Images of the Forest of Dean

Wild Boar

2012-01-02T09:32:00.001-08:00

Wild Boar, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another photograph of the wild boar, residents of the Forest of Dean.

Still

2012-01-02T09:31:00.001-08:00

Still, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This session didn't start off well, because as soon as I arrived I realised I'd left behind my remote shutter release. So I was stuck with having to manually hold down the shutter throughout each long exposure. I actually surprised myself with the sharpness of the results, considering my hands were getting colder throughout. I thank my tripod for its sturdiness, rather than any zen-like ability of mine to not move a muscle.
Anyway, this is from the banks of the River Severn from Garden Cliff, looking towards Arlingham on the other side.

Happy new year 2012

2012-01-02T09:29:00.001-08:00

See the wood for the trees, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Autumn

2011-12-01T10:14:00.001-08:00

Autumn, originally uploaded by Ben909.

An Autumn scene from the Forest of Dean.

Golden Light

2011-11-15T14:12:00.001-08:00

Golden Light, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This shot was taken during the fallow deer rut in the Forest of Dean. I have a tendency with my wildlife shots to try to get as close to the subject as I can. Quite often though, I think it makes for a better picture to show the wildlife in the context of the surroundings and habitat in which it lives... which is also a long winded way of trying to cover the fact that I alerted these deer long before I could get any nearer to them.

Wild boar video

2011-10-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

A short clip showing two young male boar having a bit of rough and tumble, then one of them decides to have a bit of a wallow.

Irish Wildlife Magazine

2011-10-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

Irish Wildlife Magazine, originally uploaded by Ben909.

There have been increasing numbers of sightings of wild boar in Ireland recently. To the best of my knowledge they haven't been captured on camera yet, so Irish Wildlife Magazine asked if they could use some pictures of the Forest of Dean's wild boar to accompany an article written by friend Martin Goulding of the British Wild Boar Organisation. I've uploaded this image in a large size, so you'll be able to read the full article if you want to.

Keep them wild!

2011-10-07T16:48:00.001-07:00

Keep them wild!, originally uploaded by Ben909.

The BBC contacted me to ask for use of a photo for their blog post today. Here's the link... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/2011/10/the-big-debate-wild-boars-in-t.shtml

As many will know, I've spent a few years watching and photographing the wild boar of the Forest of Dean. In all that time it's been an exciting, interesting, challenging and rewarding experience. I have more boar pictures than I'll ever get round to putting online, yet still I continue for that special shot... until recently. Frankly, I haven't wanted to. Whilst the boar have been gaining a lot of good publicity, with regard to a much needed closed season and a management policy founded on the basis of conservation rather than politics, something else has been happening.

People have been coming to the forest from far and wide, and no doubt from nearby too, hoping to see the boar. Simultaneously, people have been feeding the boar, and to such an extent that I know of at least 4 groups that are now tame. Having spent years watching an elusive, mostly nocturnal, secretive and mysterious creature as unobtrusively as I could, I now see them in car parks, lay-bys, road-sides, illuminated by the headlights of a line of cars, while adults clap to get them to look in their direction for a picture, throw food at them, hand-feed them, or in daylight with children approaching them with their mobile phones.

It's upsetting to see so many years of re-establishment being undone so quickly. Yet these people intend no harm - many of them have had a once in a lifetime experience, It's hard to criticise people for pulling over and having a look - who wouldn't stop to see a species they've never seen before? But the ultimate consequence of all of this is that these tame boar will be shot by the F.C. I have little doubt that many of the boar described have already been shot, and if they haven't they probably soon will be. Through no fault of their own, they've lost their 'wild', and you could argue that removing them from the population is the best thing to do at this stage. But it shouldn't have got to this stage - people must stop feeding the boar. By all means go in to the forest and try to track them down - you'll have a great time and a truly special experience. But for the sake of their very chances of a continued existence in the forest, the feeding needs to stop.

Whilst the F.C's current boar management policy has led to an ever-decreasing average age of boar in the forest, leading to inexperienced sows raising their young, they are now having to contend with artificial temptations that are chisseling away at their instincts for survival. In other words, when the time comes, they'll probably queue up to be shot. Fortunately there are still wild wild boar in the forest, but let's keep them that way.

Another wild boar video

2011-09-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

Another wild boar video, this time from June this year.

May Hill (IR)

2011-09-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

May Hill (IR), originally uploaded by Ben909.

May Hill, shot in infrared.
The Hill used to be known as Yartleton Hill, but may have been renamed because of the May Day activities there. The top of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Wild Boar video

2011-09-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Some wild boar mooch about in the Forest earlier this month. More of my videos here on youTube.

Fallow Deer

2011-09-10T15:32:00.001-07:00

Fallow Deer, originally uploaded by Ben909.

