Deer and Kingfishers

This morning we went for an early morning walk to see if we could spot the Fallow deer rutting. We were very lucky and saw half a dozen bucks. A few were roaring but the rut does seem to be late this year. They still do not seem to be in full Rut mode yet. It was a beautiful autumnal morning. It was quite cold when we started at 8am but really warm when we got back to the car at11am later in the afternoon we went down to the nature reserve and once again we saw the kingfisher. He came and sat on the perching pole with a fish for his supper. On our way home we visited the other two viewing areas and saw him again . Just after I took this photo he dived and flew of with another fish for his supper. I am finding him easier to spot now and look forward to seeing him on our visits/

Its not a smear on the lens thats his breath in the cold Morning air!

This Buck was sunbathing

This ones got his girl

I think he's spotted us!

The kingfisher was a little to far away but he had a big fish in his beak

After the Rain the Sun

Finally the leaves are changing and the colours really showed in todays sun, so different from the dreary rain yesterday

This afternoon we walked at Shatterford and checked out the work that had been going on there. Sadly i found that they had chopped down the little tree that grew in the swamp area.

This pony looked magnificent as his coat glowed in the sun

It took me a while to identify these, they are Spectacular Rustgill ((Gymnophilus spectabilus) They are poisonous and may cause hallucinations!

The Weekend

We walked at South Bentley on Saturday, here the dogs are looking for deer, we did see several small groups on our walk

The leaves ar still mostly on the trees and green

We saw these two young bucks......they are too young for this years rut! But maybe next year?

At least it finally stopped raining on Sunday in time to see the Moon. Oh and the clocks went back so now it will be dark by 5pm!

A Day in the Life.....

Catherine and Stephen came to stay overnight as Catherine wanted to look round Southampton University Campus and see if she might want to apply for next year. So first we walked the dogs at Busketts and then drove into Southampton.
After dropping Catherine at the University we walked around part of the walls of Southampton. This is the Tudor Merchants House and part of the City walls.

Then we went onto the Quay and had a good view of the Cruise Ship the Navigator of the Sea, She is enormous. Apparently amongst other things she has a Rock climbing wall, Ice Rink, 9 hole mini golf course and a whole parade of shops.
We then picked Catherine up and had lunch before they set off for home.

We took the dogs for another walk in the Forest at Fritham. We saw this Buck and we heard several others calling

A Magical Walk in Dorset

Today we had a beautiful walk around Arne in Dorset.
We were lucky enough to hear the Sika Stags whistling and we had so many views of these beautiful deer. At times they were so close. it was just magical!
Sika deer are native to islands of Japan and Taiwan and were first introduced into deer parks and private collections in the UK in 1860, from where they subsequently escaped or were released. The colour of their coat varies but it is generally chestnut brown and spotted in summer and almost pure grey in winter. They have a characteristic white patch of fur, outlined in black, beneath their short white tail. Stags have relatively simple antlers which generally have four points on each antler. The antlers are cast each year in April or May.

Sika deer are mostly solitary and are most active at dusk. They seem sensitive to human disturbance and only venture into more open areas at night. Sika can cause damage to commercial forests when they gouge deep, vertical grooves into the trunks of mature trees, which they do to mark their territory.

Breeding:
They mate from late August to October and give birth to one young, 8 months later in May or June. The young become independent after 6–10 months.

Diet:
Mainly grasses, sedges and heather but also fungi and bark.

Deer tracks:
It can be difficult to distinguish between sika and other deer tracks. Their prints are generally 5–6cm long.

Habitat:
Sika deer prefer woodland with damp ground with dense undergrowth and heathland.

Predators & threats:
Many young do not survive their first winter because of exposure and starvation. Adults have no natural predators but are culled by man.

Status & distribution:
There are large populations of sika deer in Scotland and Ireland and more localised, patchy populations along the south coast of England, in Hampshire and Dorset as well as in the Lake District and Lancashire. No populations are thought to be established in Wales.


Sika deer are very vocal animals and during the mating season, males make a sharp whistling call, which can be heard up to 1km away!

Lower Test Nature Reserve

We had another trip to the nature reserve this afternoon. When we arrived a Heron , Little Egret and a couple of Black tailed godwits were present. In the shrubs near the hide there were some long tailed tits. The Kingfisher teased us for about an hour. We could see him in the reeds and occasionally flitting across the water, but eventually he came and settled on the perching rail right in front of us. He was worth the wait.

Blacktailed Godwit

Kingfisher

Heron

Little Egret

heron catching his supper

The moon is out tonight.

The moon is out tonight.
Originally uploaded by Missy2004.

My first attempt at taking a moon shot.

Autumn walk at Fritham

This Buck was resting in the trees, he is preparing for the rut.

