Mainly Mammals

Lovely photos of the Alpacas, Megan. I read that they are bred mainly for their fibre (wool) and sometimes for their meat. I also read that they can be aggressive towards dogs, foxes, coyotes etc. (kicking with their front feet) and are sometimes used as guard animals to help protect flocks of sheep. Another interesting fact is that they use communal dung piles; the females often forming a line and then all going at once. I wonder if the girls I used to go to disco’s with were actually Alpacas as they always seemed to disappear to the ladies room all at the same time as well.!!  :-)

Thanks Paul. The lady who kept the alpacas that I was working with was breeding them for wool that she then spun and dyed herself and used for various crafts like felting. They do kick out at dogs as she had a terrier but he knew better than to get too close. Also, just like horses, they don't like you to stand behind their back end and so will kick out at you as well. You're right about the communal dung piles, but they also had a small mound that they would all stand on together as a group that they used as a kind of look out post!

Thanks Catlady, they are really funny to work with as they all have really individual characters!

Nothing wrong with those photos Megan, I do like Alpacas, and great to hear you worked with a lady who spun and dyed the wool herself, very interesting I would think.  

As Catlady said Paul, very funny and these days the young girls are even worse, they come home from school and then have to talk for hours - if allowed - on their phones to the friends they have just left at the school gates.  

I was lucky enough to watch Otters in Andover, Hampshire regulary a few years ago. And in August 2014 I shot this video. Bare in mind the camcorder I had back then wasnt that good and it was about 6am. But it was one of my best nature moments of all time. The Otter came along the river and headed in a drain. It came back out and we just looked at each other for a few minutes. I think it was sizing me up. It then started hunting for food, every now and then looking at me to make sure I wasnt to close. I spent 33 minutes watching the Otter and uploaded this edited 12 minutes to youtube. It was a privilage to be so close to the Otter. Theres something special about being one to one with a wild animal in the wild. havent seen the Otters much in the last couple of years, but I have always got this special moment.

Doubly fortunate John in that you witnessed these lovely moments & had the equipment on which to record, visually reliving Otter's actions whilst being able to share with others, thanks!

Thanks Wendy. I try and carry my lightweight camcorder with me whenever I am on a nature wander. I was watching out for them, as they were round a lot at the time. We even saw them in the afternoon at times. And this one was in the middle of Andover in the River Anton that runs through the town. In fact, it was just behind the Police station. And the loud bangs in the video are two busy supermarkets getting ready at 6am for opening time. All the best.

Taken on our recent trip around New Zealand, firstly Bottle Nose Dolphins in Bay of Islands

New Zealand Fur Seals at Kaikoura which was affected by the last earthquake, coast road south to Christchurch is still closed.

Dusky Dolphins again at Kaikoura but from a boat. This is the trip when we donned wetsuits and swam with the dolphins. Wished I'd had a GoPro for this one so only photos from the boat. We had a pod of about 30 dolphins whilst we were in the water.

brilliant photos Tony,  I can only have a quick look at them now on full screen as we are staying up in Cumbria at the moment and the internet runs out in 15 minutes so will have a better look either tomorrow if I log on the expensive internet or wait till I get home late Friday.     What a great trip you had and thanks for the posts.