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Swaddywell Nature Reserve Peterborough, managed by Langdyke Countryside Trust, has a set of large bird feeders with different seeds in each to attract various bird species. Inevitable seed spillages attract ground feeding fauna including opportunist bank voles - which scavenge intermittently throughout the day. There is no regular time pattern to their scavenging thus observing their antics is 'pot luck'. Their breeding habitat is in the bushes under / behind the bird feeders – thus requires use of Lastolite reflectors to reflect the sunlight and illuminate their activities.  Bank voles move very quickly but can be 'slowed down' by pressing a nut or large seed into the soil – whence they momentarily pause to inspect / extract the 'bait' – before running with the nut or sunflower seed into a shadier part of the habitat. Swaddywell is a disused limestone quarry – hence visible rocks. 

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Leica SL 601 / Sigma 100-400mm L-mount at c. 300mm to 350mm; ISO 1600 f8 c.1/200 – 1/500; Novoflex fork mount head on 1980s Gitzo Gilux Tatalux tripod (collapses to 13"). To enable  almost ground level observation on 29 March and 1 April 2025,  I sat on a very low trolley seat.  

cont'd ... 

 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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Posted (edited)

.... the habitat also attracts other fauna including birds and insects, e.g., scavenging Dunnocks and a honey bee inspecting lichens on the limestone rock 

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Technical details as in previous pix. Use of Lastolite reflectors also puts a 'catch-light' into the birds' and bank voles' eyes. 

BW, dunk 

 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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