Japan Travelogue-Day 5

Today was another early start-4am, We went back to Otowa bridge to see if the weather would give us some special conditions, Yesterday was cloudy and overcast with snow, You need bright but cold conditions to get the best from Otowa bridge, It was -15 and clear and when we got to the bridge the mist was rising from the river and with the cranes in the water in the distance it had a surreal feel to the scene, We spend a couple of hours shooting there before heading off to one of the Crane feeding sites, We grabbed a coffee and shot some cranes in flight before heading over to the International crane centre, We knew there was feeding at 2pm and when we arrived we were surprised to see the whole viewing area already covered with photographers, We found ourselves some place to shoot and at 2pm a guy came out and threw some fish on the snow, the place went mad and within seconds both White Tailed Eagle and Black Kites filled the air, it was a free for all for 15 minutes until the feeding frenzy was over, i was caught out and didnt have my camera settings sorted when it began and accidentally shot on AV-Big mistake and a tonne of images hit the bin, I am happy with some so not all was lost, WE WILL RETURN to this very special place, As well as the cranes,Eagles and Kites we also had a fox visit and we viewed some foxes mating near the main road
Tomorrow we move off and up to Lake Kussharo for swans and ducks, Lets hope our luck stays good-so far its been fantastic

Dave

Local report-Raleigh

Lots of stuff to shoot at this time of year, The lakes have young chicks on them-notably Lake Lynn has mallard and Canade Goose chicks that are easy to shoot, Falls lake has Osprey with chicks on the nest as well as Herons with very large chicks, Reports there of water Moccasin (Cotton mouth) so be careful when near the waters edge,I have been to Falls lake for the last couple of days taking a look around, There are lots of Cliff Swallows nesting under the bridges so yesterday i spent a couple of hours there trying to get them as they flew to the nest-no luck or at least not what i had hoped for, The light was low under the bridge so ISO's between 800 and 3200 were in order along with flash, They are soo fast that even a shutter speed of 1/1000 didnt freeze them, I did get a couple of shots as you can see and as i only spend 2 hours there i guess they are ok, Ticks seem to be a problem this year-at least for me, Last Saturday i noticed one when i was having a shower buried where you really dont want one and last night i had 2 more on me but loose not buried, So keep an eye out after you have been in woodland or long grass, These can be dangerous as they can transmit limes disease which if left can be deadly,I put a bird box up in my garden a couple of months ago and last week we had a pair of Bluebirds investigating the box but they were constantly chased off by another pair and since then its been quiet, I have now put the hummingbird feeder up in hopes of getting a shot or two this year, Last year was very quiet by all accounts and we only had 2 coming to the feeder, The butterflies have started to arrive with quite a few Swallowtails hanging around my garden, Wish the Buddlia would hurry up and bloom, Last night i watched a Grey Fox in the garden and the night before a Raccoon so lots to shoot in the way of wildlife, I did notice some nice wild flowers along the road at Falls lake as well

Dave

Best Selling images

Its that time of year when tax returns have to filled, So i spent this morning at the accountants going through last years figures etc, Last night i got out last years statements and invoices and had a quick run through to see if anything stuck out sales wise, I noticed that there were 3 or 4 images that out sold the rest my a large majority, So i dragged them out to see why-here they are

 

The red squirrel has been my biggest single sale so far and this one and some from the same series have sold multiple times globally as have the fox and sea otter images, Each has a human quality to it and it seems that what people like so here are a couple taken recently that i expect to out sell standard opossum images

You can relate to each image and they both put a smile on your face, I make no apology for the copyright across each image for obvious reason, Award winning images they may not be but they help pay the bills

Original content posted at http://wildlifeacrossthewater.blogspot.com

Dave

Surprise Garden Visitor

After we got back from our Saturday walk, and I was getting on with some decorating work, I noticed an unusual garden visitor.

I quickly ran upstairs and grab the 7D and the nearest lens, a 300f4 and got these two grab shots, through glass.

Well this fox is a mangy specimen, particularly on it's back, where it has no fur and very hard crusty skin.

It wandered down to the little pond and had a good drink, while just looking around the garden in between sips, before it hopped back up on to the fence and cleared off.