A fallow deer in the Forest of Dean, late afternoon.

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean

2011-08-30T07:45:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This shot was from July. I've got more wild boar photos than I could put online, but I'll continue to put some select pictures online now and then. I liked the colour and dappled light on this one.

Summer Exhibition

2011-08-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say that my summer exhibition is now up and running at the Dean Heritage Centre (http://www.deanheritagecentre.com/) until 22nd September. It's already received a lot of positive feedback, which is something of a relief!
Here's a cutting from the local newspaper...

Luminarium

2011-07-24T14:06:00.001-07:00

Luminarium, originally uploaded by Ben909.

We visited the Levity III luminarium today, which is currently visiting Lydney. It's basically a large maze of colour, curves and geometry... architects-of-air.com/.
If any local visitors to this blog can find the time to visit before it leaves, I recommend you do.
Levity III is inspired by the beauty of natural geometry and by Islamic architecture. It features winding passages of small domes inspired by repetitious forms found in the bazaards of Iran.

Grace (infrared)

2011-07-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

Grace (infrared), originally uploaded by Ben909.

I finally committed to getting my old 450D converted for IR. This is just a test shot really, so that I could experience the novelty of shooting a living, moving thing in IR (I'm used to exposures of several minutes when shooting IR). The coverted camera is not a replacement to shooting IR through a filter - I'll still be doing that too. The conversion uses a stronger filter than I'm used to (colour will be very limited - this hasn't been converted to b/w), and should make for some interesting shots once I've got to grips with it. This was taken at 1/60 sec at ISO100.

Muntjac

2011-07-21T14:09:00.001-07:00

Muntjac, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is another species I'd been really keen on capturing this year. Whilst I haven't really managed quite what I wanted, I'm still pleased. These are the hardest deer to see in the Forest of Dean, partly because they're so small, and also because they don't exist in any great number here. This was captured a couple of evenings ago. I'm really hoping to improve on this shot some time. I could hardly believe my eyes this evening when I saw one of these chasing a fox! I was in no position to get a picture though, so had to make do with just watching.

Silver Birch

2011-07-15T03:20:00.001-07:00

Silver Birch, IR, originally uploaded by Ben909.

An infra-red shot of a path lined by silver birch in the forest.

Fox Cub

2011-07-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

Fox Cub, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I've been noticing the evenings drawing in a bit, so I've been having a bit of a panic regarding various ongoing wildlife projects, and had little time for Flickr or much else. I think some of it will just have to wait until next year. One thing I really wanted to capture this year was fox cubs. Those plans were spoiled a month or so ago, and I'd all but given up for this year. However, a turn of fortune has resulted in this, hopefully the first of more to come. I photographed this cub at about 9.30 in the evening, hand-held at 1/25 sec, F5.6, ISO3200. I'm hoping next time that I'll manage an earlier shot, and next year, I will get those tiny cub pictures I've been after :)

Boing!

2011-07-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Boing!, originally uploaded by Ben909.

A fallow deer in flight in the Forest of Dean.

Video - Wild Boar, Forest of Dean

2011-06-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Video - Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is a series of exerpts from a much larger amount of video that I shot this month. However, the video is 6 minutes long, and this is just 90 seconds. The full 6 minutes is available on youtube here. I've reduced the video resolution from 1920 x 1080 to 720 x 576 to give my slow connection a chance!

Close Encounters

2011-06-18T18:49:00.001-07:00

Close Encounters, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This shot is one of a series from perhaps the most exciting, and at times heart-pounding, wild boar encounter I've had yet. They were on a hillside completely covered in fern, in many places way above my head. It was all very 'Jurassic Park' with ferns shaking and moving all over the place (there are youngsters about too), and very few actual glimpses of the boar. In order to get any visibility I ended up lying down under the fern canopy after this shot, from where I managed a lot more shots. I have a huge respect for these elusive creatures, and fell in love with them the very first time I found them. I also got quite a few minutes of HD video, which might also find its way on to the blog.

Elephant Hawk Moth

2011-06-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Elephant Hawk Moth, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was in our garden on the coal bunker. This shot was taken in the same place, but with the addition of a piece of paper to make him stand out a bit better.

Fallow Deer

2011-06-12T18:35:00.001-07:00

Fallow Deer, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Photographed a week or two ago in the forest.

BBC Springwatch

2011-06-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

This week the BBC contacted me to say they wanted to use one of my wild boar photographs on the Springwatch programme. It was unexpected, particularly as a year ago, they also showed a number of my pictures. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant surprise, as was Kate Humbles admission that it was her favourite picture that week :) Here's the (very short) clip...

and here's the clip that was shown a year ago...

