Back to the woods

Our little community woodland is looking good this spring.  At least three of the nest boxes are in use - just tits, but hey it's good.

The feeding, drinking and bathing station now boasts a proper little hide and I think this will pay dividends, although the jay and crow still seem a bit nervous.  The woodpeckers are regular visitors at present to the woodpecker tree we put in - wondering whether to be a flycatcher

and a bit of shadow puppetry - note the bottom right hand corner.  Still it needs to learn to make more than a woodpecker.

The treecreeper isn't bathing at present, but it does like the woodpecker tree.

The woodpeckers also drink from the pool

 as does the woodpigeon.

I had a magpie down but struggled with framing.  One problem is the lens needed for a magpie doesn't work so well for a treecreeper.  Maybe I need to try the zoom.

A pair of asian longtailed woodchickens are prowling around - legs cropped to avoid showing the plastic bird table.

To close an new one for me.  The long tailed tits are enjoying the suet / fatballs, but one showed some acrobatic skills while it ate a sunflower seed.

Those legs don't look strong enough do they?

If at first you don't succeed .........

Our early purple orchids crept up on me again, and I nearly missed them.

I had another short spell in my quest to do something a bit different flower snap wise.  I'm starting to learn how some of these images might work, but it is harder than it looks to get something worthwhile!  Truth is I need to spend some proper time on this.  Orchids, bluebells and our garden's little pink leaved horse chestnut species.

The fox and the earth

Foxes have their habits.  Like badgers they stick to their paths, giving you the prospect of intercepting them.  Wild foxes are wary though so there is always some doubt about the prospects of getting a snap.  We had seen this vixen a few times crossing the newly worked field and always about the same time in the evening, so I took advantage of one of the deep ruts and bedded down early one evening to try my luck.
Sure enough she popped up, although not from the direction I expected.

I realised she knew something was in the field, but the advantage of a long lens and some scrim is that you are not obviously a person, so she just watched, leaving because she was heading on her way, not from fear.

Despite appearances in one shot no feeding used for this session.  Just a shame the light is shaded off the earth by this time as in the sun the colours would have glowed. 

In the woods the badger tracks run though the spring flowers. 

I had a shot in mind so another evening sat late to try my luck.  I did see a badger, but frustratingly the flash set up I tried misfired so this wasn't the standard I hoped.

Still you learn a bit more every time - like trying it out more first!