Introduction
On 14 July 2019 we were granted permission to construct a temporary bridge onto our neighbour's land that would allow us to maintain a narrow strip along the opposite side of the dyke that forms our mutual boundary.
The neighbouring land was allotted to the poor of the parish as part of the arrangements under the parish's Enclosure Act of 1806, hence the name "The Poor's Allotment". Apart from maintaining the land, from time to time we also mount a wildlife camera on or pointing at the Poor's Allotment.
It's also worth mentioning that the dyke is the boundary of the "Broads National Park". Ruston House is just outside the park area!
You may notice that, in some years, this area of the site has relatively few posts. However, the photographic record was maintained and you can expect new material to be added when time is found. This means the new posts may appear anywhere and not just in the current year's page. The best way to ensure you miss nothing is to visit the What's New page where you can find how you can subscribe to our newsletter.
2020
21 March 2020 - A Male Muntjac
Just one short clip of a male Muntjac was caught this week. It happened last Sunday morning at 06:10. The camera is sited on the Poor's Allotment, just over the bridge from the grounds of Ruston House, pointing south east.
8 February 2020 - Muntjac In Pouring Rain
It was 07:33 on Sunday morning and when you listen to the popping sound you may wonder what's going on, but eventually you'll realise it is pouring with rain and, for some reason, the camera's not-very-good microphone manages to pick up the sound as the rain drops hit the camera case. Through the gloom you'll probably manage to spot two deer, but watch closely and you realise there's a third in shot as well.
1 February 2020 - Squirrels and Muntjac
This week it's been squirrels and Muntjac that the camera has `caught. The first clip is a good introduction to the demonstration of how much creatures of habit we all are. In the second, some three hours later and, presumably, it's the same squirrel that takes exactly the same track through the trees. Now we move to Thursday morning. There's a great deal of head swinging in this clip. Is the deer trying to place a sound it can hear, or a smell, or something else?
11 January 2020 - Muntjac and Red Deer
This week the wildlife camera has captured video of Muntjac and Red Deer on the Poor's Allotment as well as a fox. The camera has been strapped to a tree 1.3m off the ground for the last couple of nights. It's sited close to the bridge that crosses to the Poors Allotment side of the dyke behind our grounds and this first clip was captured at 16:30 on Thursday.
5 January 2020 - A Fox and Muntjac
I went to pick up the wildlife camera today which, for for the past few days has been set up behind the reed bed pointing south. We see a fox apparently spooked by something. There follow some further clips of both male and female Muntjac all taking slightly different routes to leave the frame.
