Conservation and Shooting.

Fracster i just came this thread and read your other which you posted a link for, all i can say is what a Wa**ker that guy is!!! I wish you every success mate
 
damage said:
Fracster i just came this thread and read your other which you posted a link for, all i can say is what a Wa**ker that guy is!!! I wish you every success mate
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Yep, he sure was.He is back in the area as well by all accounts.
 
fracster said:
Stags are still in the same place, they must like sheep cake. I check on them most nights.


NightDeer.jpg
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That's a great idea for a shot, Ade.
Did you use a torch to get the eye reflections.
 
I used a lamp to enable the camera to autofocus, then took the shot with a bit of flash. I`m usually anti using flash on wildlife, but seeing as I caught them in the spotlights and main beam of the car, I thought the flash was insignificant after that blast of light.
 
Subscribed!! Really enjyed last years thread, so b interesting to see the changing seasons again.
Glad Bad Keeper gone, hope New Keeper is good, and wildlife is abundant.

Keep it up, and out of interest, what job is it that you do for the estate?
 
What am I doing up there?..............:thinking:

Well, trying to get the level of wildlife back that it had before, encouraging new things,looking after existing things.Liasing with the new keeper,that is quite easy, he is a nice bloke. Getting rid of old fences etc and creating a better habitat for things.

There is a holiday park on the estate and the owner is keen to encourage an interest in wildlife with the customers, we are looking at a hide for the youngsters to use for looking at common garden birds and woodland birds.The deer "sanctuary" hide is taking shape and wildlife walks are being created. All this has to be discussed with the keeper and the people who lease the shooting rights,it is also a shooting estate in case you didn`t know. Getting on with the keeper and not treading on his toes too much is vital, we can help each other out a lot with various things,but he still has a job to do,I respect that and help him with certain things and advise him on other things.

Natural England and the RSPB have been a great help, as have a couple of members on here, these two are a shy pair, so i`ll keep thier identities to myself at the moment..........;)
 
fracster said:
We are building some owl boxes and a kestrel box.Having searched the web ,I found these.


http://www.raptorfoundation.org.uk/nestbox.html

Thought i`d post it up in case anyone is interested.
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Friend here puts up owl boxes.

He makes them from lengths of 12" dia black plastic drainage pipe (about 15-18" long).
Wood top and bottom then cut an entrance hole.
Downside is they are a bit obvious to the eye, but they do get used.
 
Melan............,meleni..........., Black Pheasant.....:D



MelPheas.jpg
 
See a lot of these now Frac, often bigger than the normal ones. Great shot too.
 
Set a new portable hide up by the riverbank, new keeper gave me some fence posts to set up a feeding station as well. Be interesting to see what we get being by the river rather than being in the middle of a wood.

Anyways, quick wander to check on the nesting dippers.......(y)



Dipper4.jpg


And one spreading its dumpy little wings.


Dipper5.jpg
 
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Joe T said:
Nice dipper shots there Ade!
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Cheers Joe, I have made my mind up that i`m going to have to get wet to get the angle I want,I.E. their level.It will mean wading and kneeling in the river hiding behind the central buttress...........:D
 
Joe T said:
Just be careful in the water with your camera... :LOL:
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I know..........:D

I have visions of falling over in there with a D300 and the big sigma splashing into the river..............:bang:
 
slicemydrive said:
Ade, you need to buy yourself a dingy:)
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I have contemplated an inflatable canoe,seriously.........:)


Few of the deer knocking about.


SikaBW.jpg


And,oddly, a dead grey squirrel............:cautious:


DeadGrey.jpg


And a long distance oystercatcher sat on an old duck hide.


OysterCatcher.jpg
 
Taken early doors this morning, high ISO,very little light and pretty poor shots, but it shows they are back.

Mr and Mrs Gooseander.


Malegooseander.jpg



Femalegooseander.jpg
 
Just found this thread Ade, I'm looking forward to watching it develop (y)

Ooo just spotted the strike through
I won't ask





Ok maybe I will :D
 
Some great pics Ade (y) Good news that all is going well by the looks of things. Would be great if more of what you are doing were set up for the youngsters in different areas.
 
u8myufo said:
Some great pics Ade (y) Good news that all is going well by the looks of things. Would be great if more of what you are doing were set up for the youngsters in different areas.
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Funny you should mention that.......;)

The scheme has to be self funding,so paying guests could be in the offing.I`m trying to talk him into having special days for kids as well,get them interested.

Cobra said:
Just found this thread Ade, I'm looking forward to watching it develop (y)

Ooo just spotted the strike through
I won't ask





Ok maybe I will :D
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Yeah, thanks for the text mate...............:D
 
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This lot soon found the free grub on offer.


Nuthatch1.jpg
 
Nice one, Ade.
Seem to be quite qell off for wildlife where you are.
 
That was a bit of a grabshot as I had only had the feeders up for about an hour or so.I only put them out to see what is about and I believe that birds attract other birds,so we`ll see what happens.

I was checking the mink cages the other day,knelt down nearly in the river, and a kingfisher landed within 6 feet of me in a small tree,I just stayed stock still and watched it out of the corner of my eye, it dived twice then scooted across the river and landed near my hide.No camera with me and I think if I had moved an inch it would have scarpered. There is always next time..........:)
 
If thats the quality of a grab shot, I want to see a shot when you take your time;)

Steve
 
Hmm no eye contact call yourself a tog?

LOL
Nice shot mate (y)
 
Cobra said:
Hmm no eye contact call yourself a tog?

LOL
Nice shot mate (y)
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I just thought it showed the whole back of the bird off, there are plenty of eye shots on here and on my hard drive Chris..............:p

And NO, I don`t call myself an ace tog, but I do like wildlife and try to put something back to atone for errors made previously.

You minge...............:D
 
fracster said:
I just thought it showed the whole back of the bird off, there are plenty of eye shots on here and on my hard drive Chris..............:p

And NO, I don`t call myself an ace tog, but I do like wildlife and try to put something back to atone for errors made previously.

You minge...............:D
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Up yours, no one likes a smart arse ! :D

:LOL:
 
Not much about recently, the river is very low.


RiverLevel.jpg



Plenty of these about eating the new growing grass.


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The deer have now split completely and are much harder to find now.The hinds will be having young soon and they will herd together again come autumn.


JuvenileSikaStag.jpg
 
Another great deer pose / image Ade (y)
 
Cobra said:
Another great deer pose / image Ade (y)
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Thanks mate, he is what we call a "Spiker" Chris, for obvious reasons. He should be a good beast if he makes it to full adulthood.
 
Grabbed this today as well, I spotted him off the road bridge over the river. These birds are so difficult to get near up here, I suppose centuries of silly persecution has caused that to be.



HeronTakeoff.jpg
 
And a couple of fairly common birds in their natural habitat. I think the nutties are nesting very near the portable hide I have on the riverbank,time will soon tell.

Both species have wicked claws, but seeing them climb and feed on the tree trunks makes you understand why.



GSW1.jpg




Nuthatch2.jpg
 
River hide is getting some stuff fairly close by now, this chap is still not sure and stays a fair way off, but he is getting nearer.I put the hide very close to where they have seemed to like fishing over the time I have studied them.The problem is that there are so many overhanging trees they have a plethora of places to choose from.

Anyway, now`t special, but here it is.


Kingfisher1WM.jpg
 
Joe T said:
Looking good! (y)

So no-one borrowed your lens 5 mins before he showed up this time? :LOL:
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No, I go on my own since that happened, billy no mates me..............:LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
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