Foxes again!

I was at the Fox site again this afternoon, where it was as confiding as ever. It really is an unforgettable experience having it come so close, and something I won't forget for a while. I assume that, as it is a young one, the time is approaching where it will have to find its own territory, and so my days with it are certainly numbered. Anyway, here are some images.

When I found it in a small copse, it was sitting in the leaves, but was very dark there, too dark for any photographs. I waited a little while, and it came trotting out and sat on a mound of grass in front of a nice dark background. 

After a while, it moved off, only to turn around and come back again after investigating some Wood Pigeons under a large Oak tree. 

It then came into a patch of leaves. This was taken fully zoomed out at 200mm, and I was really struggling to keep it in the frame (this has set me wondering about a new lens, 70-200, or a wide angle maybe?). It grabbed a leaf for a couple of seconds, and I was able to get this shot. Straight after, it leapt up into the air and pounced. I waited eagerly for it to re-emerge with what I hoped might be a small rodent, only to see it come up with a towel!  

 When it moved off again, I got ahead of it, and was able to capture it as it trotted towards me on a path in long grass. 

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London Wetland Centre

A couple of weeks ago, after an early morning visit to Richmond Park, I then went to the London Wetlands Centre (WWT London) to see if I could find anything to photograph there. It is approaching the time of year when I start photographing Bitterns there, as they overwinter there in numbers between about 3 and 7. The first of the winter has already arrived, but is remaining fairly elusive, as they do until the cold weather comes, when they are forced out onto the ice.

Anyway, just the one image to show for my visit, but it's a rather unusual one (for me, anyway). I was sitting in one of the hides watching a Grey Heron on a grass bank just to my right. It kept coming nearer and nearer, before suddenly its eyes locked onto something in the grass below it. Seconds later, it darted its beak into the grass, and emerged with a vole in its beak! I'm afraid I don't know what species of vole it is, but it certainly isn't a water vole.

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Last of the Deer (probably)

This will be my last post on Red Deer in the rut for the year. I've spent a lot of time at Richmond Park, but am hoping to move onto something else for the Winter. I've just come back from 4 days in Norfolk, so will do a post on that at some point coming up.

These first two images were taken on a morning where there was no sun until about 9am. As it turns out though, they are among my favourites I've taken there.

And here's another image taken in overcast conditions, but later in the day.

I do still like taking this kind of image though.

And here's one taken with the light.

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Foxes III

Some more Fox shots. I spent quite a long time with these two, so was able to get a range of images. Next time I'm there I'm going to try and get some shots in longer grass if I can.

I'm currently in Norfolk, after a busy week of VEWPY events, followed by Wildphotos. It's been a fantastic week for me, and I've met some fantastic photographers and really nice people. Hopefully I'll be back next year!

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Some more Foxes

I went looking for the Fox again yesterday afternoon, and found it again! It came as close as before, and at one point there were two of them together. At this point, the young one chased after it, before rolling around on the floor yelping. Sadly I didn't get any shots of the two together as they never came close enough, but I got some others!

I was at the VEWPY Awards Ceremony last night, which was amazing. Incredible photographs and great to meet a host of top photographers there. It's made me determined to get back there one year!

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Foxy lady (or man)

The title probably gives away what this post is going to be about. For some time I've known that there are foxes at a golf club near me, but have never really tried all that hard to photograph them. This winter, as well as photographing the Bitterns, I am also going to hopefully start photographing foxes as well. I stumbled across a lucky encounter today; as I was finishing my round of golf, a fox trotted across the green in front of me. It didn't seem bothered by me, so I left my clubs to the side, and set off after the fox. I soon refound it sniffing around in the long grass, and so thought I would try and approach until it seemed bothered. That moment never came, as it was never bothered by me. I eventually sat down, and it came within a metre of me. Unfortunately I only had my 200-400 with me, and it was quite dark, so I was restricted in the types of shots I could get. Before too long, it had had enough, and turned around and disappeared into the trees.

To give you an idea of how close it was, here's a video from my phone. It's camera's not great, but it shows its proximity to me!

I also took a few shots of it:

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Bored yet?

I was at Richmond Park again last Saturday as the forecast was good for clear skies and mist.

A group of Red Deer hinds before the sun broke through the mist:

 A Red Deer hind and fawn:

A young Red Deer stag:

A bellowing Red Deer stag:

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From the archives

I was out at the London Wetlands Centre this afternoon, so have a few shots to post from there at some point next week, and I'm off to Richmond Park tomorrow morning for dawn, so hopefully should get some nice ones there. Just two images from me today, taken at the London Wetland Centre last year. Speaking of the London Wetland Centre, it won't be long until the Bitterns return for the Winter, and you can be sure to find me camped in a hide waiting for them! Anyway, I found these images while looking through old files on my hard disk, a nice Mute Swan and a Coot. Unusual I know!

For the first, the sun was hitting some trees in the background which gave the water a nice faint orange colour.

This second image is another one taken in the evening, and I love the colours of the water and the light on the bird.

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Eureka Magazine

Just a quick one today. I was alerted to this my my Dad; my highly commended image in this year's Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is in the Times' Eureka magazine today. The image was one of two in the article about the competition, so I am very pleased! For those of you not fortunate enough to have a copy of this, here's a scan from the magazine! The bit about my image is at the bottom right of the left hand page, and top left of the right hand page.

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