Not brilliant photographs, with very harsh light, but pleased to get the record of it.

About 30 minutes after these were taken, next door's chickens walked into the garden......lucky escape!

Martin

Trip Report-New Jersey-Fox Gallery

I visited New Jersey in Oct for a day whilst i was in New York with the in laws, I went to a state park there but couldn't get in as there was a marathon on that day, I mentioned to one of the locals that i had tried to get in and they asked if i has seen any foxes which i thought strange as i had told them i had only managed to get to the gate, Any ways i went back a for a couple of mornings on my last trip in the hope to of seeing some fox and get a shot or 2, Now the only foxes i have ever shot have been wild and timid and any images have taken max effort and time-a challenge that i love to take, I spent 2 mornings shooting the robins and waxwings and didn't even get a sniff of a fox but when i mentioned to other photographers that i had been there they all said the same thing-did you see the fox, so i decided to stay there for a day, I shot the birds all morning then went for some lunch, The late afternoon light was lovely and as i entered the park i drove about 1/2 mile when i saw a photographer on the side of the road taking a shot of a fox sleeping on the other side, Another look and i was amazed to see a second fox sleeping under his tripod!!, So i pulled over and grabbed the gear and quickly set up, I had seen sleeping fox images and have always wanted one so that was my first shot, The fox soon woke and looked over, The sun was behind is so the light was near perfect, I spent the next couple of hours shooting 3 fox and chatting to locals, It seems that about 5 years ago there were 35 fox there but mange has reduced the numbers considerably is it does when the fox density is too high,You can see that the remaining fox are in great condition, I think the images are great and i am sure the agent will be happy but and its a big but i didnt get the normal high that i would get after spending weeks preparing for a shoot, There was no challenge as the fox were so used to people and i am sure in the summer will have a great time cleaning up after kids have left half eaten sandwiches on the beach, I will return there again maybe summer time and try and get some fox on the beach shots as i havent seen anything like that-anyways enjoy

 

  

  

  

 

  

 

 

  

  

  

  

Dave

Time to rant

I live in suburbia and next to the 'community' we have a farm-The community is built on farm land, Yesterday there was a message on the community website saying that a fox had been spotted in one of the gardens and that people should be aware in case any animals/kids/adults are attacked-A fox in somebodies garden-shock horror, I sent a message back saying that the foxes here are small grey foxes and i see them nightly and that they are extremely timid and the smallest noise and they disappear but was then sent a message back saying that i am a romantic which i find condescending and that animal control should be called-humans never fail to disappoint me, Its true that rabies exist in the USA and in North Carolina but there was no mention of the animal looking ill or acting strange, I have now sent a message back explaining that at this time of year foxes have cubs and that if animal control is called then the fox will probably be caught and destroyed which will leave the cubs to starve-lets hope that this will end the matter and that common sense prevails-we have taken over the foxes habitat after all and its the story of wildlife around the world, A couple of weeks ago there was a small snake in one of the gardens near to where the fox was seen-the fox will eat the snakes and rodents but of you kill the foxes there will be more snakes and mice around-what would you rather have in your gardens

Agency work

Its great to have an agent or 2 to help sell some images and get some pennies rolling in, These days it seems everybody has a digital camera and agencies are getting very picky who they sign up, So you have to prove to them that you can keep a good quantity of quality images coming in on a regular basis, This means spending as much time out in the field getting a good collection of stuff that you hope they will accept-this also means that you will be spending many hours stuck behind the PC/Mac, Today i have just finished 650 images that will be sent out as submissions for agencies to pick which they feel will be good sellers or will plug gaps in their portfolios-so here are a few of the fox images that took in Switzerland that have seen the first light of day since i took them a year ago

Of course not all the images in the submission are foxes-they account for around 150 images,But agencies like to have images done in a project fashion so that when some good images of one species come in their salesmen can get the jungle drums going so that books/mags/calenders know that a variety of fresh work is in

