Humakt
19-01-2014, 02:50 PM
I was out for a walk today and had two great wildlife encounters.
The first was, well, a first for me - a firecrest! I saw out of the corner of my eye a flash in the hedgerow beside me. I stopped and looked. I saw a small dumpy bird in the shadows and thought it was a wren. Then it hopped into the light and I could see the bright yellow colour. Unfortunately it didn't last long enough for me to get my camera out. Or it was a goldcrest. It was one or the other and I've never seen either before.
Second enounter was with a fallow deer stag. I came through some woods and up a grassy slope that occasionally has deer grazing on it. As I came out of the woods I couldn't see any deer so started the haul up slope. Then, as I came over the top of a dip, I could see ahead a dark shape, some 300 - 400 yards away. I decided to see how close I could get, using the dip to hide me, and then use the odd scattered trees for cover. Being downwind helped.
I got to the last of the trees, the stag still some 20 yards away. Hiding behind the tree I slowly took my camera out so I could get a picture. Then, as I peered around the tree, I saw the stag had obviously heard me - he was standing there looking straight at me! Then, as I lifted my camera to get a shot, he fled.
Nevertheless I managed to get this one quick picture:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/12032023293_8fbccde6a3_z.jpg
The first was, well, a first for me - a firecrest! I saw out of the corner of my eye a flash in the hedgerow beside me. I stopped and looked. I saw a small dumpy bird in the shadows and thought it was a wren. Then it hopped into the light and I could see the bright yellow colour. Unfortunately it didn't last long enough for me to get my camera out. Or it was a goldcrest. It was one or the other and I've never seen either before.
Second enounter was with a fallow deer stag. I came through some woods and up a grassy slope that occasionally has deer grazing on it. As I came out of the woods I couldn't see any deer so started the haul up slope. Then, as I came over the top of a dip, I could see ahead a dark shape, some 300 - 400 yards away. I decided to see how close I could get, using the dip to hide me, and then use the odd scattered trees for cover. Being downwind helped.
I got to the last of the trees, the stag still some 20 yards away. Hiding behind the tree I slowly took my camera out so I could get a picture. Then, as I peered around the tree, I saw the stag had obviously heard me - he was standing there looking straight at me! Then, as I lifted my camera to get a shot, he fled.
Nevertheless I managed to get this one quick picture:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/12032023293_8fbccde6a3_z.jpg