others Click on a thumbnail photo to see it full size in a new browser window
Before feeding time this buck was quietly grazing between looks to check what the people watching over the fence were doing.
Once the food had been spread on the ground for them they rapidly headed for it. This group of 5 does and 3 bucks is unusual in that there is a white buck and a white doe in it, in fact the there are two white bucks and two white does in this herd.
The buck nearest the camera still had some of the velvet that covered his antlers as they were re-growing hanging from them, something I'd never seen before. In the background is a tussle over best the places for the food.
Two of the bucks seemingly eyeing each other up.
A last one of this herd of Fallow Deer for now, the buck was having a good look at me and my camera as I was watching him. Lovely experience to see semi wild deer as close too as this. There's some photos of the Forest itself on New Forest.
Now some Red Deer at Studley Roger, part of the Fountains Abbey National Trust estate in Yorkshire. It was a hot day and most of the deer were sheltering under trees.
Another shot of the deer seeking shade under the trees.
This one was better placed for a photo, the ones above needed a lot of zoom on the camera.
A last one of this herd of Red Deer, this hind along with another had decided they needed to be over the other side of the road in a hurry and came racing across.
Now some more Fallow Deer, also in the deer park at Fountains Abbey - there's a rabbit in the background of this one as a "bonus"!
Another part of this herd of Fallow Deer, they had found themselves a cool glade to keep out of the worst of the sun.
Some more Fallow Deer at Studley, you can see the antlers beginning to grow, covered in velvet, on the buck nearest camera.
A last view of the Fallow Deer. I know where I can see some Sika Deer but as yet I haven't had a long enough lens with me when the weather has been good enough to get a shot of them but I will in time.
We were driving along on the edge of Bridgwater when we spotted these Brent Geese in a field beside Durleigh Reservoir. A rare case of a man made environment suiting wildlife.
Two photos of a herring gull in the garden where Barb works in Burnham on Sea, he knew one of the staff was a soft touch for some food.
Another herring gull at Burnham, this time on the wing using the up draught along the sea wall to keep it aloft.
A black headed gull using the same air current with a juvenile herring gull doing the same in the background.
The black headed gull in the centre had just won an argument over possession of this little dip in the sand.
These herring gulls at Sidmouth were feasting on starfish that had been washed up on the beach - an unusual site, but their natural diet.
These mallard ducks were making their daily patrol around the camp site on the banks of Loch Lomond - and succeeded in getting some food from us.
Two photos of a Goosander duck and her ducklings at Balmaha on Loch Lomond
Also on Loch Lomond, at Balloch where there are gates that control the level of the loch, this heron was on the lookout for lunch just a few yards from a busy road bridge.
Another heron but over 400 miles from the one at Balloch, this one is beside the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal at Cogload.
Still on the Canal and another Heron this time near Huntworth, on the water was a pair of Canada Geese, on the bank some Mallard ducks.
A close up of the Heron followed by a series of photos of it taking to the air and flying off.
Three more views when it had landed and resumed fishing - we turned back rather than disturb it again.
Back at Cogload were these swans, objecting to our passing by with our three dogs.
Three photos of some of the Black Swans at Dawlish in Devon.
Two shots showing just how flexible a swan's neck is!
Near North Newton on the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal we saw this family of Mute Swans with seven cygnets. They came over to investigate us when we first passed, on the way back they objected to our passing and the cygnets took it in turns to practice trying to drive us away.
Nearby was this family of Moorhens, an adult and two chicks can be seen in this photo part hidden in the reeds. One youngster was light enough to stand on the weed but the other was in the water.
Another Moorhen nearby was busily bathing itself in the canal, oblivious to our presence on the opposite bank.
Back to the sea, a sea loch in fact, at Arrochar at the head on Loch Long where this Oystercatcher was perched on the remains of an old jetty.
Two pairs of Oystercatchers some 400 miles from the one above, they were feeding in the mud at Burnham on Sea one late October morning.
