Wildlife we encounter around our dexters

[Saffy]

Rob mentioned conservation and wildlife on the other thread, it isn't often I actually get a photo of the wildlife I see when I'm out and about with my dexters and herdwicks but I have taken a few and may be able to dig out a few more. The fox photo was taken yesterday. My oldest cow Nutlin Ginger Spice - 18 in October calved a particularly good bull calf last Sunday and perhaps the smell of afterbirth was still around.



This female sparrow hawk likes me! She was starving a few years back and allowed me to pick her up, after a few days of gorging on woodpigeons shot by a friend we released her and she decided I was OK, so she "pops up" every so often, swoops over my head and parts my hair with her feet!!!



I find grasses fascinating and ladybirds are pretty aren't they?!



Hopefully lots of us have tales of seeing wildlife and maybe a few pics?

Stephanie

P.S. Had to re do the pics much smaller about 480 pixels seems to suit to send to photobucket and display on here or you only get part of the photo on the page.

[Louisa Gidney]

No photos I'm afraid but the oystercatchers have fledged 2 young. I want to start getting hay in the sheds but the wrens have hatched a 2nd brood and the swallows have new clutches. Lapwings have stopped dive bombing me, so assume their young have fledged.

[Rob R]

My camera, along with my photography skills, is not that great but the evening before last I saw a couple of barn owls hunting, distrubed a heron and the odd toad. I also spooked a roe deer when looking for the yearlings in the long grass. It didn't go far, any then just watched me from the safety of the reedy stuff. I didn't have the camera on me at the time so tonight I made a special effort to have it in my pocket. Didn't see a single toad, and the barn owls didn't come within range, staying at opposite ends of the field!

However, I did manage to snap this little guy three years on my phone - I was amazed that he stayed still long enough for me to fumble in my pocket and work out how to open the camera;



It was left in the aftermath of a grazing paddock and was the longest ever view that I have had of a wild vole (that wasn't being carried away by an owl).

[Mark Bowles]

Great pictures. Saffy that must be fantastic to be so close to a wild bird of prey.

[Rob R]

I may not have been able to snap any wildlife last night, but we did have some amazing skies!

[Saffy]

Pretty.

Are they very short dexters or is it very long grass...can't see the legs, OK only joking! Just jealous of the grass, beautiful area you live in.

Stephanie

[Rob R]

Thanks - I'll take some pictures when they get to the bottom of the hill - some of the grasses are as tall as me!

Being such a flat landscape does have it's disadvantages though - you can see the water bowser near the tree on the left - not a lot of fall to give pressure at the tank. We're going to try parking it on slightly higher ground next, but this hot weather only makes it worse.

[Rob R]

In an attempt to compete with the wonderful fox picture I took the camera with me again tonight. I thought I'd struck gold when we saw a deer in very close range, but unfortunately I braked a second too late and it retreated up the field to watch us from 100 yards away, eating the beet as it did;

[Rob R]

We (literally) almost stumbled upon this little guy this afternoon;

[Rob R]

Thanks - I'll take some pictures when they get to the bottom of the hill - some of the grasses are as tall as me!

The bottom of the hill, never mind legs, you can barely see them at all...

[Rob R]

The geese chose not to land on the ponds because we were there moving the cows tonight but they did drop in on the adjacent stubble;

[Rob R]

[Saffy]

Now you are really showing off Rob....you are going to have to start doing B+B, we all want to come and stay!

Stephanie

[Rob R]

That's the first time I've managed to take a picture of an owl on the wing - in the past they have always come out as a white blur at best. I tried to get a picture of the youngsters but they darted back into the nest quicker than I could press the button! Quite often they will hunt right next to me while I move the cows and then disappear into the middle distance when I get the camera out. Perseverance paid off in the end, though.

I'm not sure about B&B though, I like wildlife, not so keen on people cluttering up the place.

[Rob R]

It wasn't until I got home and look through the pictures that I realised that there were actually two pairs of eyes watching me move the cows tonight... (you'll have to right-click to view
the full photo)