Category Archives: Birds

A Kestrel at Breakfast

June 5, 2017 by Words | 4 Comments

This is a bit of an unscheduled break in the relentless fox cub posts (I have so many photos that I’m not even trying to keep up). I got these shots on my way to work this morning, at around 8.00am. I drive past Sheepcote Valley by Brighton racecourse every morning. It’s a good spot for kestrels and this morning one was hovering right over the entrance to the car park. Too good an opportunity not to stop. By the time I had parked and got the camera ready the kestrel had moved about 20 yards… The light wasn’t great and I thought shots like this were all I was going to get.

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Kestrel (female) hovering at Sheepcote Valley, near Brighton, East Sussex

But then the kestrel dropped into the grass… and I go this short sequence.

kestrel and prey

Kestrel pinning down its prey (a vole)

kestrel and prey

A quick nibble…

kestrel and prey

And up and away…

kestrel and prey

A good start to my day, and the kestrel’s. Less good for the vole, but this is the harsher side of wildlife watching.

It’s too wet tonight to watch out for the fox cubs, but they’ve been on great form over the weekend. This was last night’s Fox of the Day… worth a reprise over here as well.

fox cubs fighting

Fox cubs fighting at night

Camera note: all kestrel photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. Fox cubs photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

Also posted in Bird of Prey, Foxes, Kestrel, Wildlife Tagged , |

Some Falmer Bird Life

May 5, 2017 by Words | 3 Comments

A very short break from the fox cubs (I’m gathering lots of cute photos). I was at Falmer today for work and visited the village pond.

Grey heron at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Major league yawn….

The geese were also around. Moderate numbers at the moment, and it’s slightly too early to see any goslings.

Greylag goose dashing towards the pond

A buzzard flew overhead…

Meanwhile, the young rabbits were out enjoying themselves in the adjacent field.

A cute little group of rabbits

Over on the University campus the herring gulls are nesting… young gulls next month I would think.

Nesting herring gulls at the University of Brighton, Falmer

And ok… here’s some fox cubs from yesterday…

Four fox cubs gather round

Camera note: all daytime photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The fix cubs were taken with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.

Also posted in Bird of Prey, Foxes, rabbit, water birds Tagged , , , , , , |

Cormorant plus others

April 3, 2017 by Words | 5 Comments

This is a bit of a reversion to some very traditional posts. A variety of birds from the local village pond at Falmer, plus a couple of bits and pieces taken in the garden.

I’ll start with the main event, the cormorant, photographed last Friday morning at Falmer Pond. It was warm and sunny, and my second time over there in the week.

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Cormorant running on Falmer Pond

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Cormorant coming in to land in a tree

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Cormorant perching up high

The cormorant wasn’t alone. A heron was also lurking…

heron

Grey heron in a tree at Falmer

That was a good start to the day, but after that there’s nothing until Sunday afternoon in the garden. Mid-afternoon several buzzards flew over (pursued by herring gulls), but among them I spotted a pair of peregrines as well.

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One of several buzzards over Woodingdean on Sunday

peregrine

Peregrine falcon over Woodingdean

Last night (Sunday) I also got a number of photos of the male fox, one of several that frequent the garden at night. This is the one with the nicked ear, and he’s still shy, still won’t let me within about 8 or 9 metres of him. But I will persevere…

fox

Fox with nicked ear at night

There’s also a vixen plus a couple of other foxes that I’ve spotted on teh trail camera… and another badger/fox dust-up (all still to be processed).

Last thing tonight is one more shot of the cormorant from Friday.

cormorant

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

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

Also posted in Bird of Prey, Foxes, water birds Tagged , , |