Author Archives: Words

Buzzard and Herring Gull

June 8, 2015 by Words | 4 Comments

There’s a lot of this going on the skies above Sussex at the moment. The buzzards are up high, enjoying the summer thermals and the herring gulls are in their most dedicated defence mode (young chicks to protect). The result? buzzards being chased all over the skies. These shots were taken early this morning.

buzzard and herring gull

Buzzard being chased or mobbed by a herring gull

buzzard and herring gull

buzzard and herring gull

buzzard and herring gull

And here’s one of the vulnerable chicks 😉

Herring gull chick

One bonus photo for tonight as I always enjoy seeing the Painted Ladies arrive from Europe. The butterfly that is. Not many around yet, but if the weather holds this could be a good year for butterflies.

Painted Lady Butterfly

Painted Lady Butterfly

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.

Posted in Bird of Prey, Butterfly, water birds Tagged , , , , |

Foxes on Film and Badger Stills

June 7, 2015 by Words | 2 Comments

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted about foxes, and I’m still struggling in terms of actual sightings. The trail camera though continues to do its work and there are a couple of regular foxes that frequent the garden in the early hours of the morning. These are a few clips of them, including some a little after dawn (and hence in colour). Too early for me, but a trail cam never sleeps.

As for photos, the foxes are avoiding me, but the badgers are gluttons for peanuts and will happily munch while I take pictures. This sequence is from Saturday night. The badger sniffed out the peanuts and came down the garden path to tuck in. I was 10-15 feet further back.

Badger

Badger

Badger

Badger

Badger

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens. Video via the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD.

Posted in Badger, Foxes Tagged , |

Pretty Wren and Some New Herring Gull Chicks

June 4, 2015 by Words | 4 Comments

Well we seem to have something resembling summer at the moment, and there is plenty to see in the skies around the South Downs, including a peregrine circling overhead as I arrived at work this morning. That’s not what I’m going post though (too far off for a decent photo). Instead here’s a short sequence of a pretty wren I spotted earlier in the week.

wren

Wren with insects in its beak at Seven Sisters, East Sussex

Wren

Wren

The new arrivals were taken today, just at the edge of the car park at work. It’s an annual event, and the adult herring gulls jealously guard this spot. They breed here every year, and usually there are two or three chicks. I haven’t been able to get an accurate count yet as they are still in that handy nesting box, but it won’t be long before they venture out to the main roof.

Herring gull chicks

Herring gull chicks

The last shot for today is one of my attempts at motion blur, this time of a collared dove (and again taken today).

Collared dove (motion blur)

Collared dove

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.

Posted in Birds, water birds Tagged , , |