HELP! I've got myself embroiled so deep.... with banana sandwiches and video cameras!!...

Hello All,

Now I have to confess that I've got myself into a bit of a 'situation' again! At this point I can hear you all saying that only I could do this to myself! As you know that disaster and mayhem does seem to follow me around for some reason!!...

The story started when I let my dog Choco out into the garden the other night for his late night 'drain out'. Whilst Choco was doing his business I thought it appropriate to do mine (sorry!). Well there I am 'minding my own business' when I can hear this awful din coming from the garden, Choco was going bananas outside barking and growling that I thought we must have an intruder or something! In a state of half undress I dashed outside to find he had cornered a badger in the garden and this badger was going flipping mad hissing and growling whilst Choco stood his ground barking from about 1ft away from it!!!!! As you can imagine I was now in a bit of a dilemma! Do I intervene and risk the badger attacking us both or do nothing and risk it killing Choco!!??...

This was a nightmare situation although laughable when looked back on, so I later reported about it on the RSPB Community Forum....

To see how this situation mapped out, you can visit the Forum and read the whole thread through this link...

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/99454.aspx

The story then became a saga as I decided that it would be fun to 'stake out' this badger in the hope of getting some photographs of it!

I set about the task of setting up a light as our garden is pitch dark at night and then I set up our spare bedroom as a hide from where I could switch the light on and get the picture!...

Once again I reported this on the RSPB Community forum and somehow started a stampede of people wanting to get involved and see how my plan worked out!!!

Read about it here....

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/99733.aspx 

I have now somehow managed to volunteer myself into a late night 'online live stake out' this Friday night!! It sounds as if there will be lots of people on the forum following events as they unfold!!! I'm really not sure what I've started here but the latest request is to have live video on the evening!!!...

If I'm not already in deep enough! I haven't ever used video on the net before so I'm desperately attempting to get myself up to speed with all the technical bits before tomorrow night!!...

As an initial practice of taking some video and then getting it on line I've come up with this piece of completely rubbish film....

https://picasaweb.google.com/101024199318149635275/HiggyS1stTestVideo?authkey=Gv1sRgCObvqM_IqPuPTA#5863022274054737778

If you watched that please do note that I said it was rubbish and to say it's a bit 'wobbly' would be a massive understatement!!! LOL

So now that I've actually figured out how to get the video from my computer and onto the RSPB Community Forum site the scene is set for tomorrows 'Live Watch!!' It actually took me the whole day today figuring out exactly how to do it!!...

The last piece of video that I posted was my preparation and what food I've put out tonight to try and encourage the badger to visit again tomorrow night! This includes BANANA SANDWICHES that I'm reliably informed badgers love!!!...

Here is the last video and most recent update....

picasaweb.google.com/.../20130404BadgerStakeOut1

Now if you have come to this blog from my website, which is a serious site, you are probably wondering what on earth is going on here!!? I do apologise for my madness but please note that there is a warning saying that this blog is a 'tongue in cheek' look at my wildlife adventures!!!...

Please do log into the relevant thread on the RSPB Forum tomorrow and join in the fun, it might be quite entertaining!!!....

'WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO NOW!!!!!!!'.....

Best

Higgy

Ospreys & blackmail!!.....

Hi All,

It certainly has been a long time since I last posted some of my 'mad cap' wildlife adventures on here! Unfortunately time has been against me and my back and hip injury have been somewhat restricting over recent months limiting both my time out and my concentration for posting about it on here!

This week I have returned from a two week break at a rehabilitation centre where I received extensive physio and treatment for my injury. This seems to have worked quite well and at least given me a little more range of movement.

Many of you will be well aware of the Ospreys that have suddenly turned up at Blagdon and Chew Valley Lakes. These birds have cause quite a stir and present a very interesting story of where they originally come from etc. Perthshire is one location with this bird being a very mature specimen! (Further details about their history can be found through the link below)

I obviously had to see these birds as I hadn't had the pleasure of an Osprey before and certainly not on my home patch of North Somerset!!

As I was looking after my 5yr old daughter on the day of my planned visit I ended up with a few 'conditions!' Below is a copy of my post on the RSPB Community Forum site. As it was so well received so I thought I'd share my mad ramblings on here with you also!...