Wood Mouse video

2011-05-28T18:13:00.001-07:00

Wood Mouse video, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another attempt at video, this time on a tiny wood mouse. Wood mice inhabit forests, grasslands, and cultivated fields. Almost entirely nocturnal and terrestrial, wood mice burrow extensively, build nests of plants and live in buildings during harsh seasons. While foraging, wood mice pick up and distribute visually conspicuous objects, such as leaves and twigs, which they then use as landmarks during exploration.
All according to Wikipedia, of course.

Red Fox

2011-05-27T08:24:00.001-07:00

Red Fox, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken a couple of weeks ago. He appeared right at the end of the track as a mere speck, and I hit the deck under an overhanging gorse bush, hoping it would continue along the track. There was time to rattle off a few shots, but it heard the shutter and then spotted a tiny bit of movement, and ran.

Wild Boar video

2011-05-27T08:23:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar video - re-uploaded, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I shot this a couple of evenings ago. The camera-work is pretty shaky. All these boar in the video are maybe two to three months or so old, still stripy and pretty small. The parent sow is further away out of shot throughout the video. When the piglets get my scent they run in her direction at the end. I definitely need some practice at shooting steady video!

Leucistic Fallow Deer

2011-05-20T19:07:00.001-07:00

Leucistic Fallow Deer, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is a pretty rare sight in the Forest of Dean, so I was pleased to see it today. The shot has been quite heavily cropped. If I'd made an attempt to get closer, it would have bolted. I got a number of shots of it, but the rest are fairly 'samey'. I'm hoping this bodes well for the weekend, as it's been a pretty quiet week as far as the wildlife is concerned.

Short wild boar video

2011-05-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

Short wild boar video, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I'd finished taking some photos of this wild boar last night, and decided to try the video function of the new camera while it munched on something it had unearthed. Considering the poor light, and my complete inability to operate the video properly, it wasn't too bad for a first go. It's only a few seconds long as my CF card was full!

Wild Boar

2011-05-13T18:17:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Photographed in the Forest a couple of evenings ago. I'm so grateful for the lighter evenings now!

Bluebells

2011-05-01T05:52:00.001-07:00

Forest of Dean Bluebells, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Photographed on Monday in the forest.

Wild Boar (sus scrofa), Forest of Dean

2011-04-24T03:44:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar (sus scrofa), Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This shot (taken in March) is dedicated to two determined friends who travelled 100+ miles today with the hope of seeing wild boar with me. We found two sounders (much to my relief!), and despite being pretty close to both groups, the views weren't great and pretty short (sorry guys). At least there was time for a few snaps and it was a great day to be out. Plenty photographers in the forest today, and it was scorching.
There's at least two more piglets in the background on this picture. The two mothers were nearby, right of shot, with the less adventurous youngsters.

Female adder

2011-04-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

Female adder, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another adder, photographed last week in the forest.

Wasted Opportunity (male adder)

2011-04-16T04:48:00.001-07:00

Wasted Opportunity (male adder, Forest of Dean), originally uploaded by Ben909.

I'm still kicking myself about this shot. I messed up. I'd taken a few shots of the adder as he basked motionless in the sun. Then just as I finished and moved back a little, he did a huge yawn, revealing those fangs. By the time I'd found him again in the viewfinder he'd started to close his mouth (it was wider than this!), and my aperture setting was inadequate. One of those shots that look great on the little preview on the camera, but result in disappointment as soon as they're reviewed later.

[untitled]

2011-04-03T14:46:00.001-07:00

[untitled], originally uploaded by Ben909.

I can't think of a title. I must have no end of photos called 'Fallow Deer'. At least this one's a bit different. It's one of a small herd that was grazing on a long clearing for the power lines in the forest.

Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa)

2011-03-31T11:50:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa), originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another shot from this encounter with the newest arrivals to the Forest of Dean. You can just about make out another young one in the background rooting the forest floor, and another one trying to muscle in at the corner in the foreground. There were two sows present - more pictures soon :)

Another adder

2011-03-29T23:51:00.001-07:00

Another adder, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Shame about all the grass on this one. The eye reflects all the grass that he was under, as well as reflecting me.

Adder

2011-03-24T13:29:00.001-07:00

Adder, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Saw two or three adders today, but mostly they didn't want to pose for pictures. Managed to get this one though, and a couple of very close ones. Always tricky to get a clear view of them without grass and stuff in the way. Found a grass-snake yesterday too, but again, no picture :(

Winter Glow

2011-03-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

Winter Glow, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken back on Christmas Eve, 2009. Not sure why it's taken so long for it to find its way online, but here it is.

Wild Boar Sow

2011-03-21T18:46:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar Sow, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is one of two wild boar sows that were looking after 10-12 young (not in shot), photographed last weekend in the Forest.

They're back! :)

2011-03-13T15:17:00.001-07:00

They're back! :), originally uploaded by Ben909.