Round the corner from the Oystercatchers this Lapwing was on the edge of the River Brue.
Two photos of a Bar-tailed Godwit in the harbour at West Bay, Dorset.
On another visit to West Bay the tide was in and three Cormorants were resting out of the way of the storm at sea.
The one drying his wings had been fishing in the harbour the others seemed to be having a lazy Sunday afternoon.
A few miles west brings us to the River Axe at Axmouth, these two photos show a Curlew using its down curved bill to probe the mud for food left and showing its bill in silhouette right.
Three photos of Little Egrets at Axmouth, these small white herons have been spreading north from the Mediterranean in recent years, they first nested in Britain in 1996 near Poole. There are now 50 breeding pairs and 1,600 wintering in Britain.
A native Grey Heron was also along the edge of the mudflats at Axmouth (near Seaton) in the company of some Gulls and Mallards.
Most of the birds present were Herring Gulls and Great Black Backed Gulls - along with some Mallards and a couple of Crows - not the waders I'd hoped for but a lovely sight for all that.
Now the bird table in my front garden with plenty of Sparrows eagerly feeding.
Some more photos of "our" Sparrows including one little fellow patiently waiting his turn on the feeders. Click on the photos to see them full size, there's plenty going on in them with birds in flight as well as balancing on the feeders.
We were walking along the beach at Dunster when a large flock of Canada Geese took off from the edge of the sea and flew across the beach and headed inland.
I haven't tried to count how many there were, none of my photos included all of them! Apex Park in Burnham on Sea has a lake which is home to a variety of birds.
I took this photo to give a size comparison between the Coot with his white bill and a Mallard, when I looked at it later I realised that there was a Moorhen hiding in the reeds in the background.
I did however spot another Coot which was also hiding in the edge of the reeds.
A close up of a Coot on the lake at Apex Park.
Two photos of a Coot and a Moorhen on land together, along with some Swans and juvenile Herring Gulls.
Three shots of some of the six Great-crested Grebes that were about that morning, harder to photograph than you'd think as they dive very quickly and surface some distance away.
Kids love feeding the birds, the line up for hand-outs at Apex Park is mainly Canada Geese and Mute Swans but in amongst them are Mallards and some juvenile gulls.
Some of the many Mute Swans on the lake including one of this years cygnets (left) and a few Mallards and a Coot (right) hopefully following the much larger bird.
Three Mute Swans taking off from Apex, Mute Swans are the world's second heaviest flying bird, they can only take off from water and that takes an effort.
Not strictly wildlife, a New Forest mare suckles her foal just yards from our caravan at Ober in the New Forest. This particular Forestry Commission site gives a marvellous view out over an open area of the forest where, besides ponies and cattle, deer can be seen. There's more about the New Forest on New Forest
I was thrilled to see some dolphins in the wild in the Moray Firth, near Inverness. I was too busy watching them to get a good photo, but you can see one in this frame captured from my camcorder tape. One dolphin came up so close you could hear its breath on the tape, but I was too enthralled to focus on it. You can see photos of another dolphin on Dolphin in Dorset Deer Birds New Forest Dolphins Seals Others
At the opposite end of the Great Glen is Fort William and Loch Linnhe, a sea loch. There is a rock in the Loch which is a favourite place for seals to rest up and there are boat trips from Fort William to see them.
Some more seals in Scotland, this time at the mouth of West Loch Tarbert. We counted 27, including the one in the water looking for space to haul out on - the arguments earlier when another had done so were very noisy. Just 100 feet from us, 200 feet or less from a main road!
We found this frog in our garden pond this summer, perhaps he was once one of the hundreds of tadpoles the girls have put in it over the years. He's certainly made his home around here as I've just seen him in the conservatory doorway over a month later.
This herd or wild (or are they feral?) goats live in the Valley of the Rocks at Lynton in Devon.
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This site was last updated 15/07/2012
Photos not otherwise credited are ©2001-2006 S G J Huddy. Other photos are included with permission of the copyright holders.
