One hedge 2 tracks

Stuart Philpott

Stuart Philpott

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Stu
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We got out last Sunday eve for a while, poppet's feet have been giving her hell planar fascittis or something like that......so basically we walked up a track with a hedge on the right and the wind and sun at our backs, rounded a corner and came back on another track hedge again on right and into the light.

Checked camera as we left one bar down off a full batt. Had another full batt in camper not far away it simply never occured to me this might be an issue. BIG MISTAKE DOH



We got into the first mage in little time managed to close the gap a good bit , but with the wind where it was I knew I'd be scuppered, This biggish leveret small in frame is the result

_S2I5990 Kidlet an fly Tdn smj by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

We meandered on up the track but the wind probably put paid to anything else in front of us. As we rreached towards the end of the field we slowed to snail pace or slower. A hare could come at me from plausibly 5 directions here, so although still of foot and walking upright eye's are all ways, footfall measured.

We had one hare grazing below us and another directly in front, took the one in front first just before shutter press fella got my scent, no joy. Came back for the one below rounded the corner of the hedge usiing veggies to keep on the hare's blind side and to close the gap as much as possible on foot before going low. As I rounded the hedge I became aware I was almost on top of 2 hares whom were watching me, should have looked right earlier, ouch, They moved away but not too far. Stayed still until they were out of sight went back for Shaz told her I was abandoning the one below and crawled off after the 2

Started to close on the 2 one leveret one adult lev being closest, also started to fire of long shots hopefully to allow lev to get used to shutter racket.

I must have made 100's of images on this track love shooting it.as ya get further down the valley opens up behind in the BKG.

Everything is in slowmo now close a few yards pull a few frames put face in mud started to pull back SS lower ISO as kidlet ian't up to much bar watching me and eating

_S2I6014 kiddy and the valley smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Then the adult suddenly runs towards me past kidlet and keeps coming she stops and starts grooming and i'm all over the shop

_S2I6002 OMG my nails smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

She then carries on towards me clocks me and stops 9 this is cropped to 4;5 everything else is FF

_S2I5991 the wachter in the grass smj tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Then comes again, think she is going into the hedge but comes back out for another look.......interesting this . I think this is the first hare I've seen with damage to an eye, I'm guessing an artifact of boxing

_S2I6035 Scar smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

another hare appears from the left all hell breaks loose they scream off away from me the leveret scarpers and I have nowt
. Go back pick shaz up and we slowly move down the bank back to where we came.

We have a game crop .a block of maize to our left at the end of that block were are again back in slowmo, sure enough a hare is laid up on the edge of the maize, down I go to close the gap. the veggies are gonna play hell with me here I grab a few shots and reply partially on Shaz and hand signals when I'm blind

I get where I want to be but simply cannot get camera high enough off elbows to clear veggies take this though, which in many ways I quite like, hare gets up and saunters off into the maize

_S2I6048 blur smj Tdn by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


I get up turn to poppet who is signalling to stay low 2 hare down track to me left


Damn I hope this post aint too big !!

Get back to the track and again start closing on the 2 adults and this is where it goes pete tong flat battery alert starts on camera

2 hares get closer utterly chilled I have all this stuff going on in my tiny brain of sunset with them
I switch camera off I can no longer press shutter
plant face in grass and scream at myself

Raise camera switch on focus press shutter
click
camera dies

_S2I6053 If only Tdn smj by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


And beowl me to my left 100 yards away is the bus and the full battery that should have been in me pocket

Some of us learn the hard way and some of us
well they are too dumb to learn the hard way so this happens

ta for reading crit welcome
take care

stu
 
Good story and pics Stu, well not good about the battery — I think those bars on most devices are thoroughly useless and only have two accurate readings: “full” and “empty”. :(.

I had a hound lose an eye going through a thorn hedge, I guess it could happen to hares too if in a hurry :(.
 
sphexx said:
Good story and pics Stu, well not good about the battery — I think those bars on most devices are thoroughly useless and only have two accurate readings: “full” and “empty”. :(.

I had a hound lose an eye going through a thorn hedge, I guess it could happen to hares too if in a hurry :(.
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Definetely possible re eye scratch Rich, awful about your dog :( I've seen quite a few torn ears face scratches over the years buddy , difficult to know what the causes were,, but I've often felt after watching a boxing spat it's amazing they don't damage each other more.

The battery ahh mate so near so far light was getting really nice and hare preddy much bomb proof, I was rolling on my back gesticulating to shaz and fella just sat there with it's mate just behind, ( you can just make out in frame above) bemused. I thought I might get one chance.DOH:headbang:.
 
Gav. said:
Lovely stuff Stu!

The grooming image :love: it!

I do like the green haze on the last too (y)
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thank you......................Shaz likes that too bro ahh Gav what a pickle I got into there should have had a bucketful of frames not 3, IQ ain't the best either. I flipped camera nabbed frames then went for techs and couldn't find ISO button.obviously because it's not there ,:LOL: then flipped camera back adjusted techs all too slow too late. Miind as much as I tare me hair out damn ya gotta laugh:ROFLMAO::runaway::runaway::runaway:
 
Good work Stu, top effort.

Picking one out is difficult, they each have their own charm. The grooming shot is cool but I love the simplicity of some of the others too.

Sounds like you had fun. (y)
 
Great story, great images Stu :)

As an aside I had Plantar fasciitis a few years back, while I was working, and I sympathise,
it hurts like absolute hell!
( it lasted 11 months :( )
 
As for the shots and story...

Great story behind the shots (which are equally great!) and I hope you'll now remember to take a spare battery in a pocket whenever you're out stalking (I reckon most of us have been caught out) - I keep an eye on the battery meter and if I'm in a critical situation (like a new race is about to begin or something interesting is expected soon), I swap out to a fresh battery if the one in the camera is reporting anything other than full to the brim.

As always, although you feel you missed shots, you DID capture memories with the Mk 1 eyeballs! IMO, the memories are more important than the shots.
 
Nod said:
So did mine but then someone suggested a particular brand of insoles.
Click to expand...
I wonder who that was? :D
even with them it was still many months :(
 
Dale. said:
Good work Stu, top effort.

Picking one out is difficult, they each have their own charm. The grooming shot is cool but I love the simplicity of some of the others too.

Sounds like you had fun. (y)
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Always fun Dale............................. work hard play hard laugh hard at yerself Own the mistakes go back try.LMAO repeat try to be better.

but yes buddy fun...........I am missing the hare "falling over laughing it's ruddy socks off at me." shot , no one else has

but then
That 's only a matter of time (y) We alI know it's coming ;) :LOL:

and a tad more serious picking out one from many, OMG mate aint that the hard fing I tend to show one image 'cause I have no time to post more, but is it ever the right one?:(
 
Nod Chris bless ya lads, I had to wait till she went to bed as she wouldn't have me spend any more dosh on insoles..she has scholl in every shoe now and no doubt they help already.

She is so strong WOW but just in case a pair of your recommended are on there way bless ya both for helping my lady........thank you !!(y)

Images and laughiing at me seem somewhat trivial, by compare............. but Nod the memory is me lying on me back half screaming half giggling taking it on the chin. Bud how many of us are so gifted to just bumble about with hares and be a fool

Life can be inordinately harsh, tis so important to really cherish the fortune the gifts we are given:)

Both ta for the kindness on piccies an words

stu


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Cobra said:
I wonder who that was? :D
even with them it was still many months :(
Click to expand...


If I had remembered it was you, I would have credited you with the discovery! My recovery was pretty quick but I'm a bit less chronologically blessed than you! :p

Stu, I hope your good lady's recovery is as quick as mine.
 
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