Wednesday, 1 December 2010

Snowy Tracking

We were probably the last in the UK to get some snow and it hasn’t been that deep compared to other parts of the country, but certainly enough to engage in my favourite past-time – Tracking!!

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There’s so much to learn from the tracking in the snow. You might not see pristine tracks as they might be in mud, but you can certainly work out what animal it is by the basic compression shape. This is a badger print.

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The best learning comes from examining a series of tracks in the snow. You should be able to establish the gaits of the animal and how fast it was going. The above is a galloping fox. The last print in the series of four is the right rear paw pushing off just before all four paws are suspended off the ground. Of course you can also establish where it is going and where it came from.

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…but where do you start with this little lot? There’s some good stuff if you look closely.

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Grey squirrel… This one dropped his leatherman juice.

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Unfortunately, my tracking walks have been restricted to lunchtimes – hence the rather fetching (and cold) office attire. I reckon this badger was briskly walking home towards his sett. It must have been about 7am because at 6.30am when I woke up it was still snowing. There is only a little bit of drift snow filling the track. Fun ain’t it?

Pheasant print

This is our local phriendly pheasant… well his left foot anyway.

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This fox is at a fast amble and is crossing an older rabbit track.

Sorry if you’re disrupted by the snow.

Thanks for the visit.

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