My first OSPREY! On my patch!.. OH and 'blackmailed' by a 5yr old!!!

Hi All,

I had one of those moments today where I seen one of those 'must see' birds and even better it was on my own patch!! (thought I'd gone to heaven!!)

Yesterday I got that email we all dream of from a friend telling me that there were three Ospreys showing well at Blagdon & Chew Valley Lakes! Typically I couldn't get down there yesterday due to work commitments! (that just about guarantees that they will have moved on by today!!) 

Today I had the day off work to look after my 5yr old daughter, so after some gentle persuasion we set off on an 'adventure' loaded with feed for the swans and ducks and lots of camera gear!

The bucket load of feed (please note proper feed mix not bread) was part of my daughters 'blackmail' to allow me out to try and see the Osprey!

The rest of the 'blackmail' included:

• A lunch time break at a cafe of her choice for 'jammy toast' & warm milk! Oh and a large slab of cake of her choice!!! 
• A packet of crisps for the journey
• A bag of chocolate buttons for mid morning snack
• Trips to two different play parks between viewings
• Permanent use of my spare pair of binoculars
• And finally one of my made up 'Flossy the Dog' stories at bedtime, but it had to last at least half an hour apparently!!

I am beginning to wonder what she is learning at school!!! No wonder she loves it so much, last term must have been 'how to trade and broker the best deal with your parents' I reckon!!!!!!.... 

Anyway despite being bullied by a five year old we eventually arrived at the damn wall on Blagdon Lake just as an Osprey headed straight at the car! You can guess what happened next!?.... it was 'abandon the car' time and then just enough time to grab the camera and shoot on whatever settings it was on before the bird slipped out of view behind some trees!

You guessed it looking back through the screen the pictures were way too dark and I imagined unusable, drat!!

We wandered along the damn wall, me in my drab colours and camo and Chloe in bright pink hat, scarf, gloves and coat!! I'm sure another part of the bribe!

Chatting to a few other birders (who were now donning dark sunglasses to block out the shine from Chloe's almost florescent pink 'gear') and they informed us that the Osprey had been about a lot during the morning and this was the 'key' place to stand and get a shot at it!

Luckily our new (now blinded) best buddies were right and the bird came straight at us and then over head before disappearing down the valley on the other side of the hedge behind us! What a sight that was, my first proper detailed view of this magnificent bird!

I think that this was probably the best view of the day and although not the greatest pictures the best of a bad bunch, but cracking to me just for the record and memory if nothing else!....

1.

2.

3.

4.

So there you have it lots of 'bribery' and a great sighting!

Was it worth it??...

Well I reckon the day cost me about £20, a bucket full of feed and a pair of binoculars!!!

What I gained? A great sighting, A really enjoyable day out, watching my daughter not only enjoy what she wanted to do but being completely thrilled by the Osprey also!

OH Yes, it was worth every second & every penny!!

OH, I almost forgot.....

What did 'Flossy the Dog' do in the bedtime story?.....

Well 'Flossy the Dog' had a great adventure out with his dad (Mr Flossy!) and they went to a magic hill top and watched magic birds flying around in the valley below them!..... He also took his three best friends along (Spot, Fluffy & Floppy)..... And there was a magic fairy in there somewhere also!!

Funny but she was really tired after all that fresh air and went to sleep with a great big smile on here face! PRICELESS!!!...

Best

Higgy

'My first OSPREY! On my patch!.. OH and 'blackmailed' by a 5yr old!!!' was originally posted on the RSPB Communty forum. You can read the original post and all comments by clicking HERE. 

On a serious note this really was a great sighting and I feel so privileged to have got some snaps of these magnificent birds! Please do read the original post and comments by clicking on the above link as it will take you to other links giving the history of these birds which is extremely interesting.

That's about it for now, it's good be back!! I do now intend to maintain this blog as I do my garden blog. Hopefully as time goes on I will brig you my own 'tongue and cheek' view of my wildlife adventures within this beautiful part of North Somerset.

Thanks for reading and see you next time....

Best

Higgy  

Enjoyable but expensive trip to the seaside!!...

