" Its A Start "

FromTarn

FromTarn

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Martin
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Fox cub 7-8-20 (1 of 1).jpg
Some background first I think just to put you all in the picture about the picture, I had been given permission to visit this wood to photograph the wildlife that visits it, the owner uses for pigs that she rescues from all over the UK, recently she got asked to rescue three fox cubs, two that whose mother had been lost and one that lived in a flat. The first two were so young they had to be fed via a syringe and only when they were older, were the released into the care of the Jac the woman who kept the pigs.
Because she didn't really know how to rear these fox cubs to an age where they could fend for themselves, she asked if I could help, as you might know in the wild cubs would be with their mother until around Sept time, a pen was built and we sourced what food we could whether it was rabbits, road kill etc, one glitch was we didn't account for how sly and resourceful foxes can be and they promptly escaped.
Only thing I could think to do was to carry on putting food near the pen in the hope that they would re-visit an area they new and that would be food source, I first put a trail camera out nearby as well as some food in and around the pen, on the second day of checking the trail cam we photos of them visiting, as it was a little too near a road I put food out further into the wood at the clearing in the photo, not only have the foxes been visiting everyday but also a couple of badgers as a bonus.
If you are still following this post the next step naturally for me is to get images of the foxes and badgers and with some sort of way to light the area up, the photo is a bit pants but like the title says " Its A Start "
ISO 3200 F/2.8 1/60 sec
 
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FromTarn said:
If you are still following this post the next step naturally for me is to get images of the foxes and badgers and with some sort of way to light the area up,
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Could be problematic as I assume there is no power supply - car battery?
@Stuart Philpott
 
gramps said:
Could be problematic as I assume there is no power supply - car battery?
@Stuart Philpott
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Gramps I've sourced some Makita rechargeable LED lights that work with the same batteries that my impact driver has and with a long use time of around 8 hours, so I'll trial these out and see how it goes and then go down the car battery route if I need to.
 
i'll be very interested to see how this pans out Martin. . i'm very curious how the lights will render WB/colour..and whether that might present processing problems??............. I'm seriously no expert just have the experience you know of with the foxes at home,#Lights for photography seem to have a high C R I colour render index. So if you get that far Martin ie a chance to make some better frames, that's my big curiosity what the images will look like

gramps said:
Could be problematic as I assume there is no power supply - car battery?
@Stuart Philpott
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Cheers for this roger, Martin and I have already talked a bit elsewhere about lights.But i'm still incredibly curious!!

My little rotolights can run via two different battery,6AA giving a two hour run time, or there is a type of V battery which gives more power and a longer run time, hellish expensive though. The biggy here with Marting going for non togging type lights will simply be what he images will look like colour wise.Interesting, with me building houses I looked at builders lights obviously i'm aware of them ,but my reading took me away from their use as I felt they would cause me problems

cheers both all the luck Mart

stu
 
Yes of course buddy. Roger I bought a 3 light kit. something like this they come in a variety of guises I've got a little soft case shoulder bag ......... i've not used it in this way yet but it's very portable. I should for example be able to wonder into a wood set up in the middle of nowhere and be good for a couple of hours light wise with the contents of that bag

https://www.rotolight.com/product/neo2-3-light-kit/?wickedsource=google&wickedid=451911472691&wtm_term=rotolight neo 2&wtm_campaign=10661751353&wtm_content=104480505279&wickedplacement=&wickedkeyword=rotolight neo 2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIycmVy5aM6wIVy-vtCh0yDwHGEAAYASAAEgJi8_D_BwE
 
Not posted much about the wood and foxes etc, still getting upto four badgers on the trail camera plus the same with the foxes, one bonus is the odd roe deer that pass through.
I have sourced a leisure battery to power lighting which hopefully will be useful. I have an hide more or less finished ( I'll post some pics ) in some more woodland that I rent which is still a work in progress but hopefully soon I'll be able to spend the odd session in their, here is a trail cam image I got recently.Roe Buck close up 22-09-20 (1 of 1).jpg
 
I tend to favour the "up the nostril "shot meself bro the back end isn't so pretty for me but hey maybe it's different up norf:p :LOL: i'm lead to believ it's the same over in wales in a wooley jumper folks are strange huh? :runaway:

Sorry Mart, couldn't resist:D it's a hell of an achievement to get camera and roe so close but a trial cam is what is is re framing your FC has to be astounding to point it in the right place for a stella close up

There some gold here mate keep plugging at it. I'd love to see the hide. Remember at night with any light................. that inverse square law of light power fall off is huge ..ie subject to light distance,no matter what light is paramount to the techs you have to play with at night. with a subject. .

I'm really Interested in your approach to lighting Martin,I bought a plug and play at a cost and it worked I guess?? But circumstances were what they were I'd have normally tried to get around that expenditure. I'm not astute enough as an image maker to know if that's possible but I know I'd normally have looked further I can't say it was dosh badly spent the lights did more than I imagined possible . I'm terribly interested in your workarounds because that's how I normally have to approach life

A leisure battery some incarnate of deep cycle AGM?? LiFePO4? .......... you need a little solar panel bud. plus controller of course. :)

I'd love to see more Martin,it's funny I so rarely use a hide but I constantly think about making them specifically for wildlife images ha working in so called moderrn construction i'm going to ponder such things I guess!!

