Category Archives: Bird of Prey

Good Day for Birds

The recent improved weather (and it should get warmer as the week goes on) isn’t always great for watching birds. The skies can be quiet, and in the middle of the day the more sensible creatures tend to seek out shade. Today was pretty good as these things go. The swallows and wagtails were taken at Falmer Pond, while the buzzard was spotted at Seven Sisters, near Eastbourne.

I’ll start with the buzzard, but just one shot.

buzzard

Down at Falmer Pond the pretty little pied wagtails were particularly prominent. The first photo is one of the adults, down by the edge of the pond looking for insects.

adult pied wagtail

Here’s the hungry fledgling!

Fledgling pied wagtail

Pretty as they may be (and great aerial acrobats), the wagtails couldn’t compete with the swallows which were sweeping the pond for insects. Photographing swallows over variable backgrounds is one of those challenges that I enjoy with the camera. I miss a lot of shots, but occasionally it comes together fairly well. I was pleased with this one of a swallow emerging from its low dive.

swallow

And this, of one skimming across the surface.

swallow

I’ve not spent much time recently watching the foxes, but I have updated a couple of my early Fox Watch! pages and moved them over to this part of the site. More will be added over the coming weeks.

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

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Nice Buzzard Sequence

After the break of a few days I was going to spend some time catching up, but today provided a particularly nice buzzard sequence. The sighting came as I was heading back to work after lunch across the playing fields at work. The buzzard came in reasonably low from behind me. A herring gull was in close attendance as you’ll see in the final photo.

buzzard

buzzard

buzzard

buzzard

buzzard

buzzard and gull

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

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Mainly Cute

I may be a bit erratic posting over the next two or three weeks (World Cup and all that eating into the evenings), but in the main I should still be making the most of the decent weather to get out and about with the camera. This post combines the best of yesterday and today, and has lots of babies in it.

First up are the herring gull chicks from yesterday morning. This clutch is on one of the green roofs at work. It’s overlooked by a large balcony area so the adults are very used to people being around (but very secure as well). The young gulls seem to enjoy hiding in the vegetation.

herring gull chicks

herring gull chicks

There are lots of young rabbits out in the fields. This pair is also from yesterday. I liked the pose.

Two young rabbits

Keeping on theme, these are the latest clutch of goslings back at Falmer Pond.

Greylag goslings

Plus (the latest arrivals) three pretty little ducklings.

Duckling at Falmer Pond

Moving away from the cuteness theme, I’m going to complete the recent sightings. The rats are always about, but I love photographing them so you are going to have to humour me if you don’t share my enthusiasm for these incredibly adaptive creatures. Plus I do think they are quite cute.

rat

rat

I can’t really pretend buzzards are cute, because they so clearly aren’t. But they are splendid in their own way and I saw a couple flying out over the fields at lunchtime.

buzzard

The final photo for today is the vixen in the garden, from Sunday.

vixen

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, apart from the vixen which was taken with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

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