Higgy's North Somerset Wildlife Adventures...: Prey saved the day for birds of prey trip....

Firstly welcome to my first post and apologies to those of you who may have already read this on the RSPB Community site! It is due to popular demand that I post up a few 'old' adventures of mine which got great responses when first posted....

('Prey saved the day for birds of prey trip' was originally posted on 7th April 2011)

Hello All,

Firstly apologies for what has now turned into a long story!.....

What a lovely sunny spring week we are currently having here! I have recorded 20degrees both yesterday and today, which I have to say is very welcome indeed.

All of a sudden it feels like the local countryside has sprung into life with birds nesting and other animal's new borns hopping around the fields......

Some of you will have read my thread about 'low light deer photography' and my epic attempts to grab some pictures of a lovely herd of young deer that I had been watching for some time. Typically on the actual day of getting ready and travelling to photograph them they had completely vanished! (just my sort of luck!)

With the warm weather this week I have witnessed some spectacular aerial displays from the buzzards and other birds of prey (BOP) which inhabit the Gordano Valley in North Somerset. Yesterday I actually seen a group of 7-8 birds circling high in the sky on the thermals and from the elevated motorway I literally had a birds eye view! I thought to myself that I wouldn't get caught out like I did with the deer so came home and did some internet research to find local footpaths in the area and how I could legally access the high ground and plan my trip. My plan was to visit this afternoon on the way home from work and use a footpath that runs under the M5 motorway giving me access to the high ground near Cadbury Camp. This was sure to present me the opportunity to get some A1 BOP pictures.....As I arrived I was feeling quite excited I have to say!

This afternoon the weather was perfect and I was still very excited, I had my plan in my head and thoughts of some fantastic wild BOP shots. As I started my drive home my anticipation grew and as I passed over the elevated section of the motorway I couldn't help but take a look across the valley where I have been observing these (many) birds.....As I looked out across the valley what did I see......

........NOWT!!......Oh no not again I will soon be nicknamed the most unluckiest birder and wildlife photographer in history!! (good job I don't do it for a living!!)

Not perturbed I dropped down onto the valley floor I found a parking space, located my footpath and with camera in hand started my accent to the high ground (Flipping heck that was a hell of a long and steep climb!) Anyway with sweat dripping from my brow I had made it to the top and I could look out across two different valleys which were either side of me, quite spectacular I have to say......yet still not a single sign of a BOP!

Something then caught my eye and a pair of Green Woodpeckers flew into a nearby tree, great at least I'll get a shot of something I thought......Then the peace was shattered as a fluorescent clad jogger ran out of the wood and shouted across to me "DID YOU SEE THOSE TWO WOODPECKERS MATE!!??".....You guessed it the Woodpeckers seeing the 'day-glow' human running towards them panicked and flew off!!

Now I'm not too happy by this time as I haven't seen a single BOP, my Woodpeckers have been scared away and I feel like I've tracked to the summit of Mount Everest!.....Even worse I looked at my watch and it said that my little one needed picking up from nursery in 'not enough time!'......so I started my very rapid decent back to the truck where I could wallow in my own self pity!! boohoo.....

All of a sudden something small caught my eye on the other side of a fence which I was just passing, breaking to a halt I was just in time to see two tiny little baby rabbits bolt down their hole....."Drat!"

This now seemed like an opportunity to get at least one photograph out of the afternoon so I manoeuvred myself down wind and wedged the monopod into the rocky ground and focused the camera on the hole that the two little fellows had disappeared down......A couple of minutes later one of the little bundles of fluff came out of the hole, I immediately took a snap to which he shot back down the hole never to be seen again!!.....

So my BOP photography trip was saved not by a bird of prey, but it's cute fluffy prey!!......

Cute, but not quite a Bird of Prey!.......

P.S. On the drive home I seen at least six buzzards but was so late by then that I couldn't stop for a picture!!......Flipping typical isn't it!

Original thread complete with replies and comments can be viewed here:-
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/chat/f/2542/p/40776/268369.aspx#268369

Birds of Prey and bunny rabbits....the saga continues!!...

(Birds of Prey and bunny rabbits....the saga continues!!...was originally posted on 12th April 2011)....

Following my disastrous trip photographing BOP last week when I returned with just one photograph of a.....Bunny rabbit!!.....I decided that today was the day when I would have another go! After work I drove excitedly to my local river and spent two hours attempting to see and get some decent BOP photographs....

....I'm pleased to report that I did see some BOP today in the form of a kestrel and a great aerobatics display by a crow as it attempted to chase away a buzzard! Unfortunately I also have to report that I didn't manage to get a single picture of them yet again! I'm sure this is due to my inability to 'gawp' mouth open at such a spectacle and take a picture at the same time!!.....

You will all be pleased to know that once again a bunny saved the day and gave me something to snap at!!...

Bunny number 2!!!.....

I am now starting to get worried that I will soon be labelled as a 'specialist bunny photographer!!!'....

Luckily to show that I can photograph something other than a bunny this male pheasant wandered past the car on the way home....I have to say that I didn't need to be asked twice!!!.....