Its busy in the garden this time of year, the badgers come visiting every night, and the kingfishers are challenging each other battling to claim their territory before the winter months arrive. The Bees are busy feeding and the ducks are splashing (as ducks do) in the water, cooling off on a hot late August day. AND the robins are moulting after a long and very busy breeding season.

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When the kingfishers in my back garden become territorial, and the weather is like it is today, then I just have to sit in my back garden (very patiently) and wait for them to come. And if I am lucky, like I was today I can get them to sit on a perch (that I placed in the water) right in front of me..

Kingfishers are  very territorial, and as they compete for their fishing territory they still need to feed and catch fish. Usually they announce their arrival as they fly on to their next fishing perch, but today they were flying silently, perhaps trying to avoid their rivals.

The kingfisher that perched in front of my today is an adult male  – you can tell its adult by the red legs, and that it is male  by the all black beak (the females lower mandible is red )

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This spring the Mandarins had lots of babies, and just so you know how colourful they males were, and how beautiful the females and cute the ducklings were, I will post you one of each. I’ve been having a sort through my spring photos and realised I hadnt posted these.  An update of the Canada Geese Goslings coming shortly…

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I Checked out the field again, where I took yesterdays photos of the Stone Curlews, and just as I approached it a flock of 8 got Stone curlews too flight, calling out as they went. I counted another 5 that didn’t  fly off, and they were even closer to the road than yesterday and seemed pretty relaxed with my presence.. So I got a little closer,  tucked in behind a stone wall (a common sight on Fuerteventura’s landscape)  again and took these photos. All photos taken on Canon EOS 40D wth a 400mm Zoom lens, zoomed in all the way. I should buy myself an extender one of these days…

I have uploaded a few more photos into the Fuerteventura Wildlife Gallery, from where you can view the images as a slideshow.

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Stone Curlews in Fuerteventura! Always hard to spot, but a family (I counted eight in one go) took flight from a rocky field when startled by a dog who spotted them from a distance and mistook them possibly for chipmunks and began to give chase. When the dog saw flying chipmunks he gave up the chase straight away. No chance!! AND far too hot to run anyway. .

The Stone Curlews took flight from the dog, and landed again almost straight away, obviously not too alarmed  by the dog once they saw what it was. They began to group together and then slowly made their way closer.

Hiding behind one of the many stone walls, I slowly made my way closer and closer, snapping away. I think they were aware I was there but didn’t seem all that bothered by me as long as I made my way slowly and quietly. Eventually though I got that little bit too close and my feet made a little noise on the stony ground and they took flight, again just a short one. But just a little too far for my lens.

Like I said, Stone Curlews are hard to spot in the one above… very will camouflaged and only best spotted while they are moving. the moment they become stationary, the become virtually invisible.

Unfortunately now the Canada Geese parents now only have four goslings, but these are growing really quickly and looking very very healthy. The love food! They eat bread from my hands. Mum and Dan also trust me enough to and eat bread from my hands too, but as mum approaches me she hisses at me, but takes the bread so gently from my hands its fascinating.  Bread overpowering instinct !

I will be taking some more pics in the next day or two, and you will see a huge difference, they are growing so fast! The goslings necks seem to be stretching longer daily… not to mention their sizes…  They come up from the lake right up to my patio door to tell me they want feeding. If I dont come out straight away they go back to the safety of the water. If I come out with food, its like I am the mum, and they rush after me, following me all the way back down to the water for their breakfast (or lunch or dinner – whatever! )…

Thursley wildlife and birds in a Surrey Garden

Spiders webs glistening at Thursley common, in the bright sunshine on a dewy morning this last very hot weekend

Tame garden birds waiting for mealworms to feed their hungry babies.

Yesterday, a single parent Canada Goose took her 6 newly hatched goslings out onto the water for the very first time. They didn’t yet know what food is, but they began to catch on quite quickly after mum showed them that my bread is edible. Mother is very tame, so she swims up to me real close bringing her tiny cute furry babies right with her.

This gorgeous new family live on a lake at the back of my house, and the female must have arrived with her mate just over 45 days ago to build a nest and start her family by laying 6 eggs. It takes 9 days to lay 6 eggs followed by 36 days of incubation  . I never saw the male so I can only imagine he must have been taken by foxes sometime after mum had  laid the 6th egg. So mum must be fox wise now and will hopefully have learned a very valuable lesson to keep her goslings safe.

I took these pictures yesterday, thinking perhaps I may not have another photo opportunity to photograph her with all her six goslings. There are so many natural dangers around her, but this morning she still has all six. So now I can begin to hope for their survival.  I have my fingers crossed… 

Anyway, here are yesterdays photos. For more news and photos click my link —-> ‘Anitas wildlife blog’ <— click link  -  Gotta go,  feed the wildlife…

Last weeks visit to Trentham Monkey Forest was delightful.  I have just received an email that 4 healthy new born baby girls arrived in the days following my visit.. The first one of the season the very next day ! … A photo opportunity missed. but I have no complaints I am happy with my photos..

Visit Trentham Monkey Forest yourselves and experience a walk amongst the 140+ Babary macaques roaming free in 60 acres of beautiful English woodlands. Spot the new born May babies. Stroll through the forest and be transported into a different world. It is truly amazing, and loads of fun -  even on a cold and wet day.

We’ve had a barn owl visiting our property in Maui for 8 years now. I wonder if its the same one still.

I was walking down the drive at sunset, taking a stroll, and I should have had my camera with me because the barn owl flew right over my head.

He landed in a tulip tree about 100ft away, and seemed quite settled there, so I headed back to the house to fetch my camera. AND yes ! he was still there when i returned..

What a Beautiful bird !  Next time I should have my camera with me.. Tomorrows another day !