Category Archives: Landscape

Opposite the Amex Stadium

March 4, 2014 by Words | Comments Off

I was back out in the fields today looking for buzzards. Unsuccessfully as it happens, but the woods were coming into their own with the morning sunshine, and the sheep were grazing in the shadow of the Amex Stadium (American Express Community Stadium to give it its full name).

Sheep grazing with Amex Stadium in background.

The wood is full of trees. Nothing unusual there, even though a good number are prone. These are both long-time fallers, but they add some character and colour to the woodland floor.

Fallen trees in woodland

Fallen trees in woodland

The sheep had obviously had a hard morning grazing. This one was taking a nap when I returned at lunchtime.

Sheep sleeping in field

A couple of others were hanging out at the bar 😉

Sheep in field

So the weather holds up (more or less) for another day. Tomorrow looks good too. This little blue tit hopes it stays that way for a little longer.

Blue tit

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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Mating Greylags and More Fox and Badger Video Fun

February 24, 2014 by Words | 6 Comments

More sunshine, and signs that spring might be upon us. Likely it’s a false dawn, but we can but hope. These greylags were certainly in tune with the change of season, happily mating in the cool, early morning sunshine.

Greylag geese mating

Greylag geese mating

Greylag geese mating

Lunchtime brought more signs of spring. I was taking a walk along one of the country lanes just outside Falmer. The trees are already in leaf, and the birds were singing.

country lane

Just off the path I spotted my second butterfly of the year (and managed my first photo). It’s a small tortoiseshell, and it seems an early showing.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly

As for the foxes (and badgers), they are still enjoying the garden at night, especially now the rains have more or less stopped (cue downpour in the next 24 hours). Here are the three foxes again, plus a couple of badger encounters.

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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Blackbird, Yellowhammer (and video fox)

February 19, 2014 by Words | 4 Comments

More grey skies and poor light, but the birds are becoming active despite the poor weather and none more so than the local blackbirds. This female was the highlight of an admittedly poor morning at the pond. But she was worth a couple of photos.

Female blackbird

Female blackbird

At lunchtime I went back through the woods. No buzzard today (but I am hopeful of more sightings). I did, however, photograph one of the recent storm casualties. There are several tree in this condition, and a large number of broken boughs.

Fallen tree in Westlain Plantation,

The woods lead out into local farmland, and (suitably booted) I ventured out across the fields. I could see pigeons in the distance, and crows and a good-sized and highly mobile flock of yellowhammers. With more time I might have managed something slightly better than this.

Yellowhammer

Yesterday I mentioned that I’d set the trail camera to video. Here’s the first clip of the year. Pretty is out with another (male) fox. It’s raining (when isn’t it at the moment?).

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

Also posted in Birds, Foxes Tagged , , , |