Red Deer

A red deer stag during the autumn rut

Eurasian Bullfinch

A male Eurasian Bullfinch in winter

Avocet

Avocet on Brownsea Island lagoon

Atlantic Walrus

A fogbow forms over resting Atlantic walrus on an island shore in north west Spitsbergen

Autumn Sunrise over a New forest heath

Autumn Sunrise

Bearded Seal

A bearded seal showing signs of a past attack by a polar bear

Badger Cub

Badger cub in a New Forest wood. This particular image was ‘Commended’ in the British Wildlife Photography Awards Animal Portraits  2011.

Badgers can be found throughout the varied habitat found in the New Forest even though the acidic soil does not lend itself to high numbers of their favoured prey,  earthworms. The many badger images depicted in the New Forest gallery were photographed between late April until early July over many years.  Badgers tend to be most active earlier in the evening during these months allowing for images to be successfully taken using natural light thereby causing no disturbance to the natural behaviour of the animals themselves.

Arriving early, keeping downwind and avoiding unnecessary noise is essential to successful wildlife photography and with badgers even more so as they will test the wind and listen intently at the sett entrance long before emerging into view. As with all wildlife, respecting the subject will usually bring reward.

Fallow buck in autumn sunlight

A new forest fallow buck and autumn bracken

Eurasian Otter on a Scottish Sea Loch

Eurasian otter hunting along the shores of a sea loch on the Isle of Mull

Eurasian Otter

Eurasian Otter on the Isle of Mull