2005

 

 

ADRIAN'S PHOTO'S

 

 

 

March: 29th Bought a Sigma 50-500mm lens for my Canon 10d .... Let the photography begin.....

April: 8th Started a two and a half day course on Otter and Water Vole conservation. This was also to enable me to survey for them, although I am leaving that a little late as the vegetation is growing up fast.

As far as the year went regarding our fox family, it all started in April. Two adults and Three cubs started visiting our garden from the wood. They would clear up any seed left over under our bird feeders, and scrape around the garden for grubs in the grass etc. Always having a soft spot for wildlife I started putting out scraps of food from our cats, left over, or out of date food, then added to it with the cheapest cat and dog meal mix I could find. Within the year I would be standing in my garden with 4 foxes eating around me, no more than 20 feet away.

June: 18th Went to Scotland with my wife and Taz (the dog), staying in Cromdale near Aviemore. Put out bird feeders and peanuts. I did this last year hoping for Pine Martin etc but with no success, however we did have regular visits from Bullfinch though.

19th Went to Carrbridge and saw our first Dipper then on to Kincraig to see Osprey.

20th Traveled up to Spey bay via Findhorn valley and then came back in time to meet up with Allan Bantick to see at least 3 badgers

21st While on our to Fowsleugh we managed to spot our first Red Grouse family but only for a short period as they just melted into the heather. Fowsleugh was great Carolyn spotting the first puffin . We had great views of guillemot, razor bill and seal.

22nd We went to Loch Garten and Abernethy forest where we saw Osprey, Red Squirrel , male and female Capercaillie in exactly the same location as last year. Very pleased as up until then they hadn't been spotted for 2 weeks.

23rd Went back to Aviemore and eventually spotted Peregrine on the cliff face. Later we went on to Findhorn Valley where we saw 2 stoats, red deer, highland cattle, goat, 2 Dipper, and 3 Merlin. the evening was then rewarded by a trip to see 5 pine martin and a badger, then a tawny owl on the way home.

25th After returning home from Scotland during the day, we were woken during the night, by the death of Black tip, by an adult fox. We had been woken by the most horrendous screaming. I couldn't see what was happening through the window so I ran downstairs and turned on the outside light. I could see an adult fox with black tip by the throat shaking her like a toy. After grabbing my trousers and running outside I was confronted by the terrible sight of the adult fox still with the cub by its neck. On seeing me it ran off, leaving behind the dead fox cub. I never saw this adult fox again.

September: 9th Whilst carrying out Sett survey at Ridgewell, I came face to stripy face with a young badger in the middle of the afternoon. The sun was shining through the woods right down the hole I was logging. I had paused at this particular hole as I could see flys going in and out of it and I was wandering if this may have been taken over by a fox. I was soon corrected when the badger grunting and moaning came sniffing the air just before another badger gave it a shove as it pushed past behind. Where was my camera ?.... back in the car!!!!

24th Watched at sett 248, saw 3 badgers leave their sett, ignore the food I had put out, and go out away from my camera and me, and disappear into the night. Upon leaving, 2 badgers ran in front of car .

Regularly getting visits from the 2 fox cubs and "mum" usually around 2230-2300

October: 23rd Went to SWT hide and saw 4 possibly 5 Badgers.

28th Mum and two fox cubs were eating in garden when a smallish tabby cat decided to chase one of the cubs around the garden .... very funny to watch!

29th Went to the local golf club of all places to have another days otter training.

November: 5th Photographed the cubs in garden at around 0900.

Regular sightings of the cubs during the day have been occurring this month. They have even been sitting on wall in evening waiting to be fed!

December: 10th There were 4 foxes today. A skinny darker fox with a crooked tail came in the garden but was soon chased off by mum.

11th "Rogue" fox again being chased off.

15th Started to write Christmas cards but was soon distracted by foxes running past the patio window much to taz and the cats disgust!

22nd The shyer of the cubs "Tooshy" has quite a limp in its back leg. Is this the start of the cub dispersal I wonder?