It was a beautiful Autumnal day today. We went for a walk at Fritham. The sun was shining , the sky was blue.
The Ponies were drining from a small pond and we could see a Fallow Buck in the distance, they are not roaring yet and it looks as if the rut will be lat this year. Later we saw this Buck in the trees, alas I chopped his antlers off.

Beautiful Autumn days

We have had a couple of cold nights, with a light ground frost, but the days have been beautiful. Cold but sunny. This afternoon we met a couple of very friendly donkeys at Cadmans pond They kept following us around and nuzzling us.

Mary gets "Mugged"

mary gets "mugged"
Originally uploaded by sure2talk.

The Donkeys really liked me.....Taken by Karen

We met some very friendly Donkeys


A chaffinch snacks on the seed someone has left for the birds.

Autumn Colours and more Little Piglets

Lower Test Nature Reserve

Karen and I spent a couple of hours down on our local reserve today. Once again the Kingfisher perched just on the far range of the camera lens. We also saw a Heron and A little Egret. In the distance we could see swans flying.We saw a few green Sandpipers, Lapwing and a Black tailed Godwit and just as we were leaving a Black Swan.
There seemed to be a lot of Dragonflies, mostly skimmers darting about.
It was a busy day on the reserve, usually karen and I don't see anyone but today the hide was nearly full.

Little Egret

Heron

Blacktailed Godwit

Kingfisher

Little Egret

Its Pannage Time

One of the ancient rights in the Forest , is that of pannage. Commoners have the right to put pigs on the Forest for 90 days of the year. Pigs love acorns and Pannage season usually starts in September as the acorns start to fall. The verderers can extend the season if the Acorn crop is heavy. The Ponies will eat the acorns and they can make them very ill, even causing death. The last two days we have seen two sows with their tiny little piglets foraging under the oak trees , right by the side of the road. Both times we stopped to take some photos.

A Visit to Brownsea Island.

Brownsea island is a small island in Poole Harbour Dorset. it is only about a mile long and maybe half a mile wide. In total it is only about 500 Acres. It is the birth place of the Scouting and Guiding movement and regulary holds camps.The Island is now owned by the National trust, but half of it is a nature reserve managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. To reach the Island you have to catch a ferry either from Sandbanks or Poole Quay. We went from Poole and it takes about 20 minutes to make the crossing.
Brownsea is one of the few places in England where our Native Red Squirrel is surviving and autumn is a good time to visit as they are collecting the nuts. Squirrel walks take place twice a day in October. We arrived just in time to join the 11.30 Morning walk, but soon realised that our chances of getting photos with 20 other people around were not going to be good. So we lagged behind and then sat in the woods and waited, soon we were watching the squirrels and snapping away. They are smaller than the greys and well camouflaged in the autumn leaves. But it was thrilling to be able to sit and just watch them.
There are several trails on the National Trust part of the Island, but we decided to enter the Wildlife Trust part.it costs another £2 but there are several hides and you get wonderful views over the lagoon. The very enthusiastic staff were soon telling us about the birds. In the distance we could see Spoonbills, Herons and Cormorants. A litttle closer and there were Curlew, Bartailed Godwits, and Avocets. Some of the Birdwatchers with very fancy telescopes were soon showing us the different birds and helping us to identify them. We saw squirrels in several places, some late flying dragonflies and Butterflies feeding on the last of the flowering plants.
By the time we had walked the trail through the Wildlife trust, stopping at the hides along the way, it was nearly 4pm and time to catch the last ferry back to Poole. We had a quick visit to a copse where we had seen plenty of squirrels and they were still around if you just stayed quietly waiting and then it was time to go. So we know that there is still a lot we didn't see and hopefully we will go back.
The Island closes at the end of the month and is not open to the general public until Spring.

Brownsea Island

Beautiful Red Squirrel

Avocets

The Church on Brownsea Island

The Flag on the Ferry Boat.

Red Squirrel
This is Britain's native Red Squirrel. Sadly The introduction of the American Grey Squirrel has meant that our native reds are now struggling to survive. The grey is bigger and less vulnerable to disease. There are very few places in England where the red can now be found. One of these places is a small island in Poole Harbour where about 200 of them live. Today we took a trip to see them. it is the first time I have seen a Wild red squirrel since I was a child. karen and I spent a long time watching them! Recent reports have suggested that the Red Squirrel will be extinct in the UK if we do not cull the grey and give the red a chance to survive!
(The first authenticated record of a grey squirrel introduction is for 1876 within the grounds of Henbury Park , Cheshire . Records of introductions from America then continued until the late 1920s, whilst translocations within the UK are documented until 1937)

Curlew and bar tailed Godwits

Avocet

We had a very healthy Lunch!


