Mud baths and a bit of rutting

Day off today, and as we're edging into deer rut season, I decided to take an early-morning trip to Bushey Park, to see how the action is shaping up. Personally, I prefer photographing the deer at Bushey than on the nearby Richmond Common; for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's generally easier to find the deer without having to trek far, but more to the point, I prefer the backgrounds that are possible to achieve at Bushey. 

It was a beautiful, crisp & misty morning when I arrived. However, a slight dampener was not being able to get into the park until 8am. This seems to be down to a handover of the management to the Metropolitan Police, with a stricter policy on locking the gates outside of official hours! 

16 Point Stag

Never mind, it was still a really enjoyable morning. The Red Deer rut hasn't really got underway yet, but there were plenty of signs that the stags were gearing up for the testosterone-fuelled chaos. I only heard a few grunts and bellows, but observed several wallowing in the mud and thrashing their antlers through the bracken and long grass. 

22 Point Stag

I did achieve one shot I've been after for a long time today. The does have their 'rut' slightly ahead of the stags, where they box with each other to establish dominance. While I've had glimpses of this behaviour several times in the past, it's generally lasted only split-seconds. Today, I was privileged to come across a group of about 20 does, attended by a magnificent 22-point stag. Several of the ladies were really going at it, so I was pleased to be able to get a few shots off!

Bushey is also a good site for birds; I saw lots of Egyptian Geese, Canada Geese, Jays, Ringneck Parakeets and Green Woodpeckers this morning. There didn't seem to be too much in the way of migrant waterfowl in evidence yet. I was on the look-out for Red-crested Pochard, as I've seen big numbers here in the last couple of autumns. There were none to be seen on the fountains or lakes when I arrived, however a small group flew in just as I was leaving. Several were starting to moult into courtship plumage; always a treat to see.

Canada Goose 

I'll definitely be heading down here quite regularly on my days off over the next few weeks, as the rut gets into full swing. However, next week I'll be photographing their Spanish cousins in the beautiful Sierra Morena mountains - so be sure to check in for regular live(ish) updates!

Fawn Sniffing

16 Point Stag

Deerie me -WARNING Contains Spaiders

Hello strangers! Many apologies for the long silence; work has been absolutely crazy the last few weeks, with 12 hours days the norm & days off a bit of a rarity. Compounding that, it's been a bit of a funny time of year for wildlife in the local area; the summer migrants are by & large departing, but winter arrivals haven't put in an appearance just yet. Vegetation is still very high in most sites, so the few occasions I've managed to get out for an hour or two, there hasn't been a huge amount to see!

On the plus side, I have recently upgraded my main lens to the spanking new Canon 500mm f/4 IS II, so I've been itching to give it a proper test-drive! Thankfully, the last week or so, I've managed to get out and about a little bit & I'm pleased to say it's performing very well!

I spent a few hours one afternoon on one of the local private lakes, watching a pair of Little Grebes fishing. I really enjoy working with these entertaining little birds. The female seems to have a particular penchant for eating newts  - while the male tends to stick to minnows & sticklebacks.' 

Little Grebes

Sadly 'Lonesome George' - a male Great Crested Grebe I've been watching for the last few years, is once again an eligible batchelor. I'd hoped that, after he paired up with a female this spring, he'd succeed in raising a brood. Unfortunately, after two failed clutches, his mate seems to have disappeared & poor George is all alone again. Hopefully, better luck next year.

Lonesome George

I was also pleased to be able to spend a couple of hours watching the resident pair of Hobbies catching dragonflies over the lake at Coate Water - although the site was otherwise very quiet for this time of year.

Hobby

Common Darter (Lunch)

Last weekend, Lou & I spent a few hours in a hide in the Midlands. It's a site where I've previously had good luck with Muntjac Deer, but no joy this time around. For the first 90 minutes or so, a Buzzard was perched close to the hide, which meant that very little was stirring, apart from a few rather handsome pheasants. Once it left, the bird life picked up a little, with a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and one of their juveniles spending some time on the feeders. Although we didn't see any Muntjac, we were rewarded with a pair of Fallow does and their fawns, which were very nice to see.

Fallow Deer - Fawn

Now that some of the hay fields have been cut, it's starting to get easier to see hares again. I managed to get fairly close to one more or less at eye-level through the stubble. They seem to have had a good year - we saw over a dozen in one field, albeit rather distantly. 

Brown Hare

One of my local pair of Little Owls have also had a successful season; I was delighted to spot two owlets out and about on my last visit to their territory.

