wildlife – T E Shepherd https://shepline.com author | illustrator | digital designer Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:20:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://shepline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/cropped-shepline-white-on-green-square_512-32x32.jpg wildlife – T E Shepherd https://shepline.com 32 32 #Repost @bbcspringwatch • • • Another fantastic show tonight! ???????? But what if Springwatch did Love Island?………???????????????? #doveisland . . . #loveisland #loveisland2018 #wildlife #wildlifephotography #springwatch #britishwildlife #tv #jokes #naturelovers #justforfun #justforyou #spring #uk #banter #bants #mytypeonpaper @loveisland @chrishughesofficial @kemcetinay @oliviajade_attwood @amb_d https://shepline.com/2018/06/05/repost-bbcspringwatch%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2another-fantastic-show-tonight-%f0%9f%91%8f%f0%9f%92%9a-but-what-if-springwatch-did-love-island-%f0%9f%8c%b4%f0%9f%a6%8a%f0%9f%8d%b9/ https://shepline.com/2018/06/05/repost-bbcspringwatch%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2another-fantastic-show-tonight-%f0%9f%91%8f%f0%9f%92%9a-but-what-if-springwatch-did-love-island-%f0%9f%8c%b4%f0%9f%a6%8a%f0%9f%8d%b9/#respond Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:20:42 +0000 http://shepline.com/2018/06/05/repost-bbcspringwatch%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2another-fantastic-show-tonight-%f0%9f%91%8f%f0%9f%92%9a-but-what-if-springwatch-did-love-island-%f0%9f%8c%b4%f0%9f%a6%8a%f0%9f%8d%b9/

#Repost @bbcspringwatch
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Another fantastic show tonight! ???????? But what if Springwatch did Love Island?………???????????????? #doveisland .
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#loveisland #loveisland2018 #wildlife #wildlifephotography #springwatch #britishwildlife #tv #jokes #naturelovers #justforfun #justforyou #spring #uk #banter #bants #mytypeonpaper @loveisland @chrishughesofficial @kemcetinay @oliviajade_attwood @amb_d

]]> https://shepline.com/2018/06/05/repost-bbcspringwatch%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2-%e2%80%a2another-fantastic-show-tonight-%f0%9f%91%8f%f0%9f%92%9a-but-what-if-springwatch-did-love-island-%f0%9f%8c%b4%f0%9f%a6%8a%f0%9f%8d%b9/feed/ 0 The pincers of an Ant Lion preparing his trap in the sand… #springwatch #antlion @bbcspringwatch #nature #wildlife https://shepline.com/2017/04/17/the-pincers-of-an-ant-lion-preparing-his-trap-in-the-sand-springwatch-antlion-bbcspringwatch-nature-wildlife/ https://shepline.com/2017/04/17/the-pincers-of-an-ant-lion-preparing-his-trap-in-the-sand-springwatch-antlion-bbcspringwatch-nature-wildlife/#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:06:58 +0000 http://shepline.com/2017/04/17/the-pincers-of-an-ant-lion-preparing-his-trap-in-the-sand-springwatch-antlion-bbcspringwatch-nature-wildlife/ The pincers of an Ant Lion preparing his trap in the sand... #springwatch #antlion @bbcspringwatch #nature #wildlife

The pincers of an Ant Lion preparing his trap in the sand… #springwatch #antlion @bbcspringwatch #nature #wildlife

]]> https://shepline.com/2017/04/17/the-pincers-of-an-ant-lion-preparing-his-trap-in-the-sand-springwatch-antlion-bbcspringwatch-nature-wildlife/feed/ 0 The Sixteen Day Weekend https://shepline.com/2015/05/31/the-sixteen-day-weekend/ https://shepline.com/2015/05/31/the-sixteen-day-weekend/#respond Sun, 31 May 2015 20:49:29 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/?p=6607 On the eve of going back to work tomorrow its time for a little bit of a round-up of the last two weeks which have seen me largely oblivious to what day it was. There was our professional photoshoot near the beginning of the holiday which featured 300 photos, 7 cats, 3 chickens, 2 bad bunnies and a couple of humans, which was good fun and we got some good shots that we will probably (and sadly) never be able to afford to get printed (or even have the digital files from).

The real day-confusion though, I guess it all started a week last Friday on my Birthday. Emma took me to see Bekonscot Model Village – I always thought it was Beaconsfield (which it is in) Model Village when I have seen it on the brown signs on the M40 ever since I first came to the Oxford area twenty years ago(!). It’s a fantastic place full of childhood wonder…

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The thing is, that day out (and the Prezzo meal that followed it) made it seem a bit Saturday-ish (appropriately enough for our wedding anniversary any celebration-plans were dampened by waiting in all day for the Gas Man to Cometh and fix the boiler), and then we did Sunday-ish things on Saturday, so by the time we got to the bank holiday weekend I really didn’t know what day it was!

