gallenwolf
Well-Known Member
Was supposed to visit last week, but there was engineering works on Sunday! Yesterday was fine though. The train runs from London King's Cross to Huntingdon, 22 pounds for the return trip. Taxis are located just outside the station, and take maybe 15 minutes to get there. It's about 8 miles, and costs 18 quid, one way (ouch....)
Hamerton Zoo itself is surprisingly large. Not london zoo large, but the many of the enclosures there are bigger than usual. Being autumn, the park closes at 4 so I only had about 5 hours to shoot, out of which I spent 4 hours in the rain. The enclosures being somewhat large and there is a small fence keeping us away from the main fence, I had no choice but to use my 300/4 + 1.4x teleconverter, on a cropped camera for most of the day. Given the weather, it was really suboptimal and I was firing at iso 1600 for most of the day, outdoors!
There is a surprising amount and variety of fauna, I even had the company of a pair of Cape Barren Geese whilst I waited for hours to see the Corsac Foxes (yep I was there mainly for the foxes
). I was told there were 8 foxes, but I saw at most a pair at the same time, possibly a third that appeared in a different area but I was looking through my lens most of the time, so could be the same critter. Other critters that gave me pause include the Parma and Benett's wallabies (have not shot them before, even in oz), and they also had cassowaries (didn't see them though).
Cheetahs had their own huge yard, and I think there are plans to build and keep up to 3 captive pairs for breeding purposes. There is also a section that has bactrian camels, alpaca, pygmy goats, reindeer and many other critters. I wish I had more time there as 5 hours is not enough for me! There was a pair of rhea - never shot them before, need to make another trip down.
Tons of birds. Well maybe not, a hundred kilos of birds maybe? You'll need lots of owls to get a ton. There was a yard full of Ruppell's Griffon Vultures, and the Marabou stock I swear were moving between enclosures, saw them with the capybara (!?) else they were mostly with the griffon vultures. Wattled cranes were very impressive birds, huge yet stately.
There was a porcupine exhibit, didn't catch that critter though. Aardwolves were out very late, like half 3 just when I was getting ready to go. Didn't manage to ask what they were feeding them. Tigers didn't seem to be out and about yesterday, only saw one huge white. I have gone right up close to tigers at the fencing before, but this guy was far away on a pedestal and I think he's the biggest cat I've seen yet.
Other furballs include silvery marmosets, geordi's monkies, lar gibbons, black and white ruff furred lemurs, but they are kind of tough to shoot in yesterday's conditions.
One of the more memorable places I've visited so far, now if they can get a better menu...
Alvin
Hamerton Zoo itself is surprisingly large. Not london zoo large, but the many of the enclosures there are bigger than usual. Being autumn, the park closes at 4 so I only had about 5 hours to shoot, out of which I spent 4 hours in the rain. The enclosures being somewhat large and there is a small fence keeping us away from the main fence, I had no choice but to use my 300/4 + 1.4x teleconverter, on a cropped camera for most of the day. Given the weather, it was really suboptimal and I was firing at iso 1600 for most of the day, outdoors!
There is a surprising amount and variety of fauna, I even had the company of a pair of Cape Barren Geese whilst I waited for hours to see the Corsac Foxes (yep I was there mainly for the foxes
). I was told there were 8 foxes, but I saw at most a pair at the same time, possibly a third that appeared in a different area but I was looking through my lens most of the time, so could be the same critter. Other critters that gave me pause include the Parma and Benett's wallabies (have not shot them before, even in oz), and they also had cassowaries (didn't see them though).
Cheetahs had their own huge yard, and I think there are plans to build and keep up to 3 captive pairs for breeding purposes. There is also a section that has bactrian camels, alpaca, pygmy goats, reindeer and many other critters. I wish I had more time there as 5 hours is not enough for me! There was a pair of rhea - never shot them before, need to make another trip down.
Tons of birds. Well maybe not, a hundred kilos of birds maybe? You'll need lots of owls to get a ton. There was a yard full of Ruppell's Griffon Vultures, and the Marabou stock I swear were moving between enclosures, saw them with the capybara (!?) else they were mostly with the griffon vultures. Wattled cranes were very impressive birds, huge yet stately.
There was a porcupine exhibit, didn't catch that critter though. Aardwolves were out very late, like half 3 just when I was getting ready to go. Didn't manage to ask what they were feeding them. Tigers didn't seem to be out and about yesterday, only saw one huge white. I have gone right up close to tigers at the fencing before, but this guy was far away on a pedestal and I think he's the biggest cat I've seen yet.
Other furballs include silvery marmosets, geordi's monkies, lar gibbons, black and white ruff furred lemurs, but they are kind of tough to shoot in yesterday's conditions.
One of the more memorable places I've visited so far, now if they can get a better menu...
Alvin