Another wet and windy night. We went out just after dawn at around seven o’clock, got wet but there were signs that the cloud was dispersing.
Came back and whilst having breakfast I turned round and there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker eating my peanuts. He was on the feeder for several minutes but as I raised the camera away it went. It will be back. It made my day just seeing it.
We went out for a proper walk and struck gold again at Park Burn. There was the Dipper and it looked in superb condition. No photographs yet but it’s good to know they are about.
Park Burn with the South Tyne in the background. It lives in the bank under the bushes on the right. I’ll get a snap or have a really good try. We are here till Monday so plenty of time to install myself under the poncho and wait.
We continued wandering upstream as I’m sure there are a pair of Mergansers. Whatever they are they flew this way……..a long way this way as we walked for over a mile and never found them again.
Now I can’t blame you for thinking it’s another of those days. Not a bit of it. We retraced our steps and went deer hunting this time with the dogs on the lead.
A tidy farm just outside the camp site. Yes it is still wet but warm. T-Shirt warm.
Into the big dark wood…………………..
Can you see the Roe Deer?………..Don’t panic it gets better.
Just two today I circled round to get down wind of them. Then couldn’t find them……..all of a sudden there they were. If they don’t show the big white bum and don’t move they are the very devil to spot. I’m writing this in that whispery David Attenborough voice………..you’ll just have to imagine how quietly I’m hitting the keys and holding my breath at the same time.
They are well aware I’m there but if they can’t smell me or the dogs and we crouch down they are happy enough. These two are getting their summer coats the dark bit is what’s left of the winter one.
That’s what quiet breathy typing does. The deer relax enough to indulge in a quick polish up for the camera. These images haven’t been cropped so will enlarge with no bother. They are also shot with a 200mm lens as my long lens isn’t fast enough in bad light.
We had had enough, my bum was soaking…………..No…..Not because I got over excited, I was sitting in a swamp….Okay, maybe a bit of both.
On the way home we found this very obliging Nuthatch.
Doing what Nuthatches do………….Nuthatches are experts at upside down. Again uncropped so they will enlarge. I will admit to cheating here I hid some Niger seed in the bark.
All in all a grand day………..apart from the ducks I have identified everything I’ve seen………..that’s a first.
We’ll be out again tomorrow. Have fun.
Crackin' post Grommit. It's after midnight (here, not there) but you managed to get a belly laugh out of me. Mind you I had to stifle it quickly so as not to scare the deer away.
ReplyDeleteWe have Red-Breasted Mergansers here in the winter. Punk ducks.
ReplyDeleteLucy
Nice that it is warm for your jaunts. The deer really camouflage well in those woods. Looking for horizontal shapes in a vertical forest helps. Great DOF on the Nuthatch :) The farm looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love taking walks (hikes?) with you, especially since my bum doesn't get wet! Laughing quietly... of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely farm house!
Not T-shirt weather here today.
Graham, I may have my problems, Correction I do but I can tell the difference between noon and midnight. I can't see my watch at midnight.
ReplyDeleteLucy, I'm not sure what these are. It's giving sunny tomorrow and less wind so I'll take a monster lump of glass out and find them.
Glo, It really is warm but very windy. The wind goes northerly tomorrow so I'll pack away the mankini. Nuthatch shot f4.0 1/500sec ISO 800. So quite a shallow DOF.
Scrappy Grams, they are wanders.....rarely more than six miles often less. No more than is necessary to get a picture or two. It will cool down here tomorrow as northerely winds are predicted.
Looked like a Grand Day Out there Adrian. You must have had the pooches well under control so as not to spook the deer. Focus on the Nuthatch is really spot on.
ReplyDeleteJohn, a great day. The dogs are fine on a lead. off they are generally okay. Certainly with sheep. Deer hold the same fascination for Molly as they do for me. She has to get up close and personal, Alf learns from her. They are quiet when I take pictures. The Nuthatch pictures have been sharpened but I'm happy............not as happy as you are with the Wren I bet.
ReplyDeleteYou and the two dogs had a nice day, and you caught the deer.
ReplyDeleteI love the deer photos. I'm impressed you got those shots with the dogs in tow!
ReplyDeleteBob we caught them. Took a while though.
ReplyDeleteJolynne, The dogs are quiet. They do chase deer if off the lead. It's the only thing they do bother with.
Great to see the deer shots...
ReplyDelete-Trevor
Trevor, I'll have another go with a longer lens. It's an awfully wet job photographing deer.
ReplyDelete