Well, it took six nights but in the end we did get results from the trail camera.
I have lots of beautiful animals to show you tonight.
(Deer Hunter Fizz)
But it is a beautiful day and we are not in a hurry to get to the woods.
Dog worn out, now we can get on š
Here is some of the stuff that we found in the wood.
As soon as we found the camera I could see that we had a result. I can tell what animal has been at the bait. The ground was very disrupted and all of the bait had been taken (Peanuts, Raisins and Sheep Feed) except the bread. So no Boar but I guessed Deer. I was gutted that I couldn’t leave the camera out there but I had run out of batteries. The camera had died, it told me there were 189 videos but the last 50 of those were dud due to low battery power. No matter we got some good stuff.
Don’t despise the little Fox. I would be pretty fed up if I had found 189 videos of him but I didn’t. This is a beautiful wild animal that we rarely get a chance to watch.
There is actually a stack of food there that the Fox can eat, he is just being fussy. This video was from the night before the Deer turned up and there was plenty left for them. That is bread that he is playing with in the video, I put out quite a bit but I hid it under leaves.
The Bluebells are coming up. They are not early, they won’t flower until they are supposed to in April but they always make an appearance around about now. I love the way that they pierce the leaf litter.
We found a bulb that had been rooted up (we replanted it) I was surprised by how big it was.
I have heard it said that Boar uproot and eat Bluebells. I spent a long time looking for evidence of this in my Bluebell wood in East Ā Sussex and I never saw any evidence of Boar eating Bluebells. They had ample opportunity and so I conclude it is an untrue slur on the Boar.
This next leaf is Variegated Yellow Archangel. It is one that I want to write about for Easy Wildflowers (probably next) so I won’t say too much about it. The leaves are about now and are easy to recognise, they actually remain all winter.
This is another one that will not flower until April, when it does it will look like this.
Now for something that will flower in January (I hope). This is Lesser Celandine. My first pictures last year were February 24th.
Look, flower buds. These could easily open this month.
Okay, beautiful wild animals now. Plenty of video, just watch what you like. I could watch them all night.
Come on then Fizz, it is a long way home.
Sometimes I wish I was living your life š Then I go outside, take my sheep on the lace and make a round through the forest with her š
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Colin, Does your scent detract from the effect of the food you lay out? Or do you wear gloves and tie Fizz up a fair distance from the camera?
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Thanks John š Maybe more so with the Deer than other animals. They say that a Badger can smell a man three days after he has left the area but the Badgers will take food hours after I have put it out. They just don’t care. The Deer appeared when I stayed away from the camera for two nights and then only on the second night. That may have had something to do with it, they are very cautious animals.
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So nice to meet you here at Colin’s place!
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I’m always around š a big fan of Fizz and a loyal follower of Colin š
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Thank you Becky š But can she fetch a ball? It must be lovely to walk in the forest with a pet sheep.
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She can! She grew up with dogs and she even barks haha she can’t fetch the ball while it’s in the air but when you throw it she will run after it, and stand next to the ball looking at you happily like “see, I got it!!”… I love her, she’s so awesome!!
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Watching the deer is so nice, such peaceful, beautiful creatures. Thanks for making so much effort to show your readers wonderful things. Course, showing us Fizz always makes me smile! š
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Thank you Sarasin š The Deer are very graceful. Just think how wonderful it would be to catch them when the young are new born. I will keep putting the camera out there.
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I am not fond of deer. While driving, I almost hit two of them yesterday at 6:30 AM, when it was still dark. It scared the heck out of me.
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Thank you Hien š I don’t drive but I sympathise. Deer are a major problem on the roads here in the UK. Most estimates put the number of vehicle collisions involving Deer at around 70,000 average per year. In most of these cases the animal is either killed outright or dies later of it’s injuries.
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We could solve the problem, of course, by re-introducing the wolf.
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Well, we humans move into areas where other beings live and it’s pretty much our fault for what happens to us. Other beings need to live somewhere and we don’t seem to ever take that into consideration. We just do what we want to do and let everyone else fend for themselves. We have deer crossing signs in the suburbs, where there is some wilderness still left and it pays to be careful. I wouldn’t want to harm any animal and I try to be as careful as I can beā¦always. They have as much right to live as we do and I’m sure you were scared that you almost hit one. Thankfully, everyone was alright. Horrifying to think of harming a deer.
