Whittling away

Spent Friday afternoon recovering from a torrid week by sitting in my car on the causeway at Whittle Dene watching a pair of Common Terns bond.

The wind was brisk and from the west so the birds always faced away and the light was up and down like a brides nightdress with occasional rain squalls to boot.

The birds didn't seem to bother though and their endless chatter and fishing flights made for an enthralling hour or so. The ringed bird is the same bird that I photographed post breeding last year and its amazing to think where it has been in the interim. Have got half the number of the ring but need to confirm it before submitting the details. Last years breeding at this location was a success so there's hope for more of the same this.



Less successful for Brock though with one dead on the Military road near Hedley on the Hill and another also seems to have met a slightly more natural end.

As I turned to walk back up the Bridleway at the west end of the reservoirs I noticed a Fox playing behing the hedge abou 150m away. It walked three paces into the field paused then dashed back into the hedge only to re-emerge and do the same another five or six times. I guess it was aware of my presence and didn't want to leave his prize so, with some difficulty, it carried this bundle away into the longer crop. I think from the size and shape it's a young badger and was suprised that a Fox would take such prey.