A Return to Summer (and a bit of a bird fest)

By Words | Published September 21, 2010

I don't know where the sudden burst of warm weather came from, but today was glorious! It started with a typical early autumn mist, with glimpses of sun breaking through. This was the scene at just after 8.00 this morning.
Sheepcote Valley

If you look closely you can see a couple of goldfinches on the teasel in the foreground. They're easier to see when a group takes to the wing on a short flight between feeding points.

Or fly straight at you…

Or even stand still in air!

A robin was singing-in the morning…

And a thrush was joining in…

By the afternoon the sun had gained some strength, the breeze had dropped, and the sea at Rottingdean was lake-calm.

The sandwich terns were busy feeding. Here an adult delivers a fish to a youngster.

A ringed plover looks out to sea…

And later, the plovers were finding rich pickings among the pebbles…

Even the wheatears came down to the coast for the day.

Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

This entry was posted in Birds, water birds and tagged , .

12 Comments

  1. RobinL September 22, 2010 at 6:09 am #

    A most productive day! We had a nice late summer day as well.

  2. gdare September 22, 2010 at 6:09 am #

    A lot of birds around but those last two photos of goldfinches are the winners of a day :yes:

  3. Words September 22, 2010 at 9:09 pm #

    Robin, I doubt the weather will last, but it's been nice!

  4. Words September 22, 2010 at 9:09 pm #

    Erwin, thanks! It made a very nice change 🙂

  5. Words September 22, 2010 at 9:09 pm #

    Darko thanks! It was a very difficult pick but as I'd not sorted out some previous goldfinch photos I thought I'd give them pride of place.

  6. SittingFox September 24, 2010 at 8:09 am #

    One wonders what waterbirds did before buoys (or prairie birds before fenceposts, for that matter).

    Great shots!

  7. Words September 25, 2010 at 12:09 am #

    Adele, the wonders of adaptive living. There's almost nothing that is truly natural any more, but then I doubt the environment was ever really stable/unchanging. It's just a different form of change.

  8. Cynthia23 September 25, 2010 at 5:09 pm #

    Each photo is really nice today, so calm. Well, except for "I'll Fly Right at You" which is just awesome, as is "Stand Still In Air"! The photo of the valley is beautiful. 🙂

  9. Words September 25, 2010 at 6:09 pm #

    Cynthia, thanks! The goldfinches are such pretty birds and so active as they feed. A joy to watch.

  10. Ukwildlife October 3, 2010 at 2:10 pm #

    Nice pics, especially the wheatear

  11. Words October 4, 2010 at 10:10 am #

    Gosh, this is taking me back to summer. I can barely remember it 😉

  12. Wulpen October 19, 2012 at 8:10 pm #

    You have got a beautiful day, great Pict