Category Archives: Birds

Badger Update, plus a cute little rat and a fine stock dove

I’m going to try to pack in a fair bit tonight as a way of catching up with myself. I’ll start with some badger news (old news for those who follow on Facebook). There are two badgers that visit regularly, one of which is a lactating sow. She’s considerably more shy than the male, but even a shy badger can’t avoid the trail camera. Here she is a few nights ago.

I’ve been working hard with the male badger to get some better poses and positions around the garden. We’re making mutual progress in terms of confidence, which opens up some good opportunities. This is a tiny selection taken over the past few days.

Badger

One of my favourite portrait shots of the male badger.

badger and fox

Here he is further down the garden, with a fox lurking in the background.

badger

Badger… black and white… makes sense to me!

badger

Badger in the long grass

Badger

Happy with peanuts

As for the rest of this post, the first is one of several shots I’ve taken recently of a stock dove. These look very similar to the more prevalent feral pigeon, but a slighter in build and can most easily be distinguished by the dark eye. Yes, this is an arty rendition but I did get some sharp shots too. I just like this sort of thing.

Stock dove

Stock dove (motion blur)

Finally a couple of my favourite little rats down at Falmer Pond today. They were out in force (five were running around at one point), but they do look cute when standing on hind legs.

rat

Brown rat peering over the undergrowth

rat

Brown rat on hind legs at Falmer Pond

Camera note: all badger photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens. Everything else is with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.

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Starling and Robin Portraits

Some very simple shots today, of two very common British birds. I’ll start with the starling. At first glance these birds are very ordinary looking, but up close they disclose a beautiful iridescent plumage, nicely set off by the brilliant yellow beak. I saw this one on a wall during a walk along the cliffs at Rottingdean today.

starling

starling

starling

Robins are also extremely common, and while mainly a ‘small brown bird’ they are of course blessed with stunning red breast plumage. This one came out into the garden yesterday, shortly after we’d been working out there. That’s a common trait: they are very inquisitive and will often go to newly worked soil to investigate and take any easy pickings.

robin

Not much new to report on the foxes. The trail camera indicates there are just two visiting at the moment, and while I’ve had a couple of brief direct sightings they are very shy and won;t allow themselves to be photographed. Unlike the badger (also one of a pair). This is from last night.

badger

Camera note: all bird photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The badger was photographed with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

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Mirror Mirror

It’s been a good day today, and I have lots of images that I could show but I will probably hold some back for the weekend. The pride of place – and major part of the blog – goes to one of the many herring gulls that nest on the roofs of the University of Brighton campus at Falmer.

A number of the buildings have reflective film along the windows to keep out glare and deflect heat. These act as mirrors as this fine gull discovered today.

Herring gull and mirror window

The gull was fascinated by its reflection

 

Herring gull and mirror window

Between pecking it would pause and try to out-stare its adversary

 

Herring gull and mirror window

… or just glower.

 

I left the gull to it after watching for 10 minutes or so. I presume it eventually gave up. The rest of today’s photos were picked up on my travels during the day, but the first does have an echo of a reflection in it.

duck

Duck sleeping on Falmer Pond

rat

Cute little rat up on its hind legs to get a better view.

dunnock

A pair of dunnocks on picturesque tree

fulmar

Fulmar at Rottingdean

And last, but not least… a badger.

badger

Badger trampling the plants!

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

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