Dave

Think ahead and get prepared 2

I did the original part to this at the start of the year,If you followed what i said then then you are getting excited as the foxes and badgers will have had their young and in a few weeks they will make their first steps into the light, The folage on the ground and in the trees will now be growing and you will see if its possible to get shots where you want or will need to make different plans and maybe bait somewhere else,Be careful what you are putting down for food as the chances are that the dog fox will take it straight back into the den for the vixen but the cubs may get hold of some so small and soft is the way to go where bait is concerned, Where there is growth on the ground you will see the animals pathways as fox and badger use the same routes for generations, Following theses path ways will tell you alot about where the animals go when exciting the dens, I would have had a hide in position by now and if you havent then get one up and covered, Its best to put up a hide and dont go near it for a week or 2 this way the fox adults will get used to it and when the young appear it will be natural for them, The vixen will be underground with the young and it will be a busy time for the Dog fox bring back food for the whole family, You will see lots of activity around the den site and its a great time to watch from a distance, It can be very tempting to get a few shots in but i would advise against any disturbance in the area until the cubs are present, Be very careful and alert when near to the dens as if a fox sees you it may move the cubs and then all the hard work and preparation will be for nothing-always remember that the animals welfare must always come before the photo

Dave

Thoughts-Project Photography

With spring just with us it about to become the busiest time of year for the wildlife/nature photographer, Plans need to me made fast so that opportunities are not lost and you will have to wait another year to get them, I work in project fashion, That means that i only take a couple of subjects and try to get as many different types of shots out of them, I normally have shots in mind that i want or need to get and spend as much time as possible to get these shots, Sometimes you dont get them all in one year and the project will run over 2 or 3 years as it did for me in Switzerland with Great Crested Grebe and Ibex, When i started submitting to agencies there comments were that there wasn't a problem with the quality of my work but that there were lots of different subjects and no story, I took this on board and changed my way of shooting, By doing this my photography actually improved as i spent more time with a particular subject i understood the subject better and could react to certain movements and anticipate what would happen before it happened,Take for instance great crested grebes, Once they pair up they do a lot of head shaking,Watching closely i noticed that if the head shaking became very pronounced that the birds would part and dive,once this happened i knew that if both birds surfaced with weed in the beak that they would rush towards each other and dance frantically on the top of the water,It happens very fast and only by watching their behaviour did i manage to predict what was about to happen and get the shots,Once i had got the courting behaviour i moved on to the mating,nesting and then the chicks on the back imagery so when they were sent to an agent they had a full story to work with, This year i have started my projects by watching osprey nests that are placed around the larger lakes in my area, The other day i took my dog for a walk around the lake and checked through the binoculars the nests and low and behold an osprey sitting on one, So i will now go down at different times of the day and see what time the sun hits and leaves the nest area and learn what i can about the birds and try to get some interaction, I have some shots in my mind that i would like so thats a start, Being in a new country means new species not yet on the files and each night i put some food out for the White Tailed Deer, Grey Fox and Possum so these will also be on the list to spend some time with, Being close to home is also a boon when taking a project on and most of my recent projects have been within an hour of home and most within a mile or 2, That makes it easy to pop out and check the areas,put some food down and keep an eye on your hide/blind, When photographing foxes over the last few years i spend weeks putting food down in a couple of areas and watching those areas from distance and learning where the foxes come from,their prefered times and where they go after,Its a puzzle to start with but as time goes on the pieces fall into place,
What projects do you plan to shoot this year?-do you have one? If not then i would advise taking into consideration, Make it an easy subject that is easily accessible like mallards or even lambs and let us know how the project is progressing

