Category Archives: Birds

Four Photos from Rottingdean

It was a unseasonably mild day today, with blue skies and almost no wind at all. Perfect in other words for taking a stroll along the Undercliff walk between Rottingdean and Brighton Marina.

Just four photos from the walk (an easy 2 miles in each direction). The first is the only wildlife shot (am I branching out? Probably not). It’s one of the rock pipits that scoot around the cliff face and occasionally pose for photos. This was taken near the tea rooms on the Undercliff.

Rock pipit at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex

Next up is the Marina itself, effectively the half way point on the walk there and back. I’ve converted it to black and white, but other than that it’s just a typical view.

Brighton Marina

Another animal next, but a domestic one. The dog was enjoying itself chasing a ball, which it would carefully place in a rock pool and then bark until its human waded in to fetch it out again! One of my better ‘running dog’ attempts.

Dog running at Rottingdean

The last shot is a really nice example of graffiti painted on the one of the wooden groynes. It looks fairly new but I liked the balance and simplicity of it.

Graffiti at Rottingdean, 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.

Also posted in coastal, dog, graffiti, Seaside Views, Wildlife Tagged , , , |

Kestrel on the Watts Building

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.

Also posted in Kestrel Tagged |

Christmas Nature Photography Outing

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.

Also posted in water birds Tagged , , , , |