[artful todger]

Hi all,

Thought i'd share an experience i had last night in the hope that others might also have some to share so i don't feel so stupid :-)

Well last night i finally went out with my new camcorder to do a spot of 'Johnny Kingdom-ing' around where i live. I'm fortunate enough to have just moved to a beautiful area with a small stream, lots of woodland & open fields. So i headed out to a quiet spinney near the stream, got comfy on a stool with the camera on a tripod, bins round me neck, & waited to see what would come along... (i didn't have a plan, just intended to film anything & everything).
So i waited patiently... & after half an hour or so two squirrels rustled their way through the trees toward me & perched themselves directly in front of the camera - they really couldn't have been positioned more perfectly...
So... On goes the camera... *BEEP* *BEEP* flat battery. The squirrels hear the noise & go nuts... I swear they were laughing at me... They even came closer to taunt me! Then i'm pretty damn sure they went & told their mates. The whole place seemed to come alive after that... A green woodpecker landed in the same tree the squirrels had been in, two young badgers came charging out of the undergrowth & had a game of tag 6ft in front of me, & after that a muntjac turned up to do a tapdance! Couldn't believe what fantastic footage i could have been shooting!

I decided to call time when things had quietened down again, so off i went, back the way i came, onto the bridge over the stream... & a splash gets my attention... "ooh" i thought, "water vole!" So i peer over the side, & what swims out from underneath...?
an OTTER! & it stopped to have a stare at me before slinking out up the bank & out of sight. I couldn't believe my eyes! I'd never seen one in the wild before & was shaking with disbelief, & excitement, & frustration at not being able to film the xexexexexexe!!

Now what are the chances of me going out with a full battery & having an evening like that again?!