The Pretty Vixen

February 4, 2018 by Words | 3 Comments

Over the past few months I’ve been getting very regular photos of the Pretty Vixen at night, and have been featuring some of them on the Fox of the Day page. Today though, she showed up mid afternoon. It was overcast (drizzle in the air), but even in poor conditions she’s a fine looking young fox. She has tweaked her rear right leg (limping), but does seem able to put weight on it so it seems no more than a very typical fox injury. I’m also trying to work out whether her apparent plumpness is just the result of her thick winter coat… or something else.

fox

Pretty Vixen coming down the garden

fox

Pretty Vixen sitting pretty.

fox

Pretty Vixen at the top of the garden steps

fox with injured rear leg

Pretty Vixen holding injured rear leg

fox

Pretty Vixen standing proud

fox

Pretty Vixen portrait

Camera note: first four photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens. The final two were taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens

Posted in Wildlife

Falmer Pond and a Blue Moon

January 31, 2018 by Words | 4 Comments

That’s bit of a grand title, for what is simply my post this year about Falmer Pond. I was up there briefly this morning (early light, dull with a hint of rain) and then again at lunchtime when a little bit of sunshine appeared.

Although nothing especially unusual happens there, I like the peace and quiet and that occasionally there are one or two more interesting birds. Today was good day: a cormorant and a heron.

heron in tree

The heron was perched on the willow sited on the island in the centre of the pond.

Heron in flight

Heron in flight

Cormorant swimming

Cormorant swimming on Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant hanging itself out to dry

Cormorant hanging itself out to dry

And to mark the occasion, it’s what’s known as a blue moon today (the second full moon in the same calendar month). It’s also a super moon (at the closest point in its orbit). To be honest, it looks just like does every other time of the year, but I took a photo anyway.

Super Blue Moon

Super Blue Moon

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, Moon, water birds Tagged , , , , , |

Peregrine at Moulsecoomb

January 30, 2018 by Words | 1 Comment

Well I’ve finally kicked off the 2018 blog, with entry just squeezing into January. Other than the foxes I’ve not been taking too many pictures but I did get out briefly today in the sunshine. ‘Out’ being standing between some of the buildings at work, which just goes to prove that you really don’t need to go far to see wildlife.

It started with a buzzard…

buzzard

Buzzard over Moulsecoomb, Brighton

Nothing very fancy about that. There were two of them, gliding high overhead while the gulls circled.

Next up came a sparrowhawk. This one was on its own…

sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk over Moulsecoomb, Brighton

Again, a very basic shot; but if there are buzzards and sparrowhawks about I keep looking. And sure enough, high among the gulls another bird appeared: a peregrine falcon (actually a pair). Being mobbed by a gull!

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon and gull

Peregrine falcon

Peregrine falcon over Moulsecoomb, Brighton

On the home front Pretty is still visiting regularly, and we can hear other foxes nearby. This is a recent shot of her to close.

Pretty Vixen finds a 'markie'

Pretty Vixen finds a ‘markie’

Camera note: all bird photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The fox photographed with the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens.

Posted in Bird of Prey, Foxes, Wildlife Tagged , , , |