Day 201 - Identity Crisis

into the night

This evening, all my photo's are chronologically contrary...starting with this atmospheric shot of a skittish corvid fleeing the scene of an unsuccessful scavenge...

As Anna and I were idly chatting, and I was sorting photo's for this blog, there was a loud (yet frustratingly inconclusive) croak from the garden.   

Half an hour earlier (continuing the reverse chronology), I'd noticed a distinctly distasteful smell coming from under my desk, and realised that our little vole friend that Loz released into the lounge, only to lose it under my desk a couple of days ago, must have died under there.  

I dug a few things out of the way, and soon found a large female bank vole amongst the usual behind-the-desk detritus...she was fat, pregnant, and very, very dead.

I took her out and left her carcass on the patio, remarking to Anna that it would make a welcome meal for a raven or crow. 

So when we heard the croak a little while later, we immediately realised that the vole had already been discovered...as I jumped up quickly and grabbed the camera, I could see the big black bird out on the lawn, and grabbed a quick snap through the window:

craven

With an ambiguous croak, we can't reach consensus over whether this is a crow or a raven...the jury is still out. 

I went to the front door, but before I got there, he spooked and flew into the tree next door.  I got to the door and saw that Loz was out on the patio, and it was probably her that was deterring him, being only a few feet away from the stinky dead vole. 

I stepped outside and he immediately took his leave, which was when I grabbed the main photo of the day.   You can't identify the bird clearly, but it's a lovely silhouette against an interesting sky, and nicely framed by the foliage. 

Anyway, I then got the vole and put it in the open on the patio, and I've left the trailcam on video mode a few feet away...we'll see who's the bravest, who gets to claim the nutritious prize...

I'll let you know!


Earlier, whilst walking Jazz down the lane, we came across this furry little fellow:

punk 'pilar

Unfortunately I didn't get any brilliant shots - the aperture was so wide that I didn't get all of him in focus...even when I narrowed it as far as possible, there was still a marked narrowness of depth of field.   I guess this is due to taking the photo with a long focal length at a very near distance - I was on full zoom from about 4 feet away (lying on my belly on the road!), when I took this. 

So I will try to learn from that...

But in any case, he is an interesting lil' 'pilar...and neatly bringing to an end my recent lack of confirmed identification streak, he is pleasingly distinct...

When he grows up he's going to be a beautiful Peacock butterfly!

B-)