It's taken me two or three weeks to find them, but I've finally found my first wild boar piglets of this year! I got quite a lot of pictures of them, along with the parent sows. It's that time of year again, and I've still got tons of shots from last year that I haven't uploaded!

Me elsewhere...

2011-03-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Before I started this blog, I also regularly posted images, not only from the Forest of Dean, to Flickr, and I still regularly do. Since then I've started my 'proper' site from which it is possible to buy images, and then with that went the seemingly obligatory facebook and twitter feeds. Then there's the very occasional youTube video, and my silly mobile phone photography blog... you get the point. So I decided to set up yet another site, specifically to bring together all the other stuff in to one place. Here it is - www.benlocke.co.uk

A Passage In Time

2011-03-05T17:38:00.001-08:00

A Passage In Time, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was shot late last night in the Forest of Dean (Plump Hill). It was done with 103 x 30 second exposures, so shows just under an hour's worth of the Earth's rotation. A torch was used to illuminate the foreground in the final exposure. If it weren't for the frost that was forming throughout the shoot, the weather was perfect with not a cloud in the sky.

We've Won!

2011-02-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

WE'VE WON! The government has just confirmed they're totally scrapping the forest sell-off. The phoney consultation has been cancelled. The sinister legal changes to pave the way for privatisation have been dropped.
This decision affects all of the forests included in the consultation, which is great news - not just the Forest of Dean. On a local level though, full credit to the HOOF team for their unrelenting effort - that was a first class campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12488847
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/17/forest-sell-off-abandoned-sorry-caroline-spelman
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/forests/8330702/Government-abandons-forest-sell-off.html

Wyedean Rally

2011-02-13T12:39:00.001-08:00

Wyedean Rally, originally uploaded by Ben909.

It was the Wyedean Rally in the Forest of Dean yesterday. It always brings a lot of spectators in to the forest, but it's not my sort of thing really. We only saw a few of the cars and a small herd of traumatised deer.
1/15 sec, ISO 100, F8

Chaaaarge!

2011-02-05T10:47:00.001-08:00

Chaaaarge!, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is the same boar as pictured in my previous upload. I spent quite some time with him, and on occasion I pushed my luck a bit too much. This picture was taken just before a charge - not quite what you want when you're squatted down with a camera stuck to your face! Boar do not charge unprovoked - I really was a little too close. The charge was only a warning, or a 'dummy' charge, stopping short a couple of metres or so. Didn't stop me from taking cover behind the nearest tree trunk though! This is definitely how not to go about watching wild boar :) We parted company on much better terms - I recorded some video of him putting himself back to bed later on, and will get that uploaded soon.

Let Sleeping Boar Lie

2011-02-03T12:59:00.001-08:00

Let Sleeping Boar Lie, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Sometimes I'm not always as stealthy (or as sensible!) as I should be when photographing our wildlife. I found this male wild boar asleep last weekend. I took a few snaps as I quietly approached, until finally I saw his eye flick open in the viewfinder. A split second after this shot he was on his feet and ran away in the other direction. This was not the end of this encounter though by a long way... I'll share some more photos soon :)

Contentment

2011-01-30T04:15:00.001-08:00

Contentment, originally uploaded by Ben909.

A young wild boar suckles the milk from its mother in the Forest of Dean.

The government has released the details of its public consultation on the sale of our forests. In summary, the proposal is that 'heritage' forests (eg Forest of Dean, New Forest) are handed to charities (though which, and what happens when the money runs out remains unclear, and the law will still be changed to enable a future sell-off without further recourse to Parliament), other forests to be sold to 'the community and civil society' ('cos we've all got bags of money to spare at the moment right?), and commercial forests to be sold to big business. Already the least forested country in Europe, this government won't be happy until it's all off-limits and in the hands of their tory mates.

Hands Off Our Forest - The Forest of Dean campaign.
The national petition - now over 310,000 signatures and growing.

Every day the pressure mounts on David Cameron and his government to ditch the undemocratic and widely hated Public Bodies Bill. In the last few days a YouGov poll, numerous national press articles and letters signed by the powerful and famous all say the same thing - we want to keep our forests as they are!

Watchman

2011-01-21T18:08:00.001-08:00

Watchman, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This stone sculpture is one of a number on Plump Hill in the Forest of Dean, overlooking Mitcheldean. Shot in infra-red over 55 seconds on a very windy day.

Doe, a deer...

2011-01-15T07:03:00.001-08:00

Doe, a deer..., originally uploaded by Ben909.

A group of female fallow deer, taken last year in the Forest of Dean.