Unfortunately my Nikon D90 camera and Niikon 300mm f4 lens has had to go for repair today due to a typical ‘higgy Disaster’ on a trip to my local coast back in November! Before I go any further here is a copy of the original post at the time of the aforementioned ‘incident!!’…


This Week I had a 'Cracking' Time...Literally!!


(This week I had a 'Cracking' Time...Literally!! was originally posted on 6th November 2011)

Well here we are again another weekend has gone by but what a great time I've had birding recently with so many new spots and lots of pictures for me.....It's almost like I've turned the corner and the 'Clumsy higgy' thing has disappeared! Could that really be the case or was this weekends trip sent to bring me back down to earth with a 'Crash'?...

Another busy week at work had left me really looking forward to my 'rare' day out on Saturday, My wife had arranged to take our daughter out to meet some friends at a local 'family farm'. It was arranged as a 'girls' day out with only Mums and daughters invited....RESULT!!!!!

As you can imagine Friday's work day had been taken up with day dreams of the recent sightings and of course my perfect photographs of Marsh Harriers, Merlin and Short Eared Owls at my local coastal marsh land.....All of these beautiful birds are rare migrants here but with my current run of luck there was nothing going to stop me!.....was there?....

Saturday finally arrived and unfortunately my truck was at the 'menders' so I piled my gear into the back of the 'Toyota Yaris' loan car....It was a bit snug but hey that wasn't going to dampen my spirits, especially when the day was going to be so perfect...
After negotiating the bumpy country lanes in my new 'mini' truck I eventually arrived and just about managed to get a parking space on the grass verge, perfect!!
The sun was now peaking through the overcast skies and the southerly wind was making for a pleasant day., perfect!!
Wellies and camo on and off I trotted tripod over my shoulder and spare lenses and accessories in my pockets, I was prepared for every eventuality as usual. I negotiated the muddy track and even managed the gate and stile without so much as a slip or fall, my luck really is changing! knowing I've got time to enjoy a good few hours here I take a leisurely stroll along the track and up to the sea wall, Goldfinches are busy stripping the hawthorn bushes of berries and a thrush is in the thicket creating a right old racket about the new human evader on his patch, to be fair it was me so he had every right to be nervous and warn all his mates!
Round the corner sun on my back and then.......
Ah first obstacle......
.....Two Bulls!!....Not so perfect....

Ummm.....right what's the plan move fast or use my unique skill of stealth....RUN!!!!.....
First obstacle overcome and I'm now up on the sea wall and still chilled out...although that might be a chill due to the 'sweat on' that I got getting past my two new best mates! Time to get my breath back I think so I settle down onto a rock to recover and see what's abo........ut!!!......I can't believe it, surely I can't be that lucky?...can I???...
YAHOOOOO.......A snow bunting practically sat on my boot!....my luck really has changed....so camera on tripod carefully slip off the rocks and snap snap....

Now to say I'm happy is an understatement but I'm in dilema......."do I quit whilst I'm ahead!!?".......
Nah onwards and upwards I'm on a roll nothing can go wrong can it?...
No....A little Egret right in the firing line, so in an instant response I'm down on one knee camera up to eye and snap, snap, snap....(I'm sure it must be like watching poetry in motion?...."Oh ah AR ooww my knees, my back"....maybe not then!)....
But worth the pain as I've been after a decent picture of one f these beauties for ages!!...

This really is a good day! In fact a good spell for me....."ummm, maybe I should do the lottery tonight???"
Movement down to my right.....Oystercatchers.....Wow these boys can motor so like a coiled spring I'm on them camera panning right to left snap snap snap..... A bit far away but a nice enough little picture considering that I've now got whiplash from panning the camera so fast to keep up with them! LOL...

This is a pleasant day but still no birds of prey, but I suppose you can't have everything can you.....
"INCOMING!!"....Lapwings right overhead....snap snap....

I love Lapwings and they are really difficult to get close to so a couple of 'flying away' shots is about the best I can manage, but with my luck at the moment....
Right lets get along the sea wall a bit further and see if I can get sight of those Marsh Harriers......
AHH...OHH..."PUDDLE"....Slippery...oh no left legs gone....big puddle.....expensive camera....."oh no I'm falling"......half somersault......
"THEW Lucky devil!" just managed to save myself and my camera gear from a very expensive and painful accident.....my luck really is changing!! (I definitely will do the lottery tonight!)
However all the commotion of my 'Olympic winning' acrobatics has sent everything high into the sky but my current 'recovery' position gives me a distant shot at this chap.....even if a big crop will be required...snap snap....