Little Owlet

This morning, we made the decision to get up mega-early and head down to the lovely RSPB reserve at Arne, on the edge of Poole Harbour. We especially like to visit during the autumn, when the Sika deer are rutting. It's still a little bit too early for that yet, although we did hear a few of their squeaky bellows this morning. We arrived just before sunrise, and spent several hours wandering around the heathland and mixed woodland. An unexpected bonus on the way in was coming across a Nightjar sitting on the entrance road; I'd thought that they would have all made their way across the channel by now. We also spotted a Little Owl flying off a fence by the side of the road. 

Little Owl - Not from Arne

The Sika deer were out in force. We saw around 50 over the course of the morning; although mainly does and fawns/ juveniles. Unusually, we only came across a couple of stags. They seem to be mainly congregating under the chestnut trees, and appreciating the windfall nut mast - as were the multitude of Grey Squirrels! 

Sika Deer - Doe

Sika Deer - Fawn

Green Woodpeckers are also abundant at Arne - although tricky to get close enough for a decent shot. However one did pose quite obligingly for a few minutes on a dead tree limb in the sun's first rays. We also spotted a Wryneck flying through the glade, but couldn't quite see where it had landed. 

Green Woodpecker

It was a good day for raptors, with distant Ospreys out in the channel, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzards. On the Salt marshes, we also saw 9 Spoonbill, Cormorants, Little Egret, Shell Duck, Greenshanks, Herons, Curlew and various gulls.

Small birds were also out in force; highlights were the resident Dartford Warblers, but we also saw Treecreepers, a female Stonechat, Long-tailed Tit, Great-Tit, Coal-Tit, Gold Crest, Gold Finch, Chaffinch, Swallows, Housemartins and  Wheatears (in flight).

Stonechat

For me, the invert life was a particular highlight; we found a nest of hornets, which were quite something to watch, as they carted caterpillars and other insects into the chambers at a great rate. I also saw my first Raft Spiders today - a big tick, after several years of looking for them. We saw at least 10 spiderlings (which are still big enough to make most people feel rather uncomfortable!), but no adults today.

Hornets - Trying to be a bit arty

Hornet Nest

Raft Spider

Think that's probably enough for now - I promise not to leave it so long between posts in future! 

Mull trip episode 4 - otter hunting

We're having a nice, relaxed time here on Mull; the sun's been shining, the sky is blue - and there is always the chance of spotting some amazing wildlife around any corner. We've spent the last two or three days ambling around a few of our favourite spots - and checking out one or two new ones. 

Otters have been one of my target species this week, so we've spent quite a bit of time checking out some of the most likely spots, with some success. We've seen the local large dog Otter several times, including getting a good view of him grooming himself on a rock, before resuming working the kelp beds for butterfish. We also saw another huge male briefly on Loch Spelve, from the track to Croggan, but it vanished very quickly. We've yet to see a female or youngsters this year, but hopefully before the end of the trip!

Dog Otter at sunset

Also at Croggan, I spent a little while under the lush green shade of the beautiful, twisted boughs of the Sessile Oak woodland, photographing the antics of a pair of Wood Warblers as they brought food to the nest.

Wood Warbler

Along the track from Croggan, I also had a close encounter with this rather engaging little Sandpiper, a beautifully coloured Fieldfare (which sadly was not at all willing to pose for me!) and a family of Lapwings with a very cute, tiny speckled chick. Despite the parents' warning calls, it was too distracted by a tasty-looking bug to do a very good job of pretending to be a stone! Lots of Greylag Geese with goslings of various sizes dozing on the Loch edge, too.

Sandpiper

Lapwing Chick

Driving on from Croggan towards Lochbuie, I was very pleased to come across two stunning Fallow deer does grazing in a meadow on the edge of a stand of ancient mixed woodland. These ladies were looking absolutely gorgeous in their dappled summer coats, especially with the sunlight streaming down on them! 

Fallow Deer

A visit to the beautiful bay at Ardalanish is always a wonderful way to spend a few hours. As well as the spectacular views across to Jura, the wildflower-laden streambed & orchid-studded dunes attract a good variety of birds and butterflies. I had fun photographing a gregarious family of Wheatears of varying ages.

Wheatear - Female

Wheatear - Juvenile

Wheatear - fledgling

 I also had a pair of Sedge Warbler in the reed beds by the stream. 

Sedge Warbler

There are lots of moths and butterflies, such as this lovely Small Tortoiseshell and High-brown Frittilary.

As well as the ubiquitous Hooded Crows!

An unexpected added bonus was a trio of Red-throated Divers in the bay. Not too close in, but wonderful to see these lovely birds in full breeding plumage.