Forest of Dean - Not For Sale

2011-01-04T10:35:00.001-08:00

Forest of Dean - Not For Sale, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Following up from my post of the 23rd December, these were taken at a local demonstration in the Forest of Dean yesterday. (BBC News)
The Forest of Dean is under threat as never before. Government plans to sell it off will limit access and destroy centuries of tradition. The mixed broad-leaf and conifer woodlands, so well managed by the Forestry Commission as an amenity for all, will be ruined. Please visit the Hands Off Our Forest campaign's web site and show your support by signing the petitions. Please also visit 38degrees and sign the petition there. The website of the local tory MP and cabinet minister (Mark Harper) is unavailable at the moment, presumably because it was full of promises to preserve the forest - something that is completely at odds with his new-found stance. He's very much in favour of selling off the forest - no doubt propelling his political career further. He refused to attend today, nor to send a representative. You can read about him at this page though, and email him here. It's not just a local problem either - it's not just the Forest of Dean that's being proposed to be sold - it's ALL our forests.

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T02:55:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is one of the big beech trees in my garden. The light source is a security light. I inadvertently left another light on which I didn't want in the shot, so ended up mirroring the image. I might have a go at doing it properly some time.
Wishing everyone a very happy new year.

Christmas Morning

2010-12-29T04:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas Morning, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Grace on Christmas morning in the forest.

Forest of Dean - Not For Sale

2010-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

The Forest of Dean is under threat as never before. Government plans to sell it off will limit access and destroy centuries of tradition. The mixed broad-leaf and conifer woodlands, so well managed by the Forestry Commission as an amenity for all, will be ruined. Please visit the Hands Off Our Forest campaign's web site and show your support by signing the petitions and attending the rally at Speech House on January 3rd. Please also visit 38degrees and sign the petition there. The local tory MP and cabinet minister's website is unavailable at the moment, presumably because it was full of promises to preserve the forest - something that is completely at odds with his new-found stance. You can read about him at this page though, and email him here. It's not just a local problem either - it's not just the Forest of Dean that's being proposed to be sold - it's ALL our forests.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-19T16:33:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Just wanted to wish a merry Christmas to everyone who takes the time to look at my photos. Thank you all for your very kind comments and support this year - it really is appreciated.

Another badger

2010-11-26T10:52:00.001-08:00

Another badger, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Here's another badger I photographed in the forest earlier this year. Next year I hope to get some more interesting shots of them... all my close-up pictures are a little bit 'samey'.

Autumn Light

2010-11-06T06:50:00.001-07:00

Autumn Light, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Once again this year I didn't manage to get the shots of the fallow rut that I wanted, but other sights were seen, and other photos taken, and I can't complain. And there's always next year :)

Fallow Deer, Forest of Dean

2010-10-30T03:45:00.001-07:00

Fallow Deer, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Took this one in the forest at the weekend. She kept walking towards me to within about 12 feet or so, but a good hiding place and a favourable breeze meant she didn't detect me. There's a nice looking buck around there too which is what I was really hoping to capture.
www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests

Wild Boar

2010-10-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, originally uploaded by Ben909.

After 2-3 months of not seeing any wild boar, I've had 4 separate sightings in the last couple of weeks. This one is a pretty large male I photographed last Sunday. Those tusks should be a lot more visible in another year or so.

Autumn Fallow Deer

2010-10-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

Autumn Fallow Deer, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This isn't quite what I set out to photograph, but I'm quite pleased with it. It's pretty much the peak of the rutting season for the fallow deer. Their belching calls are echoing through the forest, and the deer are all very active.

Past Times

2010-10-16T18:27:00.001-07:00

Past Times, originally uploaded by Ben909.

An IR shot of a barn in the Forest of Dean.

Heron

2010-10-11T14:12:00.001-07:00

Heron, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I don't usually photograph birds, but this heron was perched almost on the side of the road and I couldn't resist pulling over. I used the car window for a tripod and failed to get as close or as crisp as I wanted, but after a slight crop and a black and white conversion, it's not so bad.

Young Wild Boar, Forest of Dean

2010-10-10T04:07:00.001-07:00

Young Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

After a couple of months of being unable to catch up with any wild boar, I found some this week whilst walking the dog. It was too dark for pictures even if I'd had the camera with me, but they're always a joy to see. (This photo of a youngster was taken in August).
If anyone's interested in seeing the wild boar in the Forest of Dean, they will be on TV tomorrow, at 8pm on ITV1 on 'Wild Britain with Ray Mears', along with other wildlife of the forest.
"That’s something very few people in Britain have seen. It’s an animal that really should be in our landscape but the challenge will be for us to learn to live alongside it because I think we’re going to see a lot more of these animals in the future." – Ray Mears.

Adders, Nadders & The Nasal Shift

2010-10-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

Adders, Nadders & The Nasal Shift, originally uploaded by Ben909.

