Category Archives: Wildlife

Samples of wildlife photography

Splashing Duck (and a couple of treats)

April 10, 2014 by Words | 4 Comments

There are always plenty of ducks to photograph, but this one caught my eye today at Falmer. It’s a hybrid mallard (of which there are many), and it was enjoying a splashing good time in the sunshine.

duck

duck

duck

duck

duck

I’m tempted to leave it at that for today, but I couldn’t resist this adding in this photo of a very grumpy looking young moorhen.

Grumpy moorhen chick

The final shot is rubbish, but it’s the first night photo of one of the new tribe of foxes that are visiting the garden nightly. It’s clearly a very shy (wise?) fox and wouldn’t come out from its cover while I was in the garden.

Shy fox at the rear of the garden

Camera note: all bird photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox was photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

Also posted in Foxes, water birds Tagged , , |

Reflections in the Pond

April 9, 2014 by Words | 2 Comments

I’m going to risk the wrath of the weather gods and say that it really does look as though spring has arrived. Another bright sunny day at Falmer, a touch cool but it really is now beginning to look and feel like springtime. So to celebrate, some cute shots of a rat down by the water’s edge, with some nice reflections.

rat

rat

rat

It did eventually scramble up the bank in search of the bread left out for the ducks.

rat

Two other seasonal moments: first a chirpy little blackcap spotted at the edge of the Westlain Plantation at Falmer:

Blackcap

And to close, my favourite shot from today of the baby moorhens.

Moorhen chicks

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, rats, water birds Tagged , , , |

Fox! In Garden!

April 2, 2014 by Words | 4 Comments

Ok, it’s not the best photo I’ve ever taken of a fox but it’s the first one since the sudden disappearance of Pretty who was last seen about there and a half weeks ago. We’ve had plenty of trail camera activity of other foxes (a clip is included below), but the new group of foxes very much keep themselves to themselves. We know there are young mouths to feed (the vixen on the trail camera is lactating), but no physical sign of them yet. I’m sure they must be close by so things may get more active in the coming weeks.

This fox appeared early evening at the far end of the garden. The photos were taken through the window.

fox

fox

Just two other photos from today, both taken this morning at Falmer Village. The first is a duck on a wall, contemplating the fothcoming exhibition being advertised on the church noticeboard 😉

Duck on wall reading poster on church noticeboard

The second shot is a silhouette of a blackbird foot-stomping on a gravestone!

Blackbird on gravestone

Now the video clip. The lactating vixen appears in the second and third sequences. It starts with a badger.

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

Also posted in Badger, Birds, Foxes, water birds Tagged , , , |