Another photo of the red squirrel

Mo Tagged Me

1. What is the coolest bird you have seen from your home?

1 peacock and 4 peahens.....I woke up to find them in my small garden. They stayed all day and despite calls to local Bird centres and the police we never found out who they belonged to .And then the noise local children made coming home from school frightened them away and they haven't been back. Just as well because they chewed up all my tomato plants!

.2.If you compose lists of bird species seen, what is your favourite list and why?

I am very new to birding and so anything new is special. We see Kingfishers and Egrets at our local sanctuary. I was thrilled to see Cormorants on the Thames when we went to London a couple of weeks ago. Today we saw spoonbills and Avocets on Brownsea Island (Two new ones for me.)On our first visit to Canada we saw Loons and I love their mournful cry. I like the Canadian Whiskey Jacks because they are so cheeky and will pinch food of your plate. It was also a thrill to see Baldheaded eagles.

3.What sparked your interest in birds?

I have always been interested in wildlife and my father use to teach me the names, A few years ago I became interested in photography. Looking for new things to photograph I discovered there was a small bird sanctuary with a hide in our local town and have enjoyed sitting there just watching.

4. If you could only bird in one place for the rest of your life where would it be and why?

Well living on the edge of the New Forest and having a Bird sanctuary on the doorstep I am content to be here. I guess I am easily pleased.

5. Do you have a jinx bird? What is it and why is it jinxed?

Well as I am new to this I guess the answer is no., but I was disappointed a few years ago when we visited the Farne Islands that it was the wrong time of year for puffins!

6 Who is your favourite birder? and why?

I don't really have a favourite but I like to watch any nature programs.

7. Do you tell non-birders you are a birder? What do they say to you when they find out?

I guess I don't really consider myself to be a birder and I certainly wouldn't want to be the sort of twitcher who just rushes around crossing birds off lists. I hope I will always get a thrill when ever I see a Kingfisher or an egret. I just enjoy watching nature. I guess a few friends might consder it strange, but some would be interested and happy to come with me.

I am going to Tag Karen from Wild about Art

Its Fungi Time Again

Amanita muscaria or Fly Agaric The Striking red cap with white spots is the classic toadstool of childrens story books. It is extremely toxic if eaten. Fly Agaric contains the toxin muscimol which can cause hallucinations. it also contains other toxins which cause a variety of unpleasant symptons and can be fatal. it is said that pieces of this fungi placed in milk will attract and kill flies.

Amanita phalloides or Death Cap and is another extremely poisonous mushroom. it can easily be confused with edible species and it is the ring on the stalk that one should watch out for, 50grams of this fungi can be fatal for a human .

Flicka Goes to Longleat

Today we took Flicka to Longleat. First we went to the safari park and had some really close encounters with Lions and tigers. We did close the windows before driving through! Flicka did not want to be a tasty snack.
Then it was time for us to have a snack!

Next we tackled the maze. Flicka was able to peek over the hedges and give us directions, but it still took us a while to get out!

We had a ride on the train and we also had a boat ride.

In the Mirror Maze Flicka admired her reflection.
There is a lot to do at Longleat, we also went in the butterfly garden, Joe,s mine which had fruit bats flying about and then we spent some time in pets corner.

Just Monkeying Around at Longleat

Driving through the Monkey enclosure is fun

The Monkeys are everywhere.
OOPs part of the cr trim appears to have come off in this monkey's hand!
Longleat do not accept any responsibility for damage and you are given the option to by pass this enclosure. We removed the aerial on the car and did not stop. Although we saw several cars suffering damage we were lucky the monkeys did not stay on our car long enough to do any damage. We did notice they seemed to prefer cars with roof bars.

Breakfast time for the Giraffes and Camels

The baby Tapir was very playful

Ankole Cattle

Bactrian Camels

White Rhino

Some Photos from the Safari Park at Longleat.These animals were all in the areas where you could have the windows down. We had a slightly overcast day, which was good as when the windows had to be closed we did not get to much reflection from the glass. I shall put some more photos up during the week.

The Big cats of Longleat

Some more photos from Our visit to Longleat. We were very lucky to see the big cats up close.

Autumn Sunshine at Fritham

Today was one of those beautiful Autumnal days. The sun was shining and by the end of our walk we were really rather warm. We went to Fritham and we hadn't been walking for long before we saw our first Fallow Bucks as they ran across the path. We saw several groups of them , but as yet they are not roaring, just checking out the rutting stands. They are so majestic with their big antlers. We were so busy watching the deer and controlling the dogs, who were all on long leads to prevent them from disturbing the deer that we walked into a smelly Bog....poor karen wasn't wearing wellies!

A few Pics from today

Lookout duty the dogs cover all approaches

This little grasshopper hitched a ride to the forest.

Later we went down to the Lower test nature reserve. The Kingfisher perched a fair way off but I managed to get a shot or two of him . Such pretty little birds.
As we left the reserve we disturbed some bunnies playing in the fields.