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European Mantis or the Banded Centipede, Who Is The Boss?

15th September 202015th September 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

Tonight I spotted both a European Mantis and Banded Centipede in the same location. The Banded Centipede was just a small youngster and the European Mantis a fully grown adult. I grabbed my phone and started to record in case their paths crossed.

Both are serious predators in their own world but due to the Banded Centipede only being a youngster would it be an easy snack for the Mantis? I’ve often wondered who would be king of the predator if the two ever crossed paths.

If you’re looking for a big fight scene then you’re not in luck as both go their own way, however, I was still surprised, take a look for yourself. Of course, there may have been some activity before I got there as the Mantis did look unusually un-mantis-like. Maybe the Centipede had already bitten it beforehand. It’s almost as if they respected each others status of killer predator but I’d still say the Centipede had the upperhand!

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

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Short Film : Depois das Chamas (After the Fires)

13th July 202013th July 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

As you are probably aware, we had a large wild wire start very close to the Quinta one week ago (Blog Posts : Day 1 & Day 2). One week on and all that remains (apart from the odd smouldering areas) is a totally devastated area.

Although a large fire, this fire is not on the same scale as some previous fires (you may remember my video Consequência from 2018), however, having it so close to your home really enforces the reality of how serious these fires can get.

I have made a short film to bring you the scenes of the devastation these fires cause. Although this area will recover in time, the many Cork Oaks that have been destroyed can not be replaced in for a generation. It is not until you view the size of the area from above that you realise just how quickly an area can be destroyed and when I first saw these scenes it really made it a reality on how lucky we were to have the wind moving this in the opposite direction to the house.

I have also taken the opportunity to raise some awareness for the fantastic voluntary work the “Assoçiação para Alerta de Incêndio Florestal” that Debby Burton and her team (of which I am proud to be a committee member) carry out to support both the local community and the amazing Bombeiros (firefighters). Please visit the Assoçiação para Alerta de Incêndio Florestal Website for more information and of course, donations are always welcome.

There is some information about some of the scenes below the film. Just for your info, the film does start silent until the title screen.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

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Egyptian Mongoose Capture On A Trail Cam (Video)

29th May 202029th May 2020Craig Rogers1 Comment

As anyone following me for a while will know, part of the passion of photographing wildlife is getting up close with them to capture as much detail in my shots. I’ve been wanting to do this with the local Egyptian Mongoose so I set out a Trail Cam 2 days ago in an area where I had a close encounter with one 2 years ago. There was nothing on the first day but on checking the footage this morning, one came right up to the camera yesterday afternoon.

Not really what I was hoping for as I have the perfect angle and location here with the morning sun, but I will keep monitoring the area for a while to try and work out any patterns they may have and plan to hide and photograph them from a good vantage point.

For now, check the stunning but short footage. The bells you can hear in the background are some cattle and the random human voice is a lady who lives in the bottom of the valley. She is about 800 metres away, this camera really does pick up noise well.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

Dog Walk: Viperine Snake At The River (Video)

12th April 202013th April 2020Craig Rogers1 Comment

UPDATE : I have much better photos in this blog post – Morning Dog Walk: The Viperine Was Back In The Same Place

Whilst walking the dogs, I spotted this Viperine partially submerged where the water runs through the tubes on the bridge/ford near the house.

The Viperine is a harmless semi-aquatic snake that takes it’s name from the fact that it’s head is shaped like a Viper. I think this was quite young, it was only around 25-30cms in length, they can grow up to 85cm.

I watched it for a while and it was being very clever. Due to the recent rain, the river is flowing well and it was catching small fish as they get sucked through the tube.

Photos aren’t great as they are from my smartphone which struggles to see through reflections in water.

4K Video Of A Young Female Kingfisher (Video)

29th February 202025th April 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

Yesterday morning whilst walking the dogs, I spotted a pair of Kingfishers already playing “Kiss Chase” up and down the river. This is a ritual that a mating pair carry out at the start of the breeding season. It’s not even March yet!

As a reminder,you can View All My Kingfishers From The 2019 Project.

Coincidentally, whilst going through some of my photo storage today, I stumbled across a short video I took during a session where I took these 2 shots.

The Stare (Common Kingfisher) : 📷 Nikon D850, AF-S 500mm f/4 @ 1/800sec, f/11, ISO640
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2 Days Ago The River Was Dry…. (Video)

19th December 201919th December 2019Craig RogersLeave a comment

….and now? Well take a look for yourself! (Video down below)

We also have another period of heavy rain coming in the next 24 hours too!
This first photo is looking across the bridge/ford which is very deep underwater.

European Mantis or the Banded Centipede, Who Is The Boss?

Sep 15 2020

Tonight I spotted both a European Mantis and Banded Centipede in the same l[...]