The Sun Brings Them Out!

Its been a scorcher over the Bank Holiday so I got out there and covered a lot of ground. Too hot and too busy for the majority of our wildlife and by going deeper into the forest to find them would have just invaded their safe space!
I spent a lot of time searching new areas for the adder and grass snake (to see dedicated blog) Click Here


I found a couple of blue flowers, don't know what they were so I thought I had better take a snap in case they were rare! :-)




Than I found this fella sitting on a stinging nettle leaf!




And this lady - I followed her up the blade of grass and waited patiently for the right moment!




I know they are invasive, destructive and the reason why our native red squirrel is absent from many parts of the UK, but they are cute when they are babies!



Rob

The Encounter!

I spotted a piglet dart onto the track and then back into the verge while I was out searching for wild boar. Then I saw the sow with around 8 piglets in total! I hit the deck and crawled on my belly through mud and brambles until I was approx 20 metres away. This is when the sow walked out onto the path!




She spotted me and proceeded to stalk me from the other side of the path! As I was lying down with my camera rammed into my face, she could not make out what I was and this enticed her to come closer and closer!




She was approximately 3 metres away when she suddenly realised what I was and stopped dead in her tracks. She watched me for a few moments and then as if she had suddenly realised she had piglets nearby - took off!
She ran straight back to her little ones, but stayed in the area, not bothered by my presence.




I carried on crawling on my belly until I got to within a few metres of them, but struggled to get a clear shot of the piglets.
I decided to go back to the area a couple of days later and as luck would have it, they were virtually in the same spot and this time I managed to get a piglet, nearly in the open!




On my way home I decided to stop off and take a look around another hot spot. No wild boar, but I did bump into this fine lady. A roe deer!




And finally, a greylag goose enjoying the sun on a local lake. (I was lying in the mud again!)

Snakes, Birds, Toads and Boar!

Been a hectic few weeks, but I have managed to get out now and then with the camera! Here are a few pics from my time in the Forest of Dean over the last month.


This is a grey heron and it was by far one of the largest I have ever seen, with a wingspan of at least 6 feet!





Toads everywhere and I was spoilt for choice, although I did have to lye in the mud for this shot!





My first adder shot of 2011. A male, which proved very tricky to get close too!





And finally a wild boar sow, complete with piglets!

I spotted their movement from a distance and then proceeded to "try" and get close, using the trees as cover. There were lots of brambles etc all around, which pushed me to get even closer for a clearer shot, bad idea and I should have known better.
Suddenly one of the piglets spotted me and bolted straight back to mum, which left me looking like an idiot for pushing my luck! They disappeared over a small hill, so I quietly crept up and as I approached the top, the sound was like a thousand squirrels jumping around in the leaf litter.
As I peered over the top I could see the piglets rooting around, so I brought the camera up to my eye. This is when I heard it! A grunt from the sow - she was to my right with her head bowed, staring straight at me, no more than 6 metres away!
As I was lying on the ground, I thought to myself "I now look smaller than her and she is probably deciding what action to take against me", so I quickly got up to the crouched position. This was not a deterrent as she then ran about 3 metres towards me and stopped. The piglets soon joined her and this is when I got this photograph.
I tried to move to get the branch out of the frame, but as I did she legged it with piglets closely behind.
I did find them again, but it was obvious that my presence was causing her stress and concern, so I took a few pics and left them to forage in peace.



Rob

Eagle Owl Shot - Information Requested

A rare (to Britain) eagle owl was recently shot near Coleford in the Forest of Dean. If anyone reading this has any information regarding this shooting please use the contact information below, or email me directly.
All information will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.

Simon Clemett PS1256, Forest North Safer Community Team, Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Contact Simon by calling 0845 0901234 and quoting Incident 447 of 25/2/11.

Eagle Owl Shot in the Forest of Dean!

They might be a native species, but the eagle owl (pictured below) is a rare sight in the UK today. Persecution saw the demise of this bird many years ago, but over the past decade they have started to repopulate areas of the UK, to the dismay of many people and they are once again being targeted!
For over a year, a tame (escaped) eagle owl had been living happily in the Forest of Dean. However, a few days ago he went missing after a local resident heard gunfire and for a few days of not seeing him, they feared the worst!
Luckily a local workman found the owl in the middle of a road on his way to work and managed to catch him by throwing his coat over him. He was taken to a vet where it was discovered that he "had" been shot, through the wing!
He is now being rehabilitated at the International Centre for Birds of Prey and as I know this centre and the owner well, I know he will be looked after well. I just hope he is still able to fly after the wound has healed.

I have said this many times, but persecution is one of the biggest threats to our wildlife today and I for one am totally disgusted that anyone could, or would want to kill such a magnificent animal.
When first discovered over a year ago, this bird had jessies on his legs, which meant that he was once a captive bird. He was loved by the people of the local village and they were gutted when this atrocity happened.
If the person who shot this bird is reading this, I hope you are caught very soon and that you receive the maximum penalty available. Obviously education has not worked with you, so perhaps your punishment will serve as a reminder to others who persecute our wildlife that it is wrong and illegal.

The Eagle Owl





Rob

Safe at Last!

Good news everyone - the UK Government has scrapped the idiotic plans to sell off the UK's woodlands!
People power has prevailed and we have shown that if enough of us stick together and say "NO", anything is possible.
There are people saying that the Government just backed down after they realised (themselves) that their plans were wrong and that they themselves were wrong for thinking that the "sell off" was a good idea, but what I can guarantee is that if the British public had not stood up and pressurised the Government, MP's and everyone else who supported this sell off - the sell off would have already started.

Hopefully they will now leave our forests alone and concentrate on the protection they require and deserve, for they are the life blood of everything living on this planet.
The destruction of forests throughout the world is a massive threat to life on this planet, but at least we can now carry on with our world wide campaigns to help halt the destruction and deforestation going on in many countries, without looking like hypocrites.

Long live our trees and all the wildlife they support!


Forest of Dean - December 2010

Hundreds of Fish Dead!

Well the harsh winter has taken its toll in the Forest of Dean, as we have seen mass fish fatalities on a local fishing pond.
Temperatures dipped to -10 and below during December, which saw a thick layer of ice on all water areas in the forest. Then came the heavy snowfall, which covered the ice, blocking out the sunlight.
Rotting vegetation absorbs a lot of oxygen and with no sunlight the plant life and algae died. As a result, hundreds of fish have died!

So far and hopefully this is the only pond affected and as a precaution, tests are being carried out on the dead fish.

This pond is known for having a lot of plant life and weed, so this is probably the reason.






Rob