Right time is getting on so I think I'd better quit whilst my luck is still with me.....maybe just a few more minutes with that Snow Bunting......

Bye bye Snowy (named it already...my new best mate!)....maybe just one more quick 'end of the day' snap in true Higgy fashion....
So here it is the end of a lucky day????

Right back to that lovely limousine that the garage has leant me.....
 ....Past the farmers 'bully' boys....no dramas.."that's lucky!"....
Along the muddy track...cars in sight just one stile to negotiate...."what a great day...my luck really has changed".....Right tripod up on shoulder....
CRAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!.......CRRAAAAAACCCKKKK!!!!!................................OH **!!!???**!!...!!**??!!!*......"MY CAMERA...
......AAARGGGHHH!!!....
You guessed it.....my NIkon D90 + 300mmf4 lens has unclipped from the tripod and fallen from my shoulder on the stile onto the ground and the lens has seperated from the body taking the mounting bracket with it!!!...."OUCH....VERY EXPENSIVE!!! BOO HOO!!"
I knew that Higgy's luck couldn't last for ever.....
And to really top off this disaster.........I’m now off to work for a NIGHT SHIFT!!!!!!

The original post complete with comments can be viewed here:-
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/58505.aspx


So there you have it, the full story of how my lovely expensive camera and even more expensive lens got broken!...and the damage? ummm, A lot and very expensive I think!!..,

The moral of the story has to be....'don't carry your tripod around with camera still attached as it will end in tears & cost you rather a lot of money!!!'

As you can see a day out with Higgy really is quite different to the norm....if out and about in North Somerset and you see a fully grown man stuck half way up a tree, it's probably a safe bet that it's Higgy so stear clear and duck!!!

Cheers

Higgy

Fleas are so annoying!!....

As you are probably now realising a trip out wildlife watching with me can be an 'interesting' and sometimes 'painful' experience! One thing I always bring back from my 'madcap' trips are the little things that made me smile during the day. With this in mind back in October I spent a couple of pleasant hours walking along the upper reaches of the river Kenn. The particular area in question is in fact known locally as 'The Gauge' due mainly to a depth gauge at a certain point of the river as far as I'm aware.

My task for the trip was to in fact try and get some decent Buzzard pictures, this area is a great place to see these impressive birds of prey in action or as is often the case with birds of prey 'in inaction!!'....

In true Higgy fashion I failed on my original task and actually seen very little of anything which is rare for this area. However whilst sat on the river bank enjoying the sun this swan was a few feet away and just couldn't stop scratching. I couldn't help but smile and took a few pictures for the log book which I will share as it appeared to me on the day....I do hope they make you smile also!....

"Ouch, if bit me...where is it?....It's amongst these feathers somewhere...ouch...pesky fleas!....

"Flipping fleas....ouch on my nose....get offfff".......

"Drat missed it...where's it gone.....ouch on my tummy!...aahhhh right under my feathers!"......

"Ahhh pesky thing's jumped back onto my beak.....Ouch!...Get off....Ouch...it's jumped into my eye!.....Ouch"....Oh a good scratch, that's better....

Ouchhh!!"

"Pesky fleas don't you just hate them!"...


Higgy

Kingfisher blues, Fuzzy Foxes and a great weekend!...Thanks Harry!

Apologies to those of you who may have already read this post 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....

(Kingfisher blues, Fuzzy Foxes and a great weekend!...Thanks Harry! was originally posted on 4th October 2011)

Hello All,

Wow, what an interesting weekend I have just had and although it didn't go to plan (as usual) it was very enjoyable! So in pictures and words here's a quick run down.....

My weekend was planned around trying to get some decent pictures of a Kingfisher that has eluded me so far this year. You might remember but I posted a little while ago that a friend of mine had given me a tip off of a great “Kingfisher spot” and after several weeks of trying and many long hours I drew a big fat 'HIGGY ZERO!'

