Sunday 19 July 2015

Droning on - Gala progress.

Gala has been progressing well - she is now eleven days old, and has averaged over 300grams per day weight gain. With alternating showers and warm sunshine, she has cleaned her fleece from the mud that stuck through being born into the rolling pit, and is now a lustrous bright white.
She shows the fabulous comformation of her dam, Apples, sire CCNF Talon and grand-sire, Dovecote Jaquinto.
We had a bit of fun this week, when a friend brought his 'drone' over, with mounted camera, and took some aerial shots and film of the herd:
As with any photography of animals, it takes time to get the views that you want, but it also gives further fascinating insight into their behaviour as a herd, and as individuals - if you have observed your herd when a perceived threat such as a cat or dog is seen, the youngest members of the group will be surrounded by the older ones forming a protective ring. In the first aerial picture above, with the exception of the white cria, whose mother has a different agenda, and keeps her close by, the fawn at the centre is a yearling, and the others kept her at the centre while they weighed up whether this was a threat. (and for the avoidance of doubt, of course we didn't fly close enough to spook them seriously, and we have no more pregnant ones).




3 comments:

  1. Like the use of the Drone! Where we are great Chinook (not sure how you spell it but those Vietnam things) helicopters come over really low on training exercises so you can see the pilots faces and the alpacas are so used to that they take no notice - scares me stiff!

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  2. Great photos and yes it is interesting to observe herd behaviour and arial views give an added perspective! Would be a good way for the big breeders to get a quick look at their herds!

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