Category Archives: Wildlife

Samples of wildlife photography

The Tricky and the Easy

March 26, 2015 by Words | 4 Comments

I know I have a tendency to photograph the same thing again and again so I’m always on the lookout for slightly different scenarios such as the rat looking at the rubbish bin posted a couple of days ago. So I was keen to get some photos yesterday when one of the local rats scrambled up a pond-side tree. It was a really good climb, and it went quite high. Trees though have branches and branches get in the way. Finding a point to focus on wasn’t easy.

rat up a tree

Rat up a tree

rat in tree

For all the messiness, I quite like the shots, especially the first one.

Today offered a near miss. I was hanging around in the same spot and a baby rat emerged from the rubbish bin and was scrambling crazily to get back to the tree. It’s exactly the kind of shot I want, and I had a clear view… from the wrong side. This is the best I could do.

baby rat on rubbish bin

Baby rat climbing out of a rubbish bin

It’s not always that tricky. Another of the bay rats was much more cooperative, and posed nicely for the camera.

baby rat

Baby rat posing in the undergrowth.

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

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A Very Beautiful White Duck

March 25, 2015 by Words | 4 Comments

A short sequence of a very beautiful white duck preening itself and which, I get the feeling, knows just how beautiful it is. As ever, this is down at Falmer Pond.

beautiful white duck

beautiful white duck

beautiful white duck

beautiful white duck

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

Chiffchaff (mainly)

March 24, 2015 by Words | 2 Comments

There a couple of other creatures featured today, but the main bird of the day is this pretty little chiffchaff… if indeed it is a chiffchaff. It could easily be a willow warbler. It would have been easier to i.d. if it had been singing, but it wasn’t so I’m relying on the fact that it has dark legs. Either way, they are very cute little birds and this one was playing hard to get by flitting between several trees and usually perching just behind a hefty branch.

Chiffchaff (or possibly willow warbler)

Chiffchaff (or possibly willow warbler)

Chiffchaff (or possibly willow warbler)

I keep promising ducks, and if I don’t post some now these will get lost on the hard drive. First up is a female mallard, perched on the stone wall that runs along the churchyard at Falmer. As you can see, it was raining slightly (and obviously a touch overcast).

Female mallard duck on stone wall

Here’s a male, landing on the pond. This one was taken in the middle of the day.

duck landing on pond

Last shot is from the morning again… another local rat, looking pretty in the undergrowth.

Rats

No badgers tonight. I’ve spent some time outside, but it was quiet (and cold). Maybe more soon. We’ll see.

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

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