South Bristol Urban Foxes

Urban foxes,

It’s been a while but finally I have had a tip off to a location in Bristol teeming with urban foxes, I spent a couple of hours crouched down out of sight from a family of urban foxes.  I couldn’t believe my eyes unto seven foxes appeared that night. I will be heading back to this location soon so keep an eye out for more images.

Wildlife Update.

It’s been awhile since my last blog, I apologise. I’ve been very busy with book stuff and work commitments  etc . But I am planning to get back into photography mode again and head out in search of barn owls and some urban photography, maybe some foxes.

Last Friday I was on BBC RADIO BRISTOL/SOMERSET SOUND, I will attach a link soon to a audio file so if you fancy you can listen. Let me know what you think!

The only wildlife watching I have been doing lately is too and from work from my car window. I did see and adder (snake) crossing the A38 two days ago I held my breath as it slowly snaked across the road. I made sure the next morning I drove back to work the same route to see if it had been flattened by a car but to my delight there was no dead snake in the road it could of been taken away by animal for food but I would like to think it made to the other side.

Other wildlife I’ve seen form my car in the last week has been buzzards, Kestrels,  magpies, Roe deer and that’s it really.

I promise my next blog will contain images of recent wildlife.  

Bristol Safari Book launch 22nd June 2011

If you get a chance read the article from Bristol Evening Post on the book launch of Bristol Safari. It was a great evening with a big turnout and all books on show were sold.

Thanks so much for everyone who turned up and brought a copy.

I would like to thank John Samson from Redcliff my publisher for giving me the opportunity to print a book  and Steve Micklewright from Avon Wildlife Trust for his help on this project.

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Waiting for a little Owl

Spent my evening tonight waiting to get a pictures of a little owl which has roosted on a friend of my parents farm. I saw it yesterday after coming back from football it was sat basking in the sun. I waited 3 hours tonight and the only wildlife I saw was this cat.

Bristol Safari book launched

My first book has been published titles Bristol Safari.
This book can be purchased from http://www.redcliffepress.co.uk/

The book is 96pp, Full colour throughout and costing £10 bargin!

 Nationally acclaimed for his brilliant  photographs of urban foxes, Ian Wade introduces us to the wonderful world of wildlife to be found in the open spaces, streets and back gardens of Bristol.  Many of these animals and birds now live more naturally in the city than in their original countryside habitats.

For more information please contact me on

ianwade1975@hotmail.com

Fox cubs - finally

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks travelling around Bristol in search of foxes and fox cubs. As you can see from my previous location in Bristol, I’ve seen no foxes but have been looked after excellently by my hosts with many cups of tea.


My most recent location was a back garden in Fishponds, near the centre of Bristol. I was sent an email guaranteeing me urban foxes and up to 5 cubs, this I could not resist! I set up in the back garden, lying on the floor in a dark area with a lot of shadow so I could make myself as invisible as possible. The great feature with this location was that the outside light  was triggered by motion. This gave me enough light to shot without a flash, so the foxes were not scared off. My host told me that when she made a clicking sound and called "grubs up" these foxes would appear on que. She made the sound and in a matter of minutes there were 4 fox cubs playing around right in front of me. I could only take pictures whilst the outside light was on, so I had to wait until the foxes triggered the sensor which meant I only had about 1 minute at a time to take photos.



What’s more, the couple in this house have built a fox flap into the side of their fence enabling these foxes to visit the garden as often as possible!

Urban Fox update (2) Southmead

 I received an email from a lady in Southmead who had been having foxes visiting her garden over a period of two years! I was invited over to see if I could capture any images of them for my book next year.

As I sat drinking a lovely cup of tea in her kitchen in pitch black waiting for the cheeky fox to apear I had a good feeling tonight I would get some images.

As we sat looking into the garden I was told that the light out the back of the house in the drive area is triggered by movement and would come on when a animal was in the area. Handy for her when she is watching East Enders when  the light comes on she rushes in to the kitchen and watches the fox.

Above pic: is the view from the window looking out to where the foxes can be seen.

Once the light had faded  we sat and waited for the fox to turn up I was told he was here between 9-10pm every night! The time now was 945 and not a single animal has been in the garden!

Above pic: The light has been triggered by movement its only a matter of time now.

As I sat looking out of the window hoping a fox would a appear the securty light came on! Eurika! I was thinking about time too!

As we both Squinted and looked out the window  we saw an animal slowely make its way slowly into the light!

Its was a bloody cat!

