Badger portraits at night.

 

Two little deer

Out in the February woods - small deer are moving around - the first clip shows a little roe deer (perhaps a fawn from last year) and the second clip features muntjak deer. 

 

In the Midwinter Woodlands

Who is moving about in the woods this midwinter? 

A roe deer

A muntjac deer.

The roe doe again

And again

A blurry shot but this is undoubtedy a woodcock

A fast-moving badger

and

,,, a bunny

Midwinter badger

The midwinter badger does not come out every night when it is this cold (and it is very cold indeed here at the moment) but here are some images from a recent late night excursion. You can't see it well but there is a thick crust of frost on the grass and all the bird baths are frozen over but here she is availing herself of a few snacks under the cover of darkness. She looks to be in excellent condition but the ground must be cold on her little paws. 

 

Saga of the Swans

 

Pa Swan.

Mute swans are amazing birds. They are the biggest British birds and one of the biggest flying birds world-wide. They are so heavy that to take-off they need a watery run-way to fast paddle along-  speeding along with wings outstretched like some sort of avian boat-plane.  

They are mute in flight - not calling out like other swan species - but their wings make a characteristic noise as they sweep up and down and, when on the ground, they also vocalise, including the insistent fluting whistle of the youngsters asking for food and the warning honks, grumbles and hisses of protective parents. 

Last year the boating people of the Somerset Coal Canal were caught up in something of a swan saga when a swan couple decided to nest within the marina. The couple (and mute swans mate for life) chose an area off the main public walkways but close to the bustling point where the old and narrow coal canal meets the far larger Kennet and Avon canal. 

*** 

Three of their eggs hatched and, in the weeks that followed, it became apparent that in a busy waterway on the edge of a city it really 'takes a village' to help raise three hungry accident-prone fledglings. This included simple things like guiding people around them if they were blocking the path, intervening when yobs were threatening to hurt them and providing quite a lot of food!

***

Here are some images from their story in 2022 - from egg to fledgling:

Ma turning the eggs whilst Pa stands guard.

All the incubating was down to Ma.

Freshly hatched.

An early outing.

The cygnets rapidly put on weight and are soon swimming up an down the canal in a family group. They often swim with one leg cocked over their backs. I suspect this may be to help them cool off.

Many weeks later, as Autumn approaches, the three siblings are almost the size of their parents and grey fluff has given way to grey feathers with some white now starting to show through.

Tending their feathers

In the late Autumn two of the cygnets fledged and left home. One - probably the daughter - stayed with her parents until the New Year and then she too left. The parents continue to patrol the same area. 

Now a family of three. Queuing for a handout at the local cafe.

Mother and daughter take a nap together - Pa is never far away. One of the last sightings of them together. 

***

Then there were two.

***

A solitary swan - on the edge of the local floods in January 2023.

Is this one of the cygnets now all grown up?

Whales in the 21st Century

 One year ago we celebrated 75 years of the International Whaling Commission. As part of the celebration I recorded a short commentary on the situation of whales in the 21st centuary. 

I have not shared it before on my blog but now you can find it by tapping HERE.

Additionally, here is a picture I made to help commerate this in its various stages.

Water like a stone

 

This very cold December in the UK - the Kennet and Avon and Somerset Coal Canals are frozen solid.

New Tourist Attraction in London - the parrakeets of St James's Park

The late morning of November 25th was beautifully sunny in London and I malingered by the banks of the Seperpentine in St James's Park where I expected to see some of the city's wildlife. I was not disappionted.

 

The Halloween Badger

 

A day in the life of an attendee at IWC 68 (The sixty eighth meeting of the International Whaling Commission).

I was honoured to be part of the UK team at this important meeting held in Slovenia last week and, for me, it constituted ten consecutive days of meetings – all of which went something like this

1. 06.30 wake up and get up
2. Wash and dress (jacket and tie) and take COVID test (supplied by the IWC secretariat)  – if negative proceed!
3. Check messages (emails, whatsapps etc. – in fact, check repeatedly throughout the day)
4. Breakfast with strategic discussions
5. 08.00 Head to meeting room/great hall
6. Find seat and ear phones (for translation), plug in lap-top, try not to trip up delegates
7. Attend day-long meeting – with strategic coffee, tea and lunch meetings – input as appropriate (hopefully) to meeting/delegation/anyone who might be listening
8. At end of meeting (~17.00), unplug lap-top, return ear phones and exit meeting room
9.  Shower and change to slightly more casual evening outfit
10. 19.00ish attend reception/strategic dinner with team/delegates
11. ~22.00 strategic final debrief
12. ~24.00 sleep a bit

Some images of the meeting here:

The 68th meeting logo.

UK delegation mascots

Slovenian ministers and local mayor on stage with the meeting chair for the opening session.

Kate O'Connell of AWI (in the middle with Rebecca Lent (the IWC Exec Secretary) and, from NOAH the Norwegian animal welfare group, Maria Lien. 

Matt Collis (IFAW) and Niki Entrup (OceanCare) plotting
at the back of the room.

A somewhat distinguished attendee with rare purple lanyard, matching tie and discordant Swiss handkerchief. 

Team AWI - Kate and Sue Fisher (also on the UK delegation).

Front row UK Delegation poised for action

The Brazilian delegation and friends

The retiring IWC Conservation Committee Chair, Lorenzo
Rojas-Bracho and Vice Chair  (now chair), Cat Bell

Break time in the great hall

An evening reception buffet

An evening buffet being enjoyed by many, including Jose Truda Palazzo in the foreground

 

At a special evening event, Mrs Jenny Lonsdale OBE is awarded the Schweitzer Medal for her work on animal protection by Andrej Bibic, the IWC Chair (in the centre), and DJ Shubert of AWI (to the left).

Toasting Jenny! 

A rare foray into the sunshine - the UK support team - Sue, me and Lucy Babey

The Australian delegation - Dr Nick Gales - the new Vice Chair of the IWC at the microphone

The redoubtable Miguel Iniguez of Argentina and a big fan

Lucy Babey thanked for her efforts in coordinating the UK NGOs at and before the meeting. She is given the Order of the Knitted Mouse (OKM). With Ed Goodall of WDC, Sue and Sarah Dolman of EIA. 

A more formal view of the Australian delegation (thank you Alexia for this and the next photo). 

Meeting with old colleagues - Grettel, Alexia, me, Rebecca and Madison. 

 

That UK team in full.

Spain

Luxembourg

Post-meeting drink - UK delegation and NGOs.

And that is that!