Here are my favourite photos of wildlife captured in May around Castle Cary, Somerset.
This month I managed to see my first kingfisher and get a photo of it at the same time. As well as this I also saw plenty of wildlife including barn owls, bats, rabbits, foxes, deer and buzzards to name a few! Unfortunately, I can't always get a photograph of them all. For example, I watched a fox sneak up and chase rabbits but the grass was too long to get a clear photograph. It was still amazing to watch the fox in action as it chased the leaping rabbits trying to live another day. I didn't see the outcome of this hunt as they ran into a hedge and I lost sight. I never know if I want the rabbits to survive or the fox to eat. In moments like this I really feel connected with the natural world around and am grateful for the opportunity to witness these sights first-hand!
Kingfisher
Here is my first photograph of a kingfisher. I am so happy I managed to get a photograph and see one of these beautiful birds as it has been on my list for a long time. I was walking along a footpath through Carymoor early one morning and out of the corner of my eye saw a flash of orange. I couldn't believe it when I realised it was a kingfisher. I very quickly grabbed my camera and managed to take a few photos before it flew off out of sight. I hope to see another one down there again soon and capture more photographs of this beautiful and rarely seen bird.
Barn Owl
This is my best photo of a barn owl to date. I have seen the owl a few times at Carymarsh but never managed to get a good photograph of it. Being so quiet and being able to blend into the trees so well, they are easy to miss. I just managed to spot a flash of white, fly from one branch to another. Even then it took me a minute of peering through the leaves to see it. It was amazing to watch it as it sat still watching my every move. I would have loved to have taken a photograph of it in flight, but there were too many trees in the way this time. Now I know where to look, I have seen it regularly and hope to capture more photographs over time.
Deer
This month I saw a lot more deer around than I normally do. It is always such a special sight to see these magnificent creatures roaming the wilderness. I often see them on my way to the reserve too, jumping across the roadways or grazing in the surrounding fields. Last summer I was also treated to a clear view of a mother with her young, one by one they simultaneously poked their heads up into a field, full of sunflowers, until all three were watching me on a summer's evening. Perhaps the deer in the pictures above are the same ones, grown-up or even ready to produce their own young.
Great Tits
Great tits as well as blue tits are dominant in the trees and hedgerows currently. I even see them on my bird feeder at home now too.
Common Chaffinch
I love hearing the Common Chaffinch sing and chirping when I am out and about. I also love seeing the bright colours of their plumage. This is my favourite photo I have taken so far of one as it was looking for food on the floor. Here is a link to the Wildlife World YouTube channel to hear the chaffinch singing and chirping.
Grey Squirrel
Here's a grey squirrel nibbling away on some of the wild bird seed, left by another visitor to the reserve. I can often hear the squirrels dashing through the trees or calling to each other. Have you ever heard a squirrel cry? It is a very unique and somewhat daunting sound, until you realise the source! They are very inquisitive creatures, also currently visiting my bird feeder at home!
Heron
I nearly always see a heron or two down the reserve, not always to take a photo of but every now and again I manage to get one. These creatures always look as though they belong to a different age with a prehistoric grace about them! I often see them fishing at the side of the pond, waiting to make their move.
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For more of my Wildlife Photographs click here
All the photos were captured using my Canon EOS R and Sigma 150-600mm (c) lens.