The local gull population is made up predominantly of herring gulls, but we do have several other species locally. The great black backed gulls, the largest of the native gulls, tend to stay close to the coast but the lesser black backed gulls do come inland, and we’ve had two or three pairs nesting on the roofs at work. Gulls being gulls they also visit the local pond at Falmer Village, which is where I took this short sequence early today.
The lesser black-backed gull is relatively rare around here (I’ve seen plenty of them along the Thames in central London). A more numerous visitor is the small black-headed gull. They do of course frequent the coast, but they often also appear in small flocks on the Downs; and at the pond.
Yes, its head is brown, not black.
Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.
Unusually for me, only one photo today.
It was taken this morning among the trees at the side of Falmer Pond. I’d just been out in the open photographing the geese and so was set up for strong light. The wooded area was inevitably much darker and I nearly didn’t see the rabbit as it ran across my path.
I took two frames before it was gone from view, the first of which is a rabbit-shaped blur as I tried to catch up with its movement. The deep shade had dropped the shutter speed from around 1/2000 out in the open to a measly 1/60s. Somehow, for the second frame, I was tracking it at more-or-less exactly rabbit-pace.
I’m rather pleased with the result, especially the motion blur on its legs and across the background. Plus I got its head in focus.
Camera note: taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. f/6.3, 1/60s, ISO 640