Then it got really confusing, because on Tuesday we went off to celebrate my belated-birthday with my Mum and Dad for a couple of days (after that is, the Gas Man Returneth to actually fix the boiler). We went to a very nice nursery in Suffolk where we got my present from my parents which was in the form of an Espallier Royal Russett Apple tree for the garden. Then we went out to the dinner at the local hotel in a failed attempt to stalk the Springwatch team…

11109279_10153274860950630_1718929694820422193_nWednesday saw us making the short trip down to RSPB Minsmere for some more Springwatch-stalking. Within moments of us entering the (appropriately-named) Bittern Hide, not one, but two bitterns flew in from the right and landed in the reedbeds right in front of us. One of them proceeded to wade and swim out of the reeds in front of us. Brilliant stuff! We also heard them boom, and paid our respects to Spineless Simon, and heard the guys talking about an adder called Baldrick. 🙂

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So, by the time we got to drive off into the sunset on Wednesday, whether it was Wednesday or Sunday (or indeed which Sunday) was really, all very confused. I could really do with another holiday. Oh, wait, in just nine working days time I will be getting one. 🙂

]]> https://shepline.com/2015/05/31/the-sixteen-day-weekend/feed/ 0 The Old Stomping Grounds of Suffolk https://shepline.com/2012/11/12/the-old-stomping-grounds-of-suffolk/ https://shepline.com/2012/11/12/the-old-stomping-grounds-of-suffolk/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:36:00 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/?p=2295 This weekend we returned to Suffolk for a couple of days back in the county of my childhood. My mum and dad had taken a cottage at Iken Barns so that they could enjoy some of the music at the excellent Snape Maltings.

Saturday, we went into Aldeburgh to pay our respects to the monochrome North Sea, and to enjoy loosing ourselves in the wonderland that is the Aldburgh Bookshop. After a nice meal in the Oyster Bar down at Snape, Mum and Dad went to a Britten opera and Emma and I headed back to the barn to look after Barney, watch Merlin, and play a game of Scrabble with the travel set that we bought for our holiday in Iceland and then never had the time to play. Marvellous!

Sunday was the polar opposite of an autumnal day with cloudless blue skies, a crispness to the air, and a flat calm to the North Sea. We all went down to Dunwich Heath/Minsmere for a walk amongst leaves and funghi, seeing deer prints and otter prints, and a Dartford Warbler flitting about amongst the gorse and the heather.

A snack lunch later in the old coastguard cottages and then we headed down to the beach towards the hides – saw a Common Seal lounging about in the water – before heading into the reserve to see: two waxwings, a kingfisher (also exciting), heron, wigeon, curlew, shell ducks, shovellers, gold crests, teal, wren, lapwings, and a marsh harrier…

]]> https://shepline.com/2012/11/12/the-old-stomping-grounds-of-suffolk/feed/ 3 On the third day of advent https://shepline.com/2008/12/03/on-the-third-day-of-advent-3/ https://shepline.com/2008/12/03/on-the-third-day-of-advent-3/#respond Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:39:00 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/on-the-third-day-of-advent-3/ I don’t know whether you’ve seen this programme, but Wild About Your Garden is brilliant. Bloody brilliant. 🙂

Kind of like Ground Force for people who dislike decking, but love birds.

]]> https://shepline.com/2008/12/03/on-the-third-day-of-advent-3/feed/ 0 Beautiful villages and Barn Owls https://shepline.com/2008/03/17/beautiful-villages-and-barn-owls/ https://shepline.com/2008/03/17/beautiful-villages-and-barn-owls/#respond Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:22:00 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/beautiful-villages-and-barn-owls/ My mood is so much better. I didn’t touch the A34 today. Instead, I headed off via country lanes to check out houses in villages. First on my list was Elm Cottage in Blackthorn. Very charming house, but the village was a bit spread out and a bit something of nothing with traffic noise from the A41 (and possibly the M40).

From there, I took a (longer than necessary) drive up the hill towards Brill, turning off before the windmill and headed back down the hill and round the houses woods to Ludgerhall to locate another potential house. Ludgershall it seems is all together more villagey and charming and beautiful, and importantly, blissfully quiet.

Leaving Ludgershall, I was driving along a narrow road, when suddenly; a barn owl swooped down from one hedgerow, and glided across in front of my car to the other hedgerow. I’ve never seen a barn owl before, but this was a really good view. It was amazing. I beamed from ear to ear all the rest of the way home.

]]> https://shepline.com/2008/03/17/beautiful-villages-and-barn-owls/feed/ 0 Wherein Pepper decides game is what he wants for lunch… https://shepline.com/2006/02/05/wherein-pepper-decides-game-is-what-he-wants-for-lunch/ https://shepline.com/2006/02/05/wherein-pepper-decides-game-is-what-he-wants-for-lunch/#respond Sun, 05 Feb 2006 13:09:00 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/?p=1274 I was just outside in the front garden, shifting my compost bin (in readiness maybe for a blue recycle bin – to replace the box) and generally tidying up when my neighbours came back. We had a bit of a chat over the rake, so to speak, and as we were talking about the houses they had been off visiting and of trips to Ikea to furnish such places, a Sparrowhawk (or something similarly big) flew straight into the wall of next door, rebounded down to the ground and flew off, as Pepper leapt towards it. As the sparrowhawk flew off low, and up and over next-door-but-one’s wall, Pepper went to sit and look put out that he didn’t get it.

]]> https://shepline.com/2006/02/05/wherein-pepper-decides-game-is-what-he-wants-for-lunch/feed/ 0 A walk in the country https://shepline.com/2005/11/12/a-walk-in-the-country/ https://shepline.com/2005/11/12/a-walk-in-the-country/#respond Sat, 12 Nov 2005 16:50:00 +0000 http://journal.shepline.com/?p=1205

Deer herd #1
Deer herd #1
Originally uploaded by shepline on 12 Nov ’05, 6.14pm PST.

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