From this disaster I followed up by failing on my quest with badgers and of course that darn buzzard (Harry) who I see all the time but just won't 'pose' for the camera!

Having located the above-mentioned badgers set, situated in a small wood around a large pond, I spent many hours there with absolutely no sign of a badger what so ever! I was however overwhelmed by the richness of the bird life within this wood so told my 'Kingfisher' friend about this little unknown gem. Last week he went for a visit that prompted an excited phone call from him where he relayed to me his fantastic morning trip to this wood and spending ages watching a Kingfisher!!!....He even described the exact spot where I could set the camera up on a tripod and get a "perfect picture" Apparently there was a small island of stones in the middle of the pond with an old branch sticking out which the Kingfisher was using as it's perch to hunt from, if I located this I couldn't fail!..... 

Excited???....You bet and in true Higgy fashion I packed the car and come Saturday drove straight down there. Parking the truck up I couldn't get everything unpacked quickly enough! Over the gate I went and hiked across the field, only to get half way across and find this group of ‘thugs’ and another twenty or so of their mates running at me!...

 

Last time I was there the field was empty! As it is an extremely large field I was stranded, completely marooned with no where to go!......Following some quick thinking a bit of shouting and a lot of waving my tripod around like a mad Samurai swordsman they stopped their charge and decided to just stalk me the rest of the way instead!....Whilst this was happening my friend 'Harry' the buzzard flew over and I'm sure he was laughing at me again! He really must think he’s watching the comedy channel every time I’m around!!!

Finally I got down to the lake and settled myself in behind the old Oak tree and waited for the turquoise & orange beauty to turn up and pose nicely for all my lovely high tech and very expensive camera gear....and….waited....and….waited...2 hours.…and….waited... You guessed it....NOWT!!

Three hours into my mission no Kingfishers but I did have a stroke of luck as whilst crouched behind the big old Oak tree waiting a Tree Creeper landed on the trunk right in front of me and quite simply ‘posed’ for the camera! This pretty little bird was literally only two feet away from me and I could have reached out and touched it! Unfortunately 'higgy's luck' struck again and as I was using my 300mm lens I was too close and couldn't lock focus on it!!!.....had I been quicker to react I could have taken my mobile phone out of my pocket and probably got my best bird shot ever!!! LOL

Over four hours later all I had in the bag was the picture of a stick, a portrait of my new best friends and my 'end of the day picture'...As you can see from this picture It really was getting late at this point and very dark also!....

So with only the three shots in the bag I packed up my gear and trekked back to the car to head home and get some sleep! My thought process at this point was very much about somehow sweet talking Mrs Higgy into giving me a pass for the following day (Sunday) to continue my newest pursuit of a decent Kingfisher picture. After all this was a dead cert….wasn’t it!?…

I knew Sunday would be better and the excitement got the better of me and I was awake just after 5am! Well not one to waste an opportunity and more importantly another day pass I was out of bed and heading for the wood by 5:20am! When I arrived it was still dark and I opted to follow the hedge line along in the next field, I figured that this way I would avoid waking up & spooking my new best 'bullock' friends and frightening away anything else which might be out and about at this ridiculous hour! 

Thinking about my past photography failures I set the camera with my 'low light' settings and preceded across the field. I didn't get any more than 100 yards when a fox came out of the hedge and casually 'strolled' across the field right in front of me! He was obviously on his way home, belly full from a nights hunting.....panic stations...no time for tripod...clang...right down on your belly camera at the ready....snap, snap, snap...three quick rapid shots taken like a professionally trained SAS sniper.....a quick look at what I’ve got in the LCD display….

DRAT!!!......FUZZY FOX!.............

I think my 'low light' photography needs some work!!???....

Any way forget about yet another failure, the sun is now rising so for a change a 'start of the day' shot this time...

7am, and I can already tell that it's going to be a very hot and sunny day today. I'm now settled in behind my favourite Oak tree camera on tripod focused on the perch, there is no way I can fail in my mission this time is there??........

10:30am....movement across the pond....here we go camera ready...snap...."oh drat, MOOR HEN!.....