The cat stayed and finished off the food which was left for the fox and then disappeared back into the dark!

That was it for me. I was off back home. No foxes but I did have a lovely cup of tea tho.

Urban Fox update (1) Clifton

After my recent article in The Bristol Evening Post I have been contact by quite a few people living in Bristol with Urban Fox locations and foxes which visit gardens on a regular basis.

Reading through my emails I decided to head to a spot near Clifton Village where I was told about two locations where foxes could be spotted often.

The location was near Clifton Village, I got there about 1 hour before dusk with my camera equipment and waited. As I was sat in the street near the possible location a large chap leaving his house near where I was sat was shutting his front door and saw me sat in the street with a large telephoto lens. Before he could ask what I was doing I asked him "Silly Question, do you see many foxes here" The chap replied "yes I have hundreds of photos Ive taken of these foxes some are of living foxes and others of dead ones!"

At that point I realised I was in the right location. The man disappeared and I wait and waited and waited. The problem with urban fox photography you are often hanging around in streets after dark so the locals get twitchy and there is a lot of curtain twitching going on.

After two hours no foxes and quite a few people looking nervous out there windows at me I decided to head home and call it a day.

Avon Wildlife Trust - News Letter - Summer

Its always nice to know your images are going to a good casue and one of our best-loved wild creatures the hedgehog is under increasing threat.
Log on to:

http://www.wildhedgehogs.org.uk/

Pond skater, common water-strider

Took time out today whilst working on my final proofs for my book to see what was going on in my parents pond. You can tells spring...

Easter Rabbits

Yet again another blog which is not in the city of Bristol...sorry, but its close. These photos were taken just on the outskirts yesterday evening in a village called Felton. I m living here for a couple weeks so most of the images will be from the country side...sorry.

These pictures were hard to get. I have been after some rabbit shots and seeing it was Easter Monday yesterday I thought I would give it go.

I headed out with my camera and a 100mm -400mm lens looking for rabbits in field which would have spring flowers giving the back and fore ground a spring and summery feel. After finding that field and seeing lots of rabbits in the location I lead on my front and waited near a rabbit warren after a couple of min utes and the rabbits started to appear. I slowly edged towards the rabbits trying to hide in the grass so the rabbits could not see me after a while I managed to get close enough to start taking images. After 2 hours and lots of insects bites I decided to call it day and headed home. Here are a few of the images I took.

Red kite update

After my blog on the Red kite I saw gliding over my parents home on Sunday afternoon I was email by a person which had seen a couple of posters stuck around the village of Felton. It seems a bird handler on Felton common was flying a harris hawk and the bird seemed to disappear! From what I gather the bird is still lose in this location.

Fingers crossed the bird is reunited with its handler.

Red kite

After I blogged about this Red kite today I spoke to local villager in Felton and it seems a bird of prey escaped from a handler on Felton common recently....maybe this is that bird?

Red Kite, Somerset

2o minutes ago I was sat in my parents garden in Felton, Somerset when I saw a large bird of prey heading over their garden. I ran in side grabbed my camera and headed back out into their garden, right above me was this bird. I managed to get a couple of shots before the bird disappeared. It was only when I loaded the images onto my computer I saw that it was a Red Kite! I never herd of a Red kite being spotted in Somerset so near Bristol. Amazing this made my week. Finger crossed I will see this beautiful bird again!

Brandon Hill Nature Researve

Brandon Hill Nature park is great location for relaxing or taking photos. I headed there today with only 20 mins to spare. I love walking around this park on a bank holiday in the sun is great way to burn a couple of hours. I managed to get a couple of pics of a  Song Thrush (Turdus Philomelos) a beautiful bird.

First Blog! Badgers in Bristol

Welcome to my first blog! This being and urban wildlife blog I will try to keep all the content within the city of Bristol.

And my first blog is just about inside Bristol on the outskirts of Bedminster, Last night I headed down to a Badger set I  photographed last year in the late summer. I was spending many of hours waiting and getting the odd couple of shots. I invested in a camera trap which was great and I got some really interesting images of Badgers, Roe Deer, Mice, Rats and even a cat! But a couple of months ago it was stolen from a garden in Bristol!

So I headed back down to the huge set complex and waited and waited and waited, no badgers that night but I got a couple of nice bluebell and spider shots whilst I was waiting.

 

I will be heading back down soon after work trying to get some more images of badgers and maybe this years young....fingers crossed.

I will be heading back down soon after work trying to get some more images of badgers and maybe this years young....fingers crossed.