Wednesday, 23 September 2009

White Buck Pics

Well, I didn't have to wait long to get my pics of the white buck! 24hrs to be precise. I was sat in a cramped position for just over 3hrs today when he finally showed and I was rewarded with this shot among others.

23.09.2009
I don't think he is a true albinistic buck, just white, but that's OK.
Guess I was just in the right place at the right time, but after seeing him there yesterday, I had to try my luck again.
I also managed to snap a couple of common and a melanistic fallow deer. I also saw a menil doe the other day, but she was too far away to photograph. I Will try harder next time!
Melanistic
Common
Common
Common

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

New Deer Pics & Video from the Forest of Dean

Well, the fallow deer rut is around the corner and the doe's are already grouping. Counted 19 in two groups on Monday 21st September.
I managed to get some pics of the one group. Here they are...

Click on the images for larger size.


This image has been cropped to highlight the tick on top of her left ear!


Two young doe's having a bit of fun. The dark one is melanistic.

Spotted me! Oh well never mind!


OK, this is not a deer, nor is it in the Forest of Dean! It's a grey heron I photographed on the river Avon earlier this month.




This is a rare treat! A pure white fallow buck, not a true albinistic fallow buck, but impressive none the less. I filmed him on Tuesday 22nd September.
I was quite a way off and I didn't want to scare him away by trying to get closer. 50x optical zoom pulled him in though.


Tuesday, 15 September 2009

What I Think

Every day I feel more and more compelled to do or write something to highlight the Forest of Dean and it's wildlife.

I have a massive passion for photography, but I can't explain my feelings for this place. Every second of every day I am thinking about it. In my own mind, nobody even comes close to the way I feel. One day when the time is right, I will dedicate my whole life to the forest and it's critters.

I have had the pleasure of meeting some very talented, extraordinary people over the last few months and this has helped me immensly.

Especially to Marcus Moore and Ben Cavanna, I say thank you.

Hope you like the poem and video and don't forget to turn the...

VOLUME UP!

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Large Grass Snake + More

Firstly, I want to apologise for being inactive lately. Had some issues, which took up a lot of my time, but I'm getting there slowly.


Here are a few pics, the first one is a Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula), which flew into my home, the second is a Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar or larvae (Deilephila elpenor), which I found in my garden, the third is a Female Adder (Vipera berus), I photographed her near Speech House in the Forest of Dean and the last is a video of a large Grass Snake (Natrix natrix), which I filmed late in the evening at one of my favourite spots in the Forest of Dean.

Hope you like?


Scarlet Tiger Moth

Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar


Female Adder


Grass Snake Video (120cm approx)

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Selective Colour with a Twist!

If you are looking for something different, something to wake you up in the morning, you have found it!

Selective colour with a few surprises along the way.

Enjoy and don't forget to turn the VOLUME UP!

Thanks

Rob

Friday, 10 July 2009

Wild Boar Debate Continued...........

Well as you will probably have read already, I have had a reply to my reply in the Review this week, regarding the wild boar!
Mrs. Partridge has asked the question whether I could hold my nerve and my camera steady with a couple of wild boar charging me.

Firstly, I would just like to say that I am posting this here as I believe a tit for tat battle through the newspaper will not get anyone anywhere, where the boar are concerned, I have had my say and she has had hers.

If the wild boar are seen so often and sooooooooo dangerous, why are they not attacking? It amazes me that people are still willing to condemn a species on the assumption that they MAY attack, when all the boar are doing is trotting or running up to check things out.
I have never hidden from the fact that they will kill a dog if they have young or if the dog becomes aggressive, but if you are reading this then you have access to the net... DO A SEARCH and look up unprovoked wild boar attacks on humans IN THE WORLD! Then condemn them, all they are doing is checking things out as they have very poor eyesight and can only distinguish blue from the three primary colours.
Do people not read or research anything these days?
It's like me saying Umm! There's a dog off a lead in the wood, it may bite me! Better do something to stop this or our children will get hurt.
COME ON, it's a forest with wild animals in it. There are fallow stags, which have the potential to kill a fully grown man during the rut and there are snakes, which can kill children and the elderly, but we don't run around screaming every time we see one, do we.

It's a joke and it anoys me when people make assumptions about our wildlife!

Mrs Partridge, I have been face to face with the biggest boar I have seen in my life and I have a witness who was with me at the time. I have had one run at me and the video is on HERE. I have photographed them in groups (sounders), on their own and with their little ones. I even photograph snakes UP CLOSE, so the answer to your questions is yes, I can hold my nerve, I can take a steady shot and I am never intimidated by the boar. I am wary of them and respect them as they are wild animals, but they are not monsters like they have been portrayed to be.
I only hope that you and many like you see them in a different light before it is too late. I also hope to be as lucky as you and see them on a more regular basis, this way I can get more video footage, which will show their behaviour and help to educate people on their behaviour, so they will see that they are not after our blood!

Until the next time....

Rob