Historic peregrines

I haven't had a chance to visit the peregrines for many months and they are only a couple of miles from home, but a pal did inform me that he hadn't seen anything this year so here are a couple of pics from my files.

The best time to visit them is when the chicks are growing up and finding what life is all about. Here the chicks are having fun and getting plenty of exercise.

These two appear to be performing some sort of dance.

Mum keeping an eye on things, she knows what kids are like when they roam free.
 

Shopping trip

Not a sight to see on a shopping trip but who knows what you may come across during lockdown. These fallow deer were quite happily feeding just a few metres from the road side which was unfenced. It is not an uncommon site where I live but normally they would scamper off into the trees.

This one was waiting for the arrival of his new antlers.  We have all the colour varieties here in Sussex from almost black to white.
 

Fox story

A few years ago I was doing my usual patrol of my local nature reserve with my camera when I came across this young fox. I soon realised by its behaviour that it had ventured out of it den and could not find its way back. Being black in colour told me that it was too young to be out on its own and knowing where its den was I picked it up and put it back in the entrance and watched it quickly disappear.

 

Several months later walking the same route I came across this young fox. It was startled at first and then settled down and watched me. It was then that I realised that it was the youngster that I had met before and it had recognised me as a friend.

I was able to get quite close to it and get these photographs. I met with it on lots of occasions after that and it just ignored me and often just walked past me giving me just a glance in recognition.

This behaviour I refer to as trust, the animal knows that I am somebody that will not harm it or worry it. I am a fellow creature that is no threat to it.
 

A badgers trust

About twelve years ago a friend learned of my thoughts on animals trust in humans. He invited me to his home one very wet evening to prove my point. He often left food out for a local badger so I sat on his verander at the top of the steps leading down into his garden. He put some bits and pieces in a bowl and placed it at the bottom of the steps. I sat for no more than 10 minutes before a badger appeared out of the shrubbery saw me and wandered towards me.

Totally ignoring me it tucked into the food occasionally glancing in my direction, I was sitting no more than 2m away from it.

As you can see I was using flash which did not bother it in the least

It looked towards me several times but continued to enjoy his meal.

I had never seen this badger before and yet it was quite comfortable in my presence. When it had finished it just looked up at me and wandered off.

My thanks to the late great Mike Hall, a true friend, for this wonderful experience.
 

Freedom for Badgers

Many moons ago I was invited by a friend to watch badgers on a local reserve. I jumped at the chance as it was a privilage to be admitted out of hours. He had scattered some peanuts in front of the hide. I set up auto-flashes that would fire at a signal from my camera, so I sat and waited and what an evening it turned out to be. When they appeared I thought the flashes would scare them off but to my surprise they were totally ignored. One came so close a board was missing by Jacque's foot and she felt it brush her ankle.

My camera equipment then was no where near the standard it is today so I was delighted with the results I got. I believe it was a 100m lens I was using so you can see they got very close and we were totally ignored.

I am afraid this event was a one-off and I never had the chance of repeating it. I have dedicated this post to the news that the government have decided to abolish the badger cull and vaccinate instead. I have put out a feast in my garden this evening for the badgers so they can celebrate.
Thankyou Jake.