Colinā¦love your video’s and Fizz looks as if he had a bath:) The deer are so beautiful and the fox. The flowers are wonderful and we aren’t even close to seeing anything green yetā¦although this has been a great winter. It actually hit 40 degrees today and I was in the yard without a coat, it felt so warm, compared to what it has been (in the low teens and below 0). Thank you for this wonderful post.
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Thank You Gigi š We too are having a wonderful winter, I just hope that this nice weather carries on into spring.
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Beautiful creatures all of them. That fifth bird is the same age as the other four, right? Just a little more adventurous?
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Thank you David š Amongst the Fallow Deer there is one that I have got down as one of last year’s fawns. Most noticeable in the first video where the smaller one is in the centre and paying close attention to one of the larger does. Fallow usually give birth to a single fawn around about June.
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I can’t tell you how much I look forward to your posts! I love that you appreciate the way the bluebells pierce the leaf litter. It is snowing and icy cold here today; you so give me hope!
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Thank you Karen š It amazes me that the Bluebells do pierce the leaves. The leaves are so light and the shoots move so slowly but they must have a force within them.
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A lovely post again especially with all the deer videos. I liked hearing the Tawny Owl hooting. I am also fond of foxes. I remember gardening one evening after work many years ago and becoming aware of a family of foxes in the garden. One of the cubs got nearer and nearer to me and then it grabbed one of my gardening gloves and ran off with it and played with it for ages. I was living in South London at the time but urban foxes hadn’t become as brave and common as they are now. I felt very honoured.
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Thanks Clare š I filmed Fox cubs in a friend garden two years ago they are fun to watch. I love the Tawny Owls they are another bird that haunts this farm and I hear them every night. We have a Screech Owl too, I don’t often hear that but when I do it sounds exotic and wonderful.
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Yes, they do sound wonderful. We have a pair that hunt the edges of the fields round us and they can make quite a noise!
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The fox seemed very cautious, was it expecting a trap? Are they snared or some such by hunters? I love watching the wild animals, but those alien eyes are kinda creepy! š
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Thank you Eliza š The Fox is a very cautious animal, they all are. It is us they distrust. Robert burns wrote this poem in 1785, the second verse echoes through my life, it is always there. To a Mouse. It amazes me that in 1785, without the aid of social media, a man could be so aware š
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I love the eyes of the animals in the night camera, they look like spirit animals! š
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Thank you Trini š I think they look like that because some animals can see right through the camera and see you watching them and it makes them curious š
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Hihihihihihi š š
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Deer and foxes are very different creatures but both so beautiful to watch. We actually have wild deer in Australia now due to “escapees” from farms and animal parks. I enjoyed your films, pics and commentary once again. Getting very “artsy” with mid-air ball shots. š
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Thank you Jane š I don’t know about artsy, it is just something that we spend a lot of time doing (I don’t know why) and I wanted to include it.
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I think they are fun to include. Life’s got to include some smiles. š
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Man, for some reason I am craving raisins, peanuts and bluebells.
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Thank you Stephanie š
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Lovely post again. I thought the tennis ball was a UFO until I looked at the second photo!
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Many thanks John š
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I enjoyed the videos! And the leaves “piercing” last falls dead debris. Only you would express it so well. Here is where I come for peaceful time. I can hardly wait for the bluebells and other lovely flowers we enjoy in your walks with Fizz.
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Thank you Ettel š I love the little Bluebell shoots breaking through the leaves and from now until they flower in April the woodland floor will just get greener and greener. I love the start of the year when we have everything ahead of us and so much to look forward to.
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Loved the way the night camera can still pick up the Fallow tail/rump markings after dark. The picture of Fizz running away from the camera had me, I thought I was seeing a lapwing!
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Oh my hyacinths are just tipping out. So ready for blooms! Love the deer pic. I never mind critters in my yard, even if they do eat my stuff. They have to make a living,too.
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