Dave

Think ahead and get prepared

Although now is a great time to get some fox photography in as they have their loving thick winter coats its also the time of year when i start to get preperations underway for when the cubs arrive,Foxes and badgers will now be breeding or may even be pregnant and in a couple of months will start to get the dens/earths ready,So its a great time to start looking in your local woodland for signs of activity,Around early March time Dens will be redug from last year or new ones for this year,The foliage is still low and muddy tracks help to see footprints,Fox and badger use the same trails for getting to one place or another and in doing so will wear the grass away and if you look hard enough you will see these trails all over the forest floor,check for foot prints and follow them to see if they lead to the den,
Badgers live in colonies so the den will have many entrances/exits whereas foxes are solitary and live above the ground all year except for when giving birth,A Fox earth will normally have one entrance and i exit but that doesnt mean that a fox wont live in an abandoned badger sett,So if you find a sett with many holes that doesnt guarentee that it will be badgers living there,
If you find a new den/earth approach with caution,Make a note of where it is and return making sure that you are not being watched,its still early days and you need to find a few sites to keep an eye on over the coming months until you decide what ones will be best for photography,Don't forget what looks like a nice open bright area will in a few months be covered from the tree canopy and possibly ferns and bracken,At the moment we just want to get a feel of what's about and where,If there is freshly dug earth at the hole have a look to see if there are any foot prints and try and tell if they are from a badger or a fox,Drop a small handful of soft dog food biscuits/peanuts or raisins and leave,Go back the next day and see if the food has gone and repeat if it has, I don't normally start to bait until around the end of March,
I have found over the years whilst photographing and observing foxes that they seem to prefer the woodland edge especially if it borders with a field/meadow and most setts/earths or within 50m of the edge of the woodland, Badgers prefer to den on a slope,and although i have seen dens on flat ground a sloping area is where i would first look,If you see a lot of activity on private land please seek permission before going onto or shooting on that land,Farmers are normally very good and will allow you free access-if they dont then find somewhere else,If you do get permission then once you have some good shots in the bag its nice to get a couple framed and given to the farmer as a gift,This should mean unlimited access for years to come,Last year I had 4 sets that i kept an eye on from January until June,2 of them turned out to be un-photogenic due to heavy tree canopy/low light or a difficult angle to get a decent shot in and even though I had watched the foxes coming and going from the holes i left them to it.I had 2 chances left, 1 being a sett i had shot at a year before on some private farmland and the other a badger sett just down the road,so easy to keep an eye on both, Even though i had seen the parent fox coming and going on a regular basis i still put a small amount of food out every evening at the same time so that the fox would get into a routine and i would get the shots i wanted at the time i wanted and in the light I wanted.Time put in waiting and watching is not wasted,You will see what direction the foxes come and go,their favourite hang out points-where they sleep during the day and where they scent mark their territories-all valuable info that you can only get through observation,How do you tell if the holes are being used by a fox or a badger-well firstly you can normally tell but how tidy a place is-foxes will bring dead rabbits,birds,food bags etc. back to the den and leave the bones/rubbish around the den site,
Badgers don't do this and are very clean and tidy animals,drop to your knees and have a sniff in the hole-foxes smell!!,Check for footprints,foxes are small and dainty,badgers are big like a dog but their 5 toes are in a line not offset like a dog and because they have large claws you can normally see the claw marks in front of the footprint-once seen never forgotten,foxes will come and go to the den all day and badgers are known for being nocternal although some do come out during the day don't bank on it,A good time to watch the site is last thing just as its getting dark,Observe from a distance with the use of binoculars,Dont be put off if you dont see the animals straight away,if the food is going then they are there,Food is the key and a fox or badger will not turn down a free meal,a word of warning-DO NOT OVER FEED,Do not make the animal dependent on your handouts,Its a treat-something that can be eaten in a minute or two and that's all,When you come to the photography part i normally break the food up into tiny morsels and put then i a couple of chosen positions to keep the animal in the area longer,If you are shooting foxes then use a hide,especially if there are cubs present,a fox will move the cubs to another location if you are seen especially if you are close and all the hard work will have been in vain,if the fox does move the cubs-LEAVE THEM ALONE,Don't try again-you have blown it,The intention is to observe and get some shots and that's all,not to change their behaviour in any way,Whatever you do do not try to hand feed or socialise the animal-it will lead to their downfall as they will associate humans with food and become a pest,Badgers on the other hand do not need a hide,sitting quietly away(downwind) from the sett will suffice,Let them come to you,So now we have watched and waited and have a feeding plan going-around May/June(but could be as early as April depending on weather conditions) time there should be the pitter patter of tiny feet-or in the badger case not so tiny, I will continue this in the future with how i go about getting shots of daytime fox and night time badger