After a week of pink evening skies and atmospheric mists, and some very active fallow deer whilst walking the dog, I was looking forward to capturing similar scenes this weekend, swapping the dog for the camera. Typically with wildlife photography, it didn't go to plan. No doubt if I'd left the camera at home and taken the dog instead, it would have been different. So here's an adder I prepared earlier.
There is a small but well known group of words in English in which the combination with the indefinite article led to the shifting of the nasal from the article to the noun itself. Thus a nadder became known as an adder, and a napron became an apron. These words are listed in etymological dictionaries but with no comment on the reasons for movement of the nasal.

Wild Boar

2010-09-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

It seems about time to post another wild boar picture, living wild and free in the Forest of Dean. I haven't managed to find any for a while but I've got my eye on a few locations. Still plenty in the archive though :)

Awre Sunset

2010-09-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Awre Sunset, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken back in April, on the River Severn, Awre.

Wish them luck

2010-09-18T05:04:00.001-07:00

Wish them luck, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I'll try to refrain from having a rant here, as most of those reading will already know what my opinion is. The government has set out plans to license farmers in England to shoot badgers on their land. There is a school of thought that suggests a cull may worsen the problem though. As usual, science has little influence over policy. Fortunately, I don't expect any of the badgers I photograph to be affected by this, as they're all dwelling at various setts deep in the Forest, away from any livestock and farms.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11314871
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11303939
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/3460606/Cattle-not-badgers-are-reservoir-of-bovine-TB.html

Blue?bells

2010-08-27T15:48:00.001-07:00

Blue?bells, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken back in May, when the forest floor was covered in bluebells. Not that you can really see them in infra-red! I just wondered what it would look like, and thought it made a change from the usual.

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean

2010-08-02T23:47:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This shot shows a sow with one of her young - there are 5 others out of shot. The youngsters have almost lost their stripes and are now a reddish colour. I love the eyebrows on the wild boar - the silver hair on this one really shows them off :)

Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes)

2010-07-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Red Fox, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

The high vegetation of the forest is making spotting wildlife tricky at the moment, so this was a bit of good fortune. I'm hoping to get some better fox shots soon.

Badger, Forest of Dean

2010-07-17T04:46:00.001-07:00

Badger, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is a badger I first photographed last year. The sett appears to consist of one less badger this year (only 3 now). The eyes may look a little unnatural - they had a horrible case of 'green-eye' (the badger equivalent of human 'red-eye') from the flash. I've done the best I can to correct them. There's another blurry badger in the background. At one point, a fox walked through too, but in the darkness I originally mistook it for another badger. Shame, as it would have been nice to get a fox and a badger in the same shot.

Wild Boar Sow (video), Forest of Dean

2010-07-09T19:12:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar Sow, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken last night. I took a number of photos, but the light was really poor under the tree canopy in the twilight, so I reached for the phone to try a bit of video. This is a small sow, probably parenting for the first time, accompanied by her six young (not in this video).
Top tip: Do not stand on a wasps nest that has just been unearthed by a wild boar, wearing trainers and cut-off trousers. I wondered what the weird humming noise was until my ankle was on fire with stings. I think the boar then probably wondered what the hopping, cursing human was all about too. It made the drive home 'interesting' too.

Buttercups

2010-07-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

Buttercups, originally uploaded by Ben909.

A fallow doe in the Forest of Dean, munching on some buttercups.

Wild Boar Suckling, Forest of Dean

2010-07-06T15:16:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar Suckling, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This is one of the shots that was on Springwatch that I haven't got round to uploading until now. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing of shots I guess, but it's not something you see every day, and not something I expect to see so close up again any time soon. Here's the TV clip again.

Wild Boar

2010-06-27T04:06:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken last month at dusk. I'd spotted a group from some distance away, just as they were waking up for the night. After feeding the little ones they started to head off to where they were going, and I was spotted. This sow wasn't very pleased - note the swishing tail. This is the last photo from that evening as I respectfully walked away at that point. The coat of this boar is making the transition from the reddish brown colour of a juvenile boar to the black colour of the adult.

Badger Cub

2010-06-27T04:05:00.003-07:00

Badger Cub, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken on Thursday night in the Forest. It's one of at least six cubs that share a sett with at least two adults. The cubs emerged before the adults. The adults didn't hang about, heading off in to the Forest as soon as they came above ground, but I was able to spend a couple of hours watching the cubs.

New Toy

2010-06-27T04:05:00.001-07:00

New Toy, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I've acquired a new toy :) It's a 35mm 'stealth' cam. I'll attach it to a tree somewhere in the forest and see what it captures. It's triggered by motion and has a reasonably powerful flash. It's not going to take any quality pictures, but it'll be fun to find out what it sees. I've got to find a suitable location first, and I don't know how long it will take for the film to fill, but expect some grainy date-stamped pictures some time soon :)

A new look!

