Sunday Summary

October 23, 2016 by Words | 2 Comments

Another irregular catch-up post, partly because most days I’ve simply been photographing our fox during his nightly visits (and most of those photographs are pretty much indistinguishable from each other). There are some occasional other subjects and this Sunday Summary pulls some of them together (themelessly) 😉 Oh, there is some worthwhile fox action at the, so do keep reading.

sunset

This is a sunset taken from our garden. The i-360 is just visible in the centre, peeping over the horizon.

sunrise

This was taken a few days later and is just after sunrise, looking across the South Downs

The only bird in this set is this rather fine buzzard, photographed over Falmer Village last week.

Buzzard over Falmer Village

Buzzard over Falmer Village

As well as foxes, the garden is frequented by badgers. They’ve been rather more elusive lately, but I did grab a few images of one towards the end of the week.

Badger

Badger

Badger

Badger

This third shot utilizes various Photoshop filters, but was taken the same night as the others.

Badger through a fine art filter

Badger through a fine art filter

Now to the fox… a couple of photos first, but them some cool video…

fox

Fox prowling

fox

Camera avoidance 😉

And now for the video… I’ve caught similar clips once or twice in the past, but this one is easily the best yet.

Camera note: daytime photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. Badgers and foxes were taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM and the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lenses

Posted in Badger, Bird of Prey, Foxes, sunrise, Sunset Tagged , , , , |

Little Egret at Seven Sisters

October 14, 2016 by Words | 4 Comments

I took these on a trip out to Eastbourne today, at Seven Sisters Country Park. As well as the little egrets, I was lucky enough to see a kingfisher (but it was too fast to photograph). The egret was rather more accommodating, posing primly on a fence by the edge of the water.

Little Egret on a fence

Little Egret on a fence

It had been wading when I first spotted it, and soon returned to the serious business of hunting tiddlers.

Little Egret at Seven Sisters Country Park, East Sussex

Little Egret fishing

Little Egret at Seven Sisters Country Park, East Sussex

Little Egret at Seven Sisters Country Park, East Sussex

There were some other little birds the water, and these ones really are little.

Little grebe at Seven Sisters Country Park

Little grebe at Seven Sisters Country Park

Two more shots from today… As I was heading home I spotted a gathering of swans (11 in total). It was difficult to get a good angle from the bank, but I quite like this one.

Mute swan

Mute swan

I can’t go without adding another photo of the fox from this evening.

Fox on the garden steps

Fox on the garden steps

Camera note: all the bird photos were taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. As ever, I used the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM for the fox.

Posted in Foxes, water birds Tagged , , , |

Some Falmer Friends

October 12, 2016 by Words | 6 Comments

Over the last couple of days I’ve been back over at Falmer for work and taken the opportunity to look around some old haunts. The pond is still thriving, and despite the best and persistent efforts of the local council I don’t think they will ever completely eliminate these little creatures. They are certainly fewer in number (and there is much less feeding going on), but they are the great survivors.

Rat at Falmer Pond

Rat at Falmer Pond

I also spotted this cute little chiffchaff flitting among the branches over the pond.

Chiffchaff at Falmer Pond

Chiffchaff at Falmer Pond

And a fine looking young moorhen. This is undoubtedly their most elegant phase.

Young moorhen

Young moorhen

Those were all taken at the pond, but the campus wildlife is also thriving and I spent a good while watching this green woodpecker through a window before I had the chance to go outside to grab a quick photo.

Green Woodpecker at , University of Brighton Falmer campus

Green Woodpecker at University of Brighton Falmer campus

Lastly I’ll include a fox from tonight. He’s now waiting for me when I go outside, though the distance game continues in an increasingly pointless way. He insists I back off 10 metres before he comes out, but then lets me get to about half that distance. When he gets fed up with me he hides behind a bush. I retreat, he emerges, I approach… and we’re fine again for a few minutes. Repeat! Anyway, this was when he was waiting for the games to begin.

Fox waiting in the garden

Fox waiting in the garden

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens apart from the fox which was taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens. The flash unit is the 430EX II (which has just repalced my vanilla 430EX which has finally given up the ghost.

Posted in Birds, Foxes, rats, water birds Tagged , , , , , |