December 31st 2013

 

I was out bird watching as the sun set on the old year of 2013. As I drove along a lane adjacent to Savernake Forest near Marlborough I had two significant views in my sights. To my left a group of 30 or so fallow deer suddenly appeared and were running alongside the lane in their field at the same speed as my car. It was a stunning sight and as I slowed down in case they jumped the fence, I looked at them at their eye level and they all looked at me while continuing to run alongside the car. What a fantastic wildlife moment to end the year. Which was added to as I arrived at Stibbs Green, an area of Burbage, a minute or so later as the sun hit the horizon. Just time to shoot off a couple of photos of the sun between the cottages before it set for the last time. Between the running deer and the setting sun, this was a perfect end to 2013 (oh and my final bird of the year was a marsh tit). 

December 30th 2013

 

First day back at work today after the Christmas break. So todays image is of my desk and office as I spend a lot of my time looking at this view and it suddenly struck me that one day this view will be no more, either I'll move on or we'll change offices and often a record of where we work is not made. I also took the image as a wonderful surprise was the calendar in the front of the view. This came from the press officer of the Wildlife Trusts as a thank you for the airtime we have given the Wildlife Trusts over the year. Such a lovely gesture and I will enjoy using this over the coming year. 

December 29th 2013

 

Sometimes an image is enough and today that is what happened.  I woke about 7.30am and looking out of the landing window this was my view. A crescent moon, a gathering sunrise and (what can't be seen here) a heavy frost. Just beautiful. Images like this enliven the heart and restore the soul to new energy. A moment in time not to be lost.

December 28th 2013

 

 

Sometimes it is the planned event that provides inspiration, or tonight the unexpected gem of an encounter. Tonight I did a 20 mile round trip through the towns and villages around here. Pewsey, Marlborough and Wilton in Wiltshire and just across the border, Hungerford in West Berkshire, which gives this posting a shining image. The lights were great, they never look quite as good in a photo but I'm a big fan of Christmas light. BUT what happened next exceeded all expectations. Coming back via the lanes to the house we stopped at Wilton Windmill which we can see from the house over a couple of fields. We'd actually stopped there to look at the stars as this part of Wiltshire is almost 100% unpolluted by artificial light. However what happened was that as I got out the car a male tawny owl was hooting and over the field another replying. Luckily I had a hand held recorded with me and the link below is the result. As I listen now my mind goes back to being in pitch darkness (so dark I couldn't see the recorder in my hand), stars so bright that I felt I could touch them and all of this given the backdrop serenade of a hoot and a whoo-hoo of a tawny owl. Wildlife experiences do not get much better than that and a memory that will live in me for a long time.

 

Here's the link to the 1'30" edited clip :

 

http://soundcloud.com/wessex_reiver/tawnyowl281213-2

 

 

December 27th 2013

 

Today was a bird watching day. I used to do a lot of bird watching but the pressure of work now means what little spare time I have I like to spend at home. But today as I am taking part on the BBC NHU's Bird Cup, I went off down to one of my favourite reserves Wiltshire Wildlife Trusts Langford Lakes in the Wylie Valley. Weather perfect for the few hours I wandered around on my own. A lot of birds to see and it was the first time I'd been there since the new flood meadow has been open to the public. I walked this former sheep field just as they were about to began work on it and its such a wonderful thing to see now that the flooding measures are in place. Open less than a year it's establishing well. Hard to think the above photo had sheep grazing on it in 2011. Below the lovely new bird hide which I like as it has glass windows. A boon on a breezy day like today.

 

A final photo. This is an appalling photo of a kingfisher but it encapsulates the joy of wildlife watching. This kingfisher was 10 feet from my car as I drove out of the reserve and ignoring me completely kept on fishing in a small pond. How I wish I'd had my camera today!

December 26th 2013

 

A bit of a different posting from me today. Today Julie and I attended the Tedworth Hunt Boxing Day Meet in the centre of Pewsey in Wiltshire. And we loved it.

 

I'm not a hunting man but I do, or hope I do, understand the needs to manage the British countryside and as such hunting, fishing, shooting along with farming, forestry, nature reserves and countryside management all make up the rich patchwork of rural life. Hunting divides opinion in a way that many other field sports do not; I fully understand some people hunt, some people are anti hunting and I suspect the majority are like me have no strong opinions. However I do feel that to have an opinion one should gain experience before offering that opinion. For me I've enjoyed watching hunting every time I've seen hounds on the run, and while the desire to get on a horse has never entered my mind, the thrill of hearing the hunting horn has never left me since first hearing it in Northumberland when I accidentally became entangled with the West Percy while out walking as a teenager.

 

On that day, as with today I found the hunt staff absolutely lovely. Although a keen horsewoman Julie had never been to a hunt meeting before so as we chatted to one of the non-mounted hunt staff, we explained this was a first visit. The lady couldn't have been more patient with our questions, explaining in detail what would happen today (including we would be welcome to sample the free port and nibbles), where the horses and hounds would go, and when the hounds arrived she pointed out who the Lady Master was, the Hunt staff and what would happen after they set off. I politely asked if I could take photographs and she said I could. By 11am I was astonished at how big the crowd was who'd come out to see the 30 or so horses and about the same number of hounds. The carpark being used as the meet venue was absolutely packed with what must have been heading towards 1,000 people chatting to everyone else in the very informal way whilst the port and mince pies were handed around. At 11.30 the huntsman sounded his horn, the hairs on the back of my neck once more bristled, and off they went for a days legal hunting in the Vale of Pewsey.  Some may find this blog entry uncomfortable to read, and I accept that point of view, for me though the wonderful 2 hours we spent mingling amongst hunt followers confirmed this is an important part of the rural scene and I am one who hopes this tradition carries on for a very long time to come. 

 

December 25th 2013

 

Four years ago I was invited to a Christmas Day picnic in Gloucestershire in deep snow and sub zero temperatures. The reason for that invite was my Christmas plans had unravelled due to the snow and finding myself no longer heading to Kent, I was on my own in a house I'd moved into 4 days earlier so my friends who often have a Christmas Day picnic kindly invited me to join them. Move on 4 years and the weather could have not been of a greater contrast. Christmas Day emerged into 6 degrees, unbroken sunshine and still calm. The picnic invite was planned this year and after a blizzard of texts, the Badminton Deer Park was chosen as picnic venue of choice. An inspired choice.

 

So here we are mid feast. I'm missing from this photograph but the shadow on the log proves my presence. I do like Christmas in whatever guise it takes, at home with my parents, with Julie, or like yesterday going for a walk and a feed with friends. I've only ever been to Badminton Park during the Horse Trials and so it was wonderful to walk about in relative isolation, just a few other people about taking in the Christmas air. After feeding on festive nibbles we took it in turns to throw-ball for the two dogs with us, seagull, in the picture and Fizz, before having a longer walk around the Deer Park. By 3pm it was getting cold and the sun was beginning to set bring closure to a most wonderful way to celebrate Christmas Day, before home to a Christmas meal and fizzy wine.