Love to see more buddy especially the hide/s




all the luck.................. slow all this init:)

stu
 
Stu Hi mate,
I'll get some photos up of the hide asap mate its a bit of a learning curve in itself, at first I tried just camo netting and some metal poles but they didn't stand up to the British weather long term :) now I've got part wood/camo 50/50 but not too sure I'll not change it. I had a tarpaulin sheet for the roof but with Saturday's rain I got a rooftop pond :) so I reckon it will be better with a wooden roof and tarpaulin around three sides and the fourth blanked off with wood plus a door possibly.
The roe buck seems to have a liking for the peanuts I think as he's been to the same spot a few times, I also had a tawny owl come down to feed on a pigeon I put out ( not seen that before ) so at a future time I'll put some posts/perches up for it with a view to getting an image.
The brain is doing overtime trying to make the hide just right but it'll work it out I'm before the battery overheats :D

Catch you later.............yep tis slow (y):)
 
Well I managed to finish my hide to an extent that I could sit in it with the camera, I have made it half and half wooden planks and green tarpaulin sheeting. I was going to just go with a full second hand but because of covid it was difficult to get someone to trailer it up to the wood, so it was easier to do it in bits in my little Ford Ka. I have portholes on three sides plus shelving and the door on the fourth, which is made of some spare tarpaulin sheet weighed down with a wooden post off cut and the roof is tarpaulin also. Up to now I have sat in the hide three times, the first two I just had visits from blue, great and coal tit plus nuthatch, but yesterday I had two jays visit four times in total and they seemed confident to visit more I'm sure and a first was a brief visit from a stoat which would have been a great image to get with a snow background........ I have also changed my camera system from the canon to a Sony A9 with the Sony 200-600mm lens attached. ISO 800 f/6.3 1/250 sec at 600mm
Jay 30-12-20 d (1 of 1).jpgJay 30-12-20 (1 of 1).jpgJay 30-12-20 a (1 of 1).jpgJay 30-12-20 b (1 of 1).jpgJay 30-12-20 c (1 of 1).jpg
 
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I love the way snow reflects light back up into birds, it gives a lovely soft tone to images.
 
Dale you are right its a shame we don't get snow like we used to, just have to make the best of it when it comes
 
I thought at first glance, the heron had the pheasant in its mouth. They will eat anything. :LOL:

Looks like a buzzard in the second pic?

I'm really loking forward to leaving my trail camera out in the wilds.
 
Yes the heron was straight from Jurassic Park :) and like you say a Buzzard, I recommend trail cameras to anyone interested in nature as its surprising what turns up when us humans are not there.
 
Long tailed tit 27-02-21 (1 of 1).jpgGreat spotted woodpecker (m) 27-02-21 (1 of 1).jpg
As the sun was out on Saturday I thought I'd see what other birds etc were visiting the hide, long tailed tits seem to visit regular now and I had a first from a male GS Woodpecker even though it was only on a feeder.
 
It's certainly very lively at your hide, good stuff. (y)
 
Ignore the date/time stamp as I'd not reset the camera when I'd put new batteries in :)(y)
 
Mate you probably know this but try drilling 8mm holes in the new perch you mentioned..... push peanuts in t'holes GWS love this ...

Cool image buddy for me there's a whole lot more to come though (y) please keep sharing Martin other folks hides are always interesting:)

take care

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Mate you probably know this but try drilling 8mm holes in the new perch you mentioned..... push peanuts in t'holes GWS love this ...

Cool image buddy for me there's a whole lot more to come though (y) please keep sharing Martin other folks hides are always interesting:)

take care

stu
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Fabulous images from your hide .
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Mate you probably know this but try drilling 8mm holes in the new perch you mentioned..... push peanuts in t'holes GWS love this ...

Cool image buddy for me there's a whole lot more to come though (y) please keep sharing Martin other folks hides are always interesting:)

take care

stu
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Thanks Stu I've done just that with another perch/branch I'm going to try, hoping I can show you all more from this hide etc :) (y)
 
Came across this thread by accident and glad I did - Excellent stuff going on there Martin :clap: keep e`m coming buddy


Coho-Blue
 
You're getting there now Martin....and sorry for not keeping up to speed with developements, it's coming together nicely.

I really should spend more time in my hide, I still feed it everyday but I've not spent much time out there. That has to change.
 
Dale. said:
You're getting there now Martin....and sorry for not keeping up to speed with developements, it's coming together nicely.

I really should spend more time in my hide, I still feed it everyday but I've not spent much time out there. That has to change.
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Thanks Dale and I know what you mean about spending time there, we have other stuff to do hey :) (y) Jay 23-04-21 (c) (1 of 1).jpgG S Woodpecker (m) 23-04-21 (a) (1 of 1).jpgHere are two from yesterday when I had both GSW and Jay turn up
 
Both lovely frames mate but man I like the jay(y) :cool:

Keep pushing mate and as Dale mentioned I wish I could keep up

stu
 
Roe Buck 06-05-21 (1 of 1).jpgStrictly speaking these Roe weren't in the wood but they were nearby and the Doe just out of focus seems to be in young so in my minds eye it would be awesome to get an image of the Doe with her kid:) (y) ISO 1000 f/6.3 1/160 sec
 
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Nice mate I'd agree she is in kid not fawn buddy Roe genuinely have kids :D Keep your eyes peeled Martin the roe are rutting here have been for a couple of weeks so it should be happening up there by now and yup roe kids right close if not already born.... a.mad life cycle the does delay implantation of the embryo. for a few months, so the kids are born next summer...coolest thing:)
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Nice mate I'd agree she is in kid not fawn buddy Roe genuinely have kids :D Keep your eyes peeled Martin the roe are rutting here have been for a couple of weeks so it should be happening up there by now and yup roe kids right close if not already born.... a.mad life cycle the does delay implantation of the embryo. for a few months, so the kids are born next summer...coolest thing:)
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Cheers Stu just edited my post :) touch wood I'll get an image
Here are some images of a Buzzard I got recently Buzzard 26-05-21 (1 of 4).jpgBuzzard 26-05-21 (2 of 4).jpgBuzzard 26-05-21 (3 of 4).jpg
 
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