Warm and sunny day. Heavy overnight frost with temperature dropping to -4 in the early hours.
Crawled out of bed to enjoy a cold, frosty, misty dawn walk at Fobney Nature Reserve. Just love these atmospheric mornings. So little water on the reserve, desperate for rain now, we won't like it but we do have to face facts.
A day working on project cameras. Three mouse houses now hidden in wood piles, installed with cameras and now connected to the hide monitor. Will be a while before we see results as the mammals habitat were also destroyed. All made good now, fingers crossed for results soonish.
Photographed a baby hedgehog leaving its straw bed tonight. I have some plastic storage boxes filled with straw about the garden, good to see this one in use.
Big surprise of the day was checking the trail camera and finding an image of three adult hedgehogs together outside the Hogtel.
Images 1 - 3 - Hidden mouse boxes, just the green feeding tubes showing.
" 4 - 11 - Fobney.
A stunning day, warm and sunny all day and into the evening. A most beautiful sunset tonight again.
This morning I made a serious start on project outdoor cameras. Two mouse boxes now hidden in wood piles with one connected to the monitor. I need to do a bit of fishing to hide the cable before I can connect. A job for tomorrow.
This afternoon enjoyed a very interesting talk by an author who has published a book on The History of Whitley. As expected I bought the book so a good read for a few days.
The sun has brought the bees and butterflies back out. Small white and speckled wood mostly.
Some cracking daylight trail cam' images captured at 6.30am of the fox pairing. A bit of fox sex last night so hopefully an interesting Spring 2019?
Another fantastic day, very warm and sunny.
Day on project outdoor cameras. The equipment arrived at lunchtime so was able to make a start this afternoon. Connecting is the easy part, it is the burying of the cables that is going to take the time. Managed to connect up the Hogtel and a bird box which are both fixed to the hide so cabling not an issue here.
Trail camera once again picked out the pair of foxes and hedgehogs. I managed a photograph of a baby hog tonight about 6pm, was amazed at how fast it could run at such a young age.
Images 1 - 3 - Last nights sunset.
" 4 - Baby hedgehog.
" 5 - Spike and foxy meeting up over a snack.
" 6 - The fox pair and spike enjoying an evening snack.
" 7 - The hedgehog pair just getting up.
" 8 - Foxy waiting for the hedgehog pair to get up.
" 9 - Standing guard.
" 10 - Now where do I start? Part of the equipment required to replace the outdoor
camera system.
What a belter of a day, hot and sunny all day with again the most stunning sunset tonight.
Delivery of camera equipment now confirmed for tomorrow so spent time today in the hide fixing another shelf for the monitor giving me more room for the extra cabling. Also blocked out two windows to stop the squirrels entering.
Good day for wildlife. Female great spotted woodpecker at the peanut feeder, seven spot ladybird on the garage door, so few ladybirds about this year. Spiders appearing big time now. A few moths still each night along with other critters. Trail camera picked out the two foxes and two hedgehogs last night.
Image 1 - Pair of hedgehogs on the Hogtel decking.
" 2 - The inseparable pair.
" 3 - Pair of foxes with spike at the feeding dishes.
" 4 - The two alone at last.
" 5 - The mafia of cat world and spike.
" 6 - Just passing through.
" 7 - The hedgehog pair at the food/drink dishes.
" 8 - Ladybird.
" 9 - Spider.
" 10 - Tufty enjoying an acorn.
" 11 - Female great spotted woodpecker.
" 12 - Critter.
" 13 - Moth.
" 14 - A green carpet?
" 15 - Harvest moon.
" 16 - Temperature at lunch time.
A stunningly superb day. Very warm and sunny all day.
A day outside preparing groundwork ready for the cable delivery on Friday. Technology has moved on since I originally set up the camera system so some adjustments are having to be made. Once all set up there will be cameras in 3 mouse homes hidden in wood piles. 2 hedgehog homes in disused kennels, 2 bird boxes and the pond camera.
Garden trees were looking brilliant today with the sun shining through the leaves. Insects and butterflies were busy particularly the speckled woods and bees.
Image 1 - Moth on the garden seat.
" 2 - Spider v Fly - spider won.
" 3 - Speckled wood butterfly on a hosta.
" 3 & 4 - Last nights sunset.
" 5 - Harvest moon last night.
" 6 - Robinia tree.
" 7 - Bean tree.
" 8 - Hedgehog pair.
" 9 - Spike just preparing to leave the Hogtel.
" 10 - Foxy and spike.
" 11 - Pair of hedgehogs on the lawn.
" 12 - Foxy with hedgehog pair.
" 13 - Standing proud.