I was also back for another look at the Mountain Hares yesterday evening, and was rewarded by a very obliging beast, right out on the shorter grass. We saw at least 5 individuals in the course of the evening, so they seem to be doing well.

In the same area, I also got some really good views of the resident pair of Hen Harriers - both the male & female this time. Both birds were seen quartering, with the female coming close at times. I even witnessed a couple of distant food-passes, which were fantastic to see.

Visiting a smallish, freshwater lochan added a few more species to our list. We spotted a fledging Cuckoo, still being fed by it's tiny adoptive warbler parents. There were also two Black-throated Divers, 4 Red-throated Divers, Little Grebe, as well as Turfted Duck, Herons and more Geese. I was particularily interested to note a pair of Whooper Swans, which flew in to the head of the loch just at sunset. 

Round Loch Scridain, we've mainly seen smaller birds, although we've seen both of the pair of White-tailed Eagles which nest across the loch flying past several times. Curlews standing sentinel above their chicks have been nice to see, as well as juvenile Goldfinch, Rock Pippits, Meadow Pippits, Sky Lark and Sanderling

Meadow Pippit

Curlew & Chicks

On the mammal front, we'd been commenting that we haven't seen too many Red Deer down by the loch this year, compared to previous visits. Apparently, this is down to the very high numbers of midges about after the rains, as the deer hate these airbourne pests & tend to keep to the hills when they are particularily bad. However yesterday evening, the stiff  breeze must have lured them down, as we had several groups of young bucks and more mature stags grazing in the meadows along the road, all with their antlers still re-growing & covered in velvet.  

We also clocked up another mammal species in the form of feral goats, with a small flock grazing along on of the rock crags above the moorland. Usually they stick to the more inaccessible coastal cliffs, so it was great to see a few in relative comfort! 

Goat - Nanny

Just to round things off, I've just been watching a Tawny Owl hunting in the courtyard of our farmhouse. It even landed just below my bedroom window. Too dark for photography, but always a buzz to see!

Mull trip - episode 2; Hares & Harriers

Today was another rather damp & dank day here on Mull, with steady rain from dawn until early evening. A few brief forays out around Loch Scridain in the afternoon suggested that the wildlife was almost as reluctant as me to go about it's business in the wet - with little showing other than various gulls, waterfowl and waders, including Lapwings, numerous Oystercatchers, Sanderling, Pink-footed Geese, Red-breasted Merganser & a handful of distant Gannets. Also showing a few rather soggy small birds - mainly Wheatears &  Rock Pippits, but also some colourful Stonechats and a Siskin.

Lapwing

Driving back along the head of the Loch, we noticed a number of very agitated gulls, Lapwings and Oystercatchers dive-bombing a spot within the reed-beds. Speculating that there must be a predator present, we loitered waiting to see what was causing all the fuss. It turned out to be a Buzzard, which flew out carrying a well-grown Oystercatcher chick back to it's own nest. The irate parents & mixed-species neighbours mobbed  & harassed it even after it was back on it's nest.

Buzzard predating Oystercatcher nest site (chick in talons)

The clouds finally lifted & a few scraps of blue sky emerged this evening, so we headed off down to the South of the Island to see what was stirring after a day of rain-stops-play. My main target species was Mountain Hares; although it's always a bit surreal to see them down at sea-level. They seem to enjoy the close-cropped grass that the ever-present sheep leave behind! The Island's raptor population had obviously been waiting out the weather too, as we saw several Buzzards on the way down, and had a fairly close view of a juvenile White-tailed Eagle on a mission to somewhere or other! 

I was also delighted to spot a male Hen-Harrier quartering off to the side of the road - and even more excited when a second male launched itself up off it's perch on a boulder to chase off the intruder. A dramatic ariel pursuit ensued, with the intruding male eventually heading off at speed. However, it didn't stay away for very long - we observed the two males clashing twice more over the course of the next hour; presumably their territories slightly overlap. I feel quite privileged to have witnessed a duell between two of Britain's rarest birds! The light was going a bit, so excuse the picture quality!

Male Hen Harrier

Checking out my usual reliable spots for the Hares proved fruitless, although I did get some great close views of a family of Wheatears, with the fledglings still looking very fuzzy & cute.

Fledgling Wheatear

Male adult Wheatear

I'd pretty much given up for the evening and we were just heading home, when Lou spotted a well-hidden pair of ears protruding from a clump of reeds. Sure enough, it was the elusive Mountain Hare beastie! With patience, I was able to get some decent shots of it - and a second one, which peeked shyly over a grassy tussock at us. While the light was going, I'm actually quite pleased with how the colours have come out in these. No doubt I'll be back again for another look before we come home!

Mountain Hare