Badger returns

 My garden has been very quiet for several months but I always leave a few dog biscuits around just in case someone gets hungry. I had noticed on a couple of mornings that the biscuits had been moved aroundand some were missing so I decided last night to put a camera out. to my surprise I captured this shot. Its a badger thats doing all the calling. So I have got myself something to do during lockdown.

It is not up to my usual standard in photography it was a filthy night with a lot of rain and this is the best shot that I got.

Ratty the water vole

Some years ago I was out walking with my camera when I came to a small stream. I noticed a little movement in the water and saw to my surprise a creature swimming. I realised I has spotted my first water vole. I kept perfectly still and it it carried on feeding and totally ignored me.

I watched it for a good ten minutes while it went about its business of feeding.

It swam up and down as though it was showing off.

In the end it came and sat on the grass not more than a couple of metres away and watched me.

I have had some strange experiences with wild animals but I think this one takes the biscuit. I went back several times over the following years but never saw it again.

 

 

More white kites

Since seeing my first leusistic red kite I have spent many hours over many days looking for them. These birds have normal coloured eyes as apposed to albino's that have pink. This bird carried the wing tag No. 51 which I spotted it many times over the following years. The tag fell off after a few years but I still recognised the bird.

This picture was taken more than 16years ago and it was my first siting of a white kite. No. 51 was tagged a couple of years before in Wales. The wing tags were used to track the birds because they can on occasions fly vast distances.
 

Parteners

Sometimes odd things happen in front of the camera.  These pictures were taken on different tmes and of different birds in different locations. A little bit of food is thrown down on a regular basis and it is surprising how quickly word gets around. This was done for experimentation and as you can see it was a total success.

Raven and a white kite came in together on several occasions. This shot was taken in Wales.

Raven and buzzard at a place in Sussex. On private property which I promised not reveal its location.
 

White buzzard

Well you liked my white red kite pictures so here is another pale friend of mine. Saw it on many occasions in Wales. It would come into the feeding station and take its share of the food and not be bothered with all the hoo-ha going on around it.

As you can see it was a beautiful bird and the way that it strutted around it certainly knew it.

This abnormal colouring is called leucisism ( I think I spelled that right ). Many species of animals and birds can be affected by it.