Pine Marten; Drogo

Drogo the Pine Marten

Most of you will know we welcomed two new pine martens to the Centre at the end of last year. Now with the evenings beginning to, ever so slightly, draw out it gives me time to start working on them to become a bit more friendly, used to cameras, and eventually hand feed.

Daenerys is a non starter at the moment... very shy, and off display. She is a project for another time. But Drogo, above, has been settling in very well to his new enclosure.

He comes out most afternoons, and if not too active you usually see him with his head resting on the entrance to his nest box keeping an eye on the comings and goings. He readily comes out while we are in there feeding him too, but keeps his distance for now... i don't think it will be too long though till he is confident enough to come close.

These photos are nothing too special, and all a bit samey, but I am just trying to get him used to me getting closer and the noise of a camera etc at the moment. Hopefully something more special will arrive in time.

Three were taken through the inch gauge wire, but I don't think you can really tell... The others I was in the pen with him.

You may notice he is missing a bit of fur on his head. Nothing to worry about, that is just where he was fur clipped at the New Forest for recognition before coming to us. Spoils the photos a little, but it will grow back and he will be as handsome as ever!

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd."

This last one was taken on the Samsung NX1, and was actually the first one I got of him. It was a very dull evening then.

And what of Samsung?.. Best not ask :-) Still waiting...

Thanks for looking :-)

A few more from the NX1

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

So another week, or is it three!.. And still no lens from Samsung. I have to say I am now very disappointed with how this is going. If they didn't have the equipment in stock, why get it all set up for us to start the week before Christmas! The image logging period should of been completed weeks a go now, and we still have not officially started.

Still, on the plus side, I still have the larger focal range lens Samsung has loaned me to use so I have had the chance to use the camera. And I now have a real understanding of it for my first official blog post about the NX1 for when the test period starts.

In the mean time, here are a few photos I took the other afternoon... simple portrait again, yet to try anything more tricky as want to keep it fresh for when it all kicks off.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

A few from the NX1

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

Well, another few weeks have passed and still no Samsung lens... come on Samsung! Let's get this thing rolling :-)

Thankfully though they have lent me a 50-150mm 'S' class lens for the period of image logging, meaning I have been able to use the camera a bit and try it all out. Here are a few photos taken with the Samsung NX1 over the past few weeks. As soon as I get the go ahead and wide angle lens, I will let you know my thoughts and really put some time in to using this camera, but as I have said to some of you that have visited... so far I must confess I am impressed. There are things I like, things I don't like but overall it seems to be getting me images that I am pleased with and can use.

Above is Emmy, one of our female otters on the edge of the bank.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

Frodo, one of our main foxes.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

Aluco the tawny owl, taken on a very dark and gloomy afternoon.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

Likewise with this one of Scrappy, the little owl.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

A recent one of our kingfisher. Very restricted with the 150mm focal length, and this has been cropped a fair bit, but sometimes you have to make an image with what you have available. It's nice to place the animal in this habitat and not always go for the close up.

"This content is created with the Samsung NX1, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd."

Not that there is anything wrong with a good ol' close portrait though :-) We only got a dusting of snow, hardly anything at all, but by changing shooting angles it was possible to make it look like we had a lot more than we actually did.

So, hopefully this will tie over till I am officially trying the NX1. I need the wide angle for some ideas I want to try out.

Thanks for looking