Update 2020

 

It's been a funny old year so far, we have had to adapt a lot the way we work but so far things seem to be OK. Here are a few photos from during lockdown earlier this year and the later part of summer when we were able to open to the public. Excuse the order... Google blogger has been updated, and to be honest I find the whole process far more laborious now to work. It used to be so simple, what attracted me to it in the first place, but now I find it almost a chore to use. 

I try to update our British Wildlife Centre blog more frequently than here. At least once a month with a roundup if possible, and share some of my photos there. If you would like to see this it is linked to the right, or you can follow this link:

British Wildlife Centre Blog

Pine Marten in the Rain

 

Something I have always wanted to photograph was pine martens in the rain. I have tried a couple of times in the past, but never been too successful. Last week for one day we had a downpour, we couldn't get too much done job wise at work, but were still here due to the visitors. Having just done the pine marten talk and seeing Dani soaking wet I thought I would give it another go!..

She was not very cooperative :-) So I headed over to my mate Drogo, and spent half hour with him in the pouring rain. He was up anyway and already drenched, he could go back to his nest boxes at anytime he wanted, but just enjoyed playing in the rain with me. 

Thirty minutes later, soaked to the bone, but it was worth it. I got some photos I was very pleased with. 

Autumn Update

It's been a while, and not due to lack of photos. Actually this year I've managed to get out around the Centre a little more than usual to take some pictures, but with work being as busy as ever there has been a lack of time to post or share some of them.

Here are a few of the many over the last few months, a bit of a mix, and most straight forward portraits. I will hopefully share a few more of the others around these, if that makes sense, in time. I don't think I will be out with the camera much for the rest of the year, unless we get some snow of course.

Above is Quil-i-am one of our hedgehogs that was reared earlier this year. Last week we did a photo shoot with him and his brother, Snoophog, in an autumn leave set up.

This is our new roe buck, Rowan, who we have only had for a few weeks. He is a very handsome chap, and settling in extremely well.

It seems out younger buck, Vinny, managed to hold on and take over control of our fallow herd from our pale buck Norman. Vinny put on a real good show this year, barking away and strutting his stuff in front of them all.

One of our red squirrel kittens from this year. You may notice he only has half a tail!.. We are not sure why or how this happened, but have named him Nutkin of course after Beatrix Potter's squirrel who lost half his tail.

Braveheart our main male wildcat now. He will be paired up for breeding early next year.

Elwood in the rain. Not that you can really see the rain in this picture, but it was quite a fun half hour with our two otters trying to photograph them with the rain falling quite heavily.

One of our male adders, Lucius, curled up in the top of the gorse bush. Now in brumation for the winter.

Here is Snoophog from his autumn leave photography experience.

Thanks for looking.