Midday and still nothing, I'm not sure who is border now, me or that darn stick that I've been staring at for the last five hours!! The Great Tits and Blue Tits have been warning of my presence since arriving and to top it all 'Harry' has flown over several times but I've missed getting a picture as the camera has been on the tripod set up or as I get it ready he flies back over into the tree canopy!!!....."Damn Buzzard!!"

I'm at the stage of about 12hours into this farcical 'Kingfisher' hunt now and I've just about had enough of it, my backs in agony, my eyes hurt and to just about sum it all up I've got sunburnt on my leg but it's just a lovely even 2" band around my knees where my wellies and shorts didn't quite meet!!!....how sexy!! LOL

"That's it I've had enough can't take it any more"....teddies firmly out of the pram!!.....grab the camera and I'm off for a walk to stretch my back....

"Hey there's Harry"......"drat not got my tripod!"....."oh well"....Snap....Snap....Snap....

Still no Kingfisher pictures but, the end to a great weekend......THANKS HARRY!!!

Original thread complete with replies and comments can be viewed here:- 
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/p/56413/380711.aspx#380711

Higgy

Is it a buzzard saga or a badger saga??...

Apologies to those of you who may have already read this post 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....

(Is it a buzzard saga or a badger saga??... was first posted on 25th August 2011)

Hello All,

Some of you will have read my sagas over the last few months where I inevitably go out with a challenge to photograph a specific species only to come home with everything but!!!....

My last big saga was getting some decent buzzard shots, which I have to confess I have been pursuing (obsessing) for quite sometime with very little success! Having spent so much time on the Buzzard quest I thought that this week I would take a break from them and visit an old badgers set which I used to walk past when out with my dog a few years ago. I wanted to see if it was still active and ripe for photographic opportunity.

A successful recce on Monday evening (apart from the dog nearly falling into it!!) showed that the set was indeed active and had grown in size since I had last seen it! I was itching to get back down there with the camera as soon as possible......

Today sprung a rare window of opportunity to get down there and start my new quest for the perfect Badger picture….then the heavens opened, typical!!!..... Luckily by about 7pm the rain had stopped and the sun was out but low in the sky so I grabbed the camera, stuck on my wellies and dashed out ready to photograph those lovely badgers that had been running around inside my head all day!

Now I imagine you've guessed what comes next.....Oh yes in true Higgy fashion there wasn't a single flipping badger to be found within a ten mile radius of yours truly!....LOL

Not to be completely defeated I did my usual thing and snapped at anything that moved (or didn't move!) and came back with some pictures of this little chap....

Not a badger and certainly not a Buzzard but a pretty little bird that is so often overlooked….

And then.....

If being in the middle of a badger saga wasn't enough that damn buzzard decided to fly over.......what a dilemma......do I sit it out hidden in the hedgerow for the badgers??....but the buzzard flies over again squealing as he goes this time! I am really sure that he watches my every move and then flies over and has a right old laugh at my expense!…

I just couldn't resist it and like a scene out of Rambo I was out of that hedgerow brambles trailing attached to the seat of my camouflaged pants (ouch!!!) camera at the ready........Then I'm shooting.....shutter held down all thoughts of cute badgers long gone.....I must get that buzzard!!.....he's not getting away this time!!.... 

Still not the greatest pictures as shot in very low light and heavily cropped, but at least now I had got some sort of picture! This was probably a very good thing as I had made so much noise in the process of extracting myself from my make shift 'hedge' hide that any badgers who may have been present had most certainly now left the country for sure!!......LOL


Incidentally, whilst sat in the hedge trying to avoid being scratched by the brambles and eaten alive by the local mosquitoes! I did get to enjoy the huge variety of Tits, Finches and other small birds who inhabit this particular wooded area. I snapped this little Chiffchaff as an ID picture thinking it to be a Warbler of some form at the time....again not a great picture but reference to the large variety of species found here. I will often write about some of our more 'vibrant' characters but my passion is for all wildlife so a small bird worthy of note and not overlooked despite my excitement towards others on here!!...

As always at the end of one of my adventures I must leave you with the last shot of the day, which is of course.... 'The end of the day!'....

Original thread complete with replies and comments can be viewed here:- 
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/p/53842/365177.aspx#365177

Thanks for reading


Higgy