Wildlife pictures

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Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
Taken this morning.
This is Wilberforce - The Fox That Snoozes On The Shed.

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2dk3jNe9ZoL7rxmZ1ewbtMJctAUCtwXcFPoh0cY7OjV2Qgvy1-fg0Tn64Ih2H2_rfLiVdOGJhLVtbQAgvzV4lmrRvI3JdmIxz5etcmwIXil7-z-Pz7a1nqZgRluWJFWyNjsSOZXLr30eQMrtKlN9lpPMqTWd8ZpRPgeiVU4QrBwrhwulNuDb4qF6WxQ2XNmPERoVPOOWw5Ywz22AETi3ANSVpiX1bAeULpNUJ0lEauSPaZqkDYGIPENSuwDLsDqTurFR7fMOVU2MFi6FExkUNsyln96eWpqGhZjwkqyYm__vJDRqYofE18J7k4bsVzM09d6liUy_GPc2SBXX_e24Vd56c6IiMz6jgRtAyCdJz8TAMGXRF6i3x6MNxJnckQLtpn9PRMdYCZCT3AtoRiDVb2V6MptxvUOQpv1Dw97JZAFy8GPrT0k6TxOpZ9ItKyBDrqE_5o4aj2F0GgFYetZEma9rQXH8kklh4ZzwvFOW4CeRiugFdmo4ZlBHb6WxaYpSYIUEG0onqyAwMh4PwE6Q_lcBFBJJmRMcQ9zE_Z9ckiRyZ3R_uuOAAzYYxNGuNb4-gu-puOj4Kt16w_xl_YsWflG3tvdZSnStckRqyQAl1CzEhAD2yGI4IY6MlnTRutuanm1pHJ1EMLQiAGEQKyeJ-gYBbjj1wVI=w773-h598-no
 
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Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
Just been out in the back garden, trying a bit of insect photography with a manual focus 500mm catadiaoptric lens with a fixed aperture of f/6.3 on my Canon EOS100D, from about 2.5m away from the lavender.

It's really difficult trying to photograph bees on lavender; they spend only a few seconds on a flower before buzzing of to another, and the flower heads being on long stalks, the weight of the bumblebee or the slightest breeze makes them wave around a lot.

This was one of the best.

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Two or three times in the last 20 sum years when the water is low enough, swans visit and feed. They come and go for a couple of months in the fall. They were here in 2018.
The small lake we're on gets smaller and much noisier. Trumpeter swans are loud and like a big brass band that can't seem to keep a tune but they sure are majestic creatures. We get the chance to get to know them. Aki was experimenting with the spotting scope attachment for the camera.
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Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
Just, 'WOW', because I'd heard rumours there were otters in the river Medway but I was not entirely convinced.
And there we were today, down near Teston lock, having a picnic and a wander along the river when...

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I'm still shocked about how bold and brazen it was. It came within 10 feet and didn't seem at all bothered.
A truly great thing to see and I'm still bubbling with excitement.
 
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brancho

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
3,788
714
56
Whitehaven Cumbria
Just, 'WOW', because I'd heard rumours there were otters in the river Medway but I was not entirely convinced.
And there we were today, down near Teston lock, having a picnic and a wander along the river when...

48396998571_82c81acb95_c.jpg


48396998486_9263cdcd55_c.jpg


I'm still shocked about how bold and brazen it was. It came within 10 feet and didn't seem at all bothered.
A truly great thing to see and I'm still bubbling with excitement.
Cool thing to see. There are reports of otters round here.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
A Red Kite.
I know that to some on here they are a common sight but here in the south east, though numbers are increasing, they are still an uncommon thing.
This was seen on Sheppey.
Sorry about the quality of the image - it was taken in a bit of a rush. I saw a large bird over the marshes and just wrote it off as another marsh harrier, then it turned and I saw the tail. I pulled over, and fortunately it came closer.
All I had with me was a mobile phone...

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Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
I am the lizard whisperer!
I gave this little fella a stroke under the chin. He then poked out his tongue and licked my finger. Silly sod - he wouldn't if he'd known where it'd been.

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I taught my niece and nephew how to catch lizards a few days ago. I'm surprised they didn't ask to keep one as a pet; they were happy to let the lizards run up and down their arms in in their hair for a few minutes before letting them go.
 
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dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
I am the lizard whisperer!
I gave this little fella a stroke under the chin. He then poked out his tongue and licked my finger. Silly sod - he wouldn't if he'd known where it'd been.

Joke is on you, you have no idea where his tongue has been :)

Great pic.
 

Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
I picked up my straw hat to go out in the sunshine, and noticed I had a new guest.

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The moth almost certainly chose my hat to match the colour of his wings...

He stayed on there while I was wearing it for a good hour and a half, while I went about lighting the barbecue, cutting a notch in a hammer handle and rummaging around looking for a wedge.

I think he flew off when I hung my hat over the back of my chair and sat down to eat.
 
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Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,366
268
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
In the garden yesterday afternoon, my nephew saw something move in the grass near his feet, and asked me what it was.

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A mantis! An immature female, I think.

This is only the second one I've ever seen in the wild. The other was about fifteen years ago, found by another nephew, in the field next to the house.
 
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brancho

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
3,788
714
56
Whitehaven Cumbria
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oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,185
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
In the garden yesterday afternoon, my nephew saw something move in the grass near his feet, and asked me what it was.

20190820-mantis.jpg

A mantis! An immature female, I think.

This is only the second one I've ever seen in the wild. The other was about fifteen years ago, found by another nephew, in the field next to the house.

I found one in our bath in Pyrenees Orientales.(66190) Not having eyesight as sharp as yours I couldn't tell its gender!

I rescued it and liberated it into the window box and it hung around for most of the day. They have a captivating way of looking at you and I felt for a moment that we were going to strike up a relationship. It was certainly a wildlife encounter to remember.
 
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