Muntjac Buck - Literally Barking Mad!

Muntjac Deer Slots

 

Roe Deer Slot 

Popped out with the Nikon for an hour today, Mr. Fox put in a brief showing but I was unable to capture a picture.  Two Muntjac deer broke cover out of the treeline by the bounday fence and one of them was kind enough to stop, look back at me and then 'bark' to sound his discontent at my disrupting his day. Yesterday there were approximately six Roe deer in the adjacent field which I had seen taking a drink from around my pond before moving on into the open countryside.

Close but no cigar...

Low light conditions in my little wood/copse but have been able to see two Goldcrests flitting from tree to tree in search of insects, spiders etc. Only managed this one grainy and out of focus image as birds were mostly hidden behind branches and twigs and never sat still for more than a second. 'Slightly better' pictures taken in 2023 are here on this blog Goldcrest

Better news from today however was that walking in search of Goldcrests, I put up a woodcock RSPB Woodcock Information on the boundary ditch next to the wood; it was sadly too fast for me to get a picture but its the first one I can confirm a sighting for at Longbeach farm and flew away showing that classic woodcock outline of wings, beak and ; it has been added to my species list of birds in the left sidebar.  That's one new species added to the list in January, so I can't complaint about that. 

Sparrowhawk Death Stare...

Sadly my camera has been put away over winter but on Saturday morning I just happened to spot this Sparrowhawk [Female] out of the window as I was going down for breakfast.  It's far from a great picture and the twig crossing her face does not add to the aesthetic, but given that it had been so long since I 'clicked' a picture, I wanted to capture this as a reminder of the potential nature photo opportunities that Longbeach Farm will yeild in 2024. 

Let's hope the phtography imporoves along with the weather and that I find the time to get out and about again on my little piece of Fenland soil to capture all creatures great and small.   

Longbeach Farm Moth Hunters!

Last year (2023) I was lucky enough to be introduced to two brilliant Moth enthusiasts Ian and Jeremy (Jem) who were keen to spend some time on my little 6 acre plot, looking for all things moth related.  Having the opportunity to have an expert catalog the species found at Longbeach was an opportunity too good to miss - it was a win-win situation, Ian and Jem had the opportunity to search in a new location, and I got to benefit from their dedication, expertise and time.   

The document showcases the findings and is the result of a lot of meticulous recording and identification by Ian. 687 moths of 118 species were recorded over the three nights in total. - Amazing! 

Having had the benefit of this experience, I am hoping to find further opportunities to have experts/dedicated enthusiastic amateurs record other flora and fauna at LBF so that I can compile a comprehensive catalog of wildlife on my little plot and add to my own observations.  Hope you enjoy the report!