Category Archives: Bird of Prey

Sunday Summary

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

Also posted in Badger, Foxes, sunrise, Sunset Tagged , , , , |

A Fairly Random Update

I’ve been very neglectful of the blog lately, but I have been getting some decent photos. I’v also completely re-vamped my computer gear which was complaining loudly (literally the fans were screaming) at processing so many images. I now have a totally silent machine (no fans at all) from the excellent people at Quiet PC. Built to my specification, ordered on a Saturday and delivered on the following Friday. It is wonderfully quick and makes no noise at all. I love it! It’s taken a couple of days to set it up with all my idiosyncracies, but it’s now more or less as I like it.

Anyway, it will mean I can get on with the real business of sorting out photos, some of which are featured below.

Nicked ear vixen

This is the nicked-ear vixen, the bolder of the two regular foxes.

fox

This is the more cautious of the pair… the male fox sitting by a shrub

kestrel

This is a male kestrel at Sheepcote Valley, Brighton

fox

The vixen again… very relaxed

foxes

A rare shot of the two foxes together (just about).

shrew

Ok, this one looks a little out of place. It was taken on a path at work. It’s an unfortunate shrew covered in greedy greenbottles.

badger

I can’t forget the badgers… they are still coming too.

The final shot in this batch is a sunset seen along the walkway at Brighton Marina.

Brighton Marina at Sunset

Brighton Marina at Sunset

Camera note: all fox and badger photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens. Kestrel and shrew were taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The sunset was taken with the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS.

Also posted in Badger, Foxes, Kestrel, shrew, Wildlife Tagged , , , |

Pulborough Deer

Pulborough Brooks is known primarily for the variety of bird life that can be seen there (it is an RSPB sanctuary), but there is also a small herd of melanistic fallow deer that can occasionally be seen in the distance (it’s astonishing how they can simply disappear from view in the long grasses).

Fallow deer at Pulborough Brooks

Fallow deer at Pulborough Brooks

Once again I ventured off the main walks and cut across the paths to the Arun where a couple of little egrets were out and about.

Little egret at Pulborough Brooks

Little egret at Pulborough Brooks

Little egret at Pulborough Brooks

Little egret at Pulborough Brooks

The main proper sighting was this common sandpiper (at least I think it’s a ‘common’, seen from above from one of the smaller hides.

Common sandpiper at Pulborough Brooks

Common sandpiper at Pulborough Brooks

Common sandpiper at Pulborough Brooks

Common sandpiper at Pulborough Brooks

One last shot from that visit (Thursday), a fine kestrel who was perched in the wooded ‘heathland’ area which is away from the main nature trails (but worth investigating).

Kestrel at Pulborough Brooks

Kestrel at Pulborough Brooks

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. For the deer, egrets, and sandpiper I added a 1.4 MkIII extender.

Also posted in Birds, deer, Kestrel, South Downs National Park, water birds Tagged , , , , |