My luck with the Wildlife side of Photography continues to pay off.
Last weekend Kingfishers. This weekend, another wildlife subject I've wanted to capture for a while and once again have had no luck in locating any locally except for a single sighting a few weeks ago - the Red Fox.
I spent yesterday evening at RSPB Arne after a tip off from a fellow photographer Stuart Gay, whom I met last weekend at Blashford Lakes, that there was a fox in the area.
I set off at 3pm hoping for the best but once again not holding out much hope of seeing the fox.
After arriving at the car park I queried the RSPB staff about the Fox and where it had been sighted, figuring it would be down in the woodland near the harbour somewhere.
When I was informed that if I stayed around the two car parks I would see as it was quite frequently I was a tad shocked as I considered that to be a bit tame.
After chatting I headed through the overflow car park and started making my way up to the heath land keeping an eye out for anything red. After I left the overflow I stopped to listen for a bird for a few minutes.
As I turned round to head up the track I stopped for a second to look back to the overflow car park. It was then I saw something red moving along the enclosed deer area. I'd walked right past the Fox!
I headed back hoping it wouldn't get startled but as I got closer it vanished into the ferns. I was quite disappointed but decided to stay put, feeling a little bit stupid in front of all the tourists sat in the car park on their deck chairs eating lunch.
I sat down and then 30 seconds later, the afternoon suddenly got a lot more interesting.
Now when I said earlier that I thought the Fox may be a bit on the tame side - that was an understatement. For the rest of the Afternoon, bar the fox shifting its location between the car parks, I was able to get so close to the this Fox that I could have petted him.
Later in the afternoon I was joined by another photographer Andy Stuthridge and after brief introductions we were both graced with the Foxes presence once again and we proceeded to fire away, (with the cameras that is), and took numerous shots.
Mr. Fox was very accomodating, pausing for portrait shots, providing opportuinites for shots of him yawaning and the occasional scratch.
Sometimes the Fox was so close he was inside my lenses minimal focusing distance. Here you can see Andy Stuthridge eye to eye with the Fox.
After a further half an hour he wandered off for the evening. I then paired up with another fellow photographer, Neil Philips, and after a brief we ventured off in search of water voles that had been spotted. Sadly they never put in an appearance we decided to venture back to the overflow car park to see if the Fox would return for the evenings golden hour.
I think the Fox must have been exhausted however after posing for so many hours and for so many photographers that he decided to call it a day.
We were in with some luck however as there was a very young Sika Fawn close by which we then proceeded to snap away at before calling it a day.
All in all successful trip I feel!
Please take the time to check out the websites of fellow photographers Stuart Gay, Andy Stuthridge and Neil Philips. They have some great wildlife photography.
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