2010-06-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

This blog has been running for a year and 2 months, and I thought it was about time it had a fresh look. I wouldn't be surprised if I tinker a bit more with it (or maybe even completely change it again!), but for now I think this will do. In the time the blog has been running, my photography has improved quite a bit, so if you're new to the blog, stick with the more recent posts ;) As always, a wider range of my photos from beyond the Forest of Dean can be seen on my Flickr pages.

Finally, if anyone is reading this from my Tumblr pages, please note that I'll probably shut it down soon - it's best to use this address instead. The whole idea of Tumblr's aggregation of multiple sources is great, but I've found the pulls from Flickr to be too unreliable. My Tumblr site was always intended to be completely automated and for a while it worked perfectly, but lately too many of the items in the Flickr RSS just aren't coming through.

Wild Boar remastered (as seen on tv!)

2010-06-10T14:57:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar remastered (as seen on tv!), originally uploaded by Ben909.

It was a real treat for me to have some of my boar photos featured on Springwatch last night - my thanks to the BBC for wanting to show them. One photo provoked some discussion amongst the presenters about photoshop, and whether or not photos like this should be photoshopped. Personally, as far as wildlife photography is concerned, I tend to do little more than a bit of noise reduction and exposure correction where needed, and try to make the best of the situation around me when I shoot. It's not really practical to compose exactly as you might like when it comes to wild boar. I love all that Photoshop can do, despite my lack of ability with it, but I tend to reserve it for non-wildlife subjects. However, I thought I'd have a go at Chris Packham's suggestion of removing the offending blade of grass. I'm not sure if I've done a very good job, but it only took 10 minutes. I guess it doesn't particularly alter the 'honesty' of the picture as it is just a single blade :)

Here's a recording of the segment of the show....

Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa)

2010-06-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another shot from last month. The piglets are born with characteristic brown and yellow stripes. These are lost at 3-4 months, in place of a reddish coat, which is eventually replaced by an almost black coat.

Adder (Vipera Berus)

2010-05-26T23:34:00.001-07:00

Adder (Vipera Berus), originally uploaded by Ben909.

Taken in April this year.

Badger

2010-05-22T15:27:00.001-07:00

Badger, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

It looks like the badger could well be on course to end up as the first victims of the new Tory (coalition) government. "Ministers are preparing to order targeted badger culls in England in a move that will delight farmers who believe it the prime factor in the spread of TB through their dairy herds – and enrage many animal welfare groups" (Link)... Are vaccinations really so difficult?
This photo is from last years archives.

Wild Boar Piglet

2010-05-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

It was such a treat to be able to get so close to the boar on this occasion, but on occasion the inquisitive youngsters got a little too close for comfort (and for focussing!). They don't pose a risk in themselves of course, but that convenient black background is actually mummy boar, and she's quite big :)

55 at the 7

2010-05-18T13:54:00.001-07:00

55 at the 7, originally uploaded by Ben909.

55 seconds at the River Severn. The Severn is the longest of the rivers in the UK and has the greatest water flow, and the greatest tidal range. And probably the most mud too. This was taken back in February this year.

Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa)

2010-05-16T03:43:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

These two spent a minute or so chasing each other round and round the tree, playing rough and tumble.

Wild Boar, Learning From Mum

2010-05-14T17:29:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Learning From Mum, originally uploaded by Ben909.

The boar are fully weaned by 3 or 4 months. Until then, they have plenty time to practice foraging for their own food. It was particularly nice to see these two rooting around side by side. The youngsters are deceptively strong, and are capable of getting almost as 'stuck in' as the grown-ups.

Wild Boar, Standing Proud

2010-05-10T15:27:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Standing Proud, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken at the same time as the previously posted shots. I was able to track them down again this evening, a couple of miles or so away from last time. They were much harder to get shots of tonight, but I still managed a few that I'm pleased with. I'll post a few more from the previous encounter first :)

Grace in the bluebells

2010-05-09T14:36:00.001-07:00

Grace in the bluebells, originally uploaded by Ben909.

I think I may have missed the bluebells at their best - Many of them seemed a little tired and wilted today. Then again there were plenty that didn't appear to have opened yet too. Grace didn't seem to care :)

Slow Water

2010-05-09T04:03:00.001-07:00

Slow Water, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another shot taken from one of the rock shelves in the River Severn as the tide was turning, with Sharpness on the horizon.
242 seconds, F18, ISO100

Wild Boar

2010-05-05T23:51:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar - Feeding Time, originally uploaded by Ben909.

