Life in the British landscape Archive

Roe Deer in bracken. Skye November.Capreolus capreolus

Roe deer Skye November

Red Deer turning to sun at dawn. November Cairngorm. Cervus elaphus

Red Deer Cairngorm winter dawn

Otter looking down from rock. November Skye Lutra lutra

Kylerhea otters in November

Wet Brown hare moving in before dawn. September Suffolk. Lepus europaeus

September Hares

Brown Hare running on stubble at twilight . August Suffolk. Lepus europaeus

Harvest Hares

In August as cereal crops are harvested brown hares become far more visible. The day length is still quite long and I am able to watch and photograph them early morning and at sunset. At Norton they like the wide field margins and the specially planted wildlife and game strips .

 

Muntjac deer paused in dawn light. August Suffolk. Muntiacus reevsi

Muntjac deer dawn and dusk

Muntjac deer are common but secretive. I see them most frequently at dawn and dusk slipping out of hedges and at field edges. Muntjac are very shy and wary as most landowner try to control their numbers because of the damage done to crops and woodland.

Otter bringing fish out of the water. Kylerhea Skye lutra lutra

Otters of Kylerhea

The tide is funnelled through the Sound of Sleat between Skye and the mainland twice a day. The tides bring abundant new food for the birds and animals at the narrow section of Sleat near Kylerhea. Kylerhea is one of the most reliable places to see otters I know, a few hours watching the rapidly rising and falling tides almost always rewards with  the sight of at least one otter feeding close to shore.

These photographs where taken during a week long stay at the “House on the slip” at Kylerhea. Otters can very often be seen early morning from bed through  the picture window in the spectacular sea view bedroom.

http://www.houseontheslip.co.uk/

Brown hare stepping forward out wheat. Sunny July evening Suffolk Lepus europaeus

Brown Hares Summer 2016 Norton Suffolk

After a long cold spring Summer arrived and the long bright evening s has made the Brown hares easy to watch. There are many leverets and younger hares around , they spend a lot of time interacting and chasing each other.

Barn owl turning to look round, sunny june evening after rain Suffolk. Tyto alba

Barn owls summer 2016

After a poor breeding year in 2015 the Barn owls at Halls farm and Little Haugh farm in Norton Suffolk are having a good year in 2016. There seems to be a high vole population and the owls are  hunting very successfully.

We will start to check the breeding boxes over the next few weeks , come back to hear the results.

Fox cubs in the Suffolk Landscape