Kestrel on the Watts Building

December 19, 2016 by Words | 3 Comments

A very brief blog tonight (just keeping my hand in). It’s a male kestrel that frequents the Watts Building at the University of Brighton, so something of an urban dweller.

Kestrel on Watts Building, University of Brighton

Kestrel taking off from the Watts Building, University of Brighton

Kestrel ontaking off from the Watts Building, University of Brighton

Kestrel not on the Watts Building, University of Brighton

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 Kestrel Tagged |

Christmas Nature Photography Outing

December 15, 2016 by Words | 4 Comments

I’ve been dealing with other matters recently, but I was back out with the camera today. It was a Nature Photography trip, one of the annual Christmas events arranged at work. A small group of us went up to Falmer Pond… always a relatively safe location for being certain of having something to photograph. And I have to say that the local inhabitants did us proud. As did the weather which started overcast, but gradually brightened up over the hour into a fine winter day.

The star for me is always the cormorant, and while he wasn’t being terribly active he provided a few nice shots as he rested on the small island in the centre of the pond.

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Being Sussex there are the inevitable herring gulls. This one is a juvenile coming in to land on the water.

Juvenile herring gull at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Another regular is this greylag goose, one of the small number who remain at the pond all year round (we have quite a lot migrant greylags in the summer).

Greylag goose at Falmer Pond

It can’t really be a Christmas photo shoot without a robin, and sure enough several were around and happy to pose.

Robin

The final sequence is the local heron, who excelled itself by eventually agreeing to perch on the No Fishing sign.

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

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 , , , , |

Sunrise, Stonechat and Fox

November 30, 2016 by Words | 3 Comments

Nothing like a descriptive title… especially when there really isn’t much of a theme, just three images taken over the past 24 hours.

The first is our friendly neighbourhood fox. I’ve been neglectful of photographing him, but he’s been coming anyway, and close scrutiny of the trail camera (plus one direct sighting) confirms that there are at least three foxes around at the moment, plus a badger. He’s still playing hard to get though and disappears from sight if I make any attempt to approach too close.

fox

The slightly bold fox!

Next up is a small bird taken this morning at Sheepcote Valley (I’d stopped off to see if I could spot any of the short eared owls. Reliable reports suggest that they have returned for the winter). It’s a stonechat, and the morning light at this time of year is near perfect.

Stonechat at Sheepcote Valley

Stonechat at Sheepcote Valley

Finally, the cause of all that golden light… just after sunrise.

Sunrise over Sheepcote Valley

Sunrise over Sheepcote Valley

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, Foxes, Landscape, sunrise Tagged , , |