As far as the little ones were concerned, it was always feeding time, but here the two sows led down on the grass, almost touching noses with each other, as ten thirsty mouths got stuck in. I've got to admit I'm still smiling about capturing this :)

Wild Boar Piglet

2010-05-05T23:50:00.003-07:00

Wild Boar Piglet, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

The little piglet seemed popular before, so here's another one. It's amazing to think it what it will grow in to in the near future. The sows must have been exhausted. They've been looking after 10 of these for the past 3 or 4 weeks, and they're full of energy and constantly hungry. This shot was taken during a brief respite from playing, fighting, digging, suckling, running around, and generally enjoying life.

Wild Boar

2010-05-05T23:50:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Here's one of the two proud Mums. Wild Boar are very elusive animals, and notoriously difficult to see. This will sound incredibly hypocritical in the context of these photos, but they shouldn't be approached, particularly when with their young. You can't outrun a wild boar! I've been watching the boar for about two years, and getting good natural shots of them exhibiting some of the behaviour I've captured has long been a goal of mine. A large number of the shots won't be going on Flickr, and all have been drastically reduced in size. I know a lot of people don't share my enthusiasm for the boar... I'll try to chuck in some non-boar photos soon :)

Wild Boar Feeding

2010-05-04T03:53:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar Feeding, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

One of the big challenges with photographing wild boar is capturing their natural behaviour. Most of their senses are superb, meaning that most of the time they'll be aware of you before you are of them. This is why so many of my past boar shots have shown the boar looking straight at me. Behaviour doesn't come much more natural than this - it was an absolute privilage to be able to see and photograph this scene. The piglets are about 3 or 4 weeks old, and will continue to suckle for a while yet. They're not picky about who they suckle from either - this is two litters and two mothers, but when it comes to feeding, neither the sows nor the piglets pay too much attention to whose mum is whose.

Wild Boar Piglet

2010-05-03T17:43:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar Piglet, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Bingo! It's taken plenty of effort, but finally I've got a series of wild boar piglet shots I think I can be happy with. In fact, today I managed to watch behaviour (and photograph much of it) that I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to see.
This little chap is part of a sounder consisting of ten piglets and two sows. I posted a photo of one of those sows on April 22nd. There's a 50% chance that the black blob in the background of this shot is her. I've been on the trail of this group since, and today the effort paid off, more so than I could have wished for in fact. Long time followers of my blog will be used to my wild boar ramblings by now, and will be prepared for the slew of boar photos that will no doubt follow. In advance of me milking this, I apologise...

Common Lizard

2010-05-02T09:14:00.001-07:00

Common Lizard, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

The viviparous lizard or common lizard is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other reptile species, and most populations are viviparous (giving birth to live young), rather than laying eggs as most other lizards do. The viviparous lizard feeds on invertebrates, mostly small insects. It shakes larger prey in its jaws before chewing it and swallowing it whole. In early spring, late autumn, and cool summer days it basks in the sun to reach its optimum body temperature.
wikipedia info

River Severn at Awre

2010-05-01T04:19:00.001-07:00

River Severn at Awre, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Another shot from February. Taken from the banks of the River Severn at Awre.
30 seconds, F14, ISO100, ND110

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean

2010-04-22T15:41:00.001-07:00

Wild Boar, Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Finally, I got to see some of this years piglets! :) Unfortunately, they were so small they barely show up on any of the photos, but they were a treat to see. (click on the photo for a poor photo of one).
Unlike the non-native fallow deer who are currently enjoying the benefits of a closed season on shooting, the native (albeit long extinct until recent years) wild boar do not enjoy this luxury. Whilst they are busy trying to look after their young, the Forestry Commission is continuing to shoot them. In the past two weeks I've found plenty evidence that the boar are being shot at this important time. There seems to still be a policy of reducing the population, even though the population is very much unknown.
This photo shows one of the sows. The sounder consisted of two sows and something like 8-10 piglets. There's almost certainly one behind the tree or the grass in this shot, but they're so small that most of the time they were hidden. This particular sow is shown here trotting towards the camera for a closer look at what's going on (poor eyesight). Soon afterwards, she turned back to the group and headed off.

Volcanic Sunset

2010-04-17T05:34:00.001-07:00

Volcanic Sunset, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken last night on the banks of the River Severn at Awre. Britain remains a no-fly zone as the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud could jam aircraft engines, as has happened in previous incidents of planes flying into plumes of volcanic ash. The last eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano system that is creating the problems was on 20 March, when a 0.5km-long fissure opened up on the eastern side of the glacier at the Fimmvoerduhals Pass.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8623301.stm
The cone shaped baskets in this picture are placed in putcher frames to catch salmon.

Piercefield View

2010-04-11T23:36:00.001-07:00

Piercefield View, originally uploaded by Ben909.

This was taken from grounds of the old Piercefield House estate in Monmouthshire, looking towards the Severn Bridge, just visible in the distance.
69 secs, F10, ISO100, R72