The rain finally cleared away from the coast mid afternoon, and needing some fresh air we went for a bracing walk along Rottingdean beach. For a dull windy day, it was high on the success scale for bird spotting. This is the view when we arrived.
I saw an oystercatcher skim by. And there were gulls aplenty, though mainly of the Herring variety. Among them was a great black-backed gull.
A more unusual visitor was lurking at the edge of the water. This is the first heron I've seen along the beach. The gulls eventually decided that a heron was one intruder too many, and several started a minor mobbing.
The heron settled further along the beach, near where this relatively rare visitor was trying its luck in the surf. 
The heron had its own ideas though, and very soon chased the curlew away.
While all this was going on, a flock (well, six) cormorants flew by.
And on the rocks, the starlings gathered as the sun began to lower in the sky.
If there's one thing starlings are renowned for, it's their flocking and sure enough they took to the skies in a typically ragged, but unbelievably well coordinated, fashion.
And throughout, the sea transmuted into gold under the changing light.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens with UV filter.
8 Comments
So, an usual day at the beach 😀
Wow look at all those bords! :yes: It was a very windy blustery day, good thing we didnt get as much rain as Wales and Scotland did, lots of floods there.
That last shot is beautiful! 🙂
And that has to be the first photo of a heron chasing a curlew that I've…well, that I've even heard about! :eyes:
Glad you found some wildlife. The weekend was a washout up here 🙁
Adele, thanks! The light was constantly changing the whole time we were there, but it always improves as the sun drops beneath the clouds. The heron and curlew was the pick of the sightings. I have seen curlews down there in the past, and egrets; but never a heron.
Darko, it was nice to get out, even for a little while.
Mark, yes I saw about the heavy rain elsewhere in the country. It turned out ok down here, at least for an hour or so!
great set of photos, far more than I saw when I was down there!
Perhaps the starlings will soon move to flock with the big one in Brighton
Neil, it was a surprisingly fruitful visit. You've reminded me that I really must get down to the West Pier one afternoon to see the big flock