Category Archives: rats

Cormorant Makes a Splash

November 19, 2013 by Words | Comments Off

We’re in the middle of a cold spell, but with it we have clear skies and beautiful morning light. The cormorant was once again at the pond, but for once not on his usual perch. I caught these as it made ready to take to the air.

Cormorant

Cormorant

Cormorant

It was back at the pond at lunchtime. The light is much poorer at that time of day, and the cormorant wasn’t faring so well. It was set upon by a pair of mallards!

Ducks attacking a cormorant

Things quietened down after that. The cormorant slid away and out of sight at the far side of the pond. I got back to the serious business of rat-watching. At first this one was quite cautious, but it did eventually brave the more open space at the edge of the pond.

rat

rat

rat

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

Also posted in water birds

Portraits Rat-style

November 18, 2013 by Words | Comments Off

These portrait photos taken at lunchtime at Falmer Pond. The rat was one of the larger ones I’ve seen, rotund, and looking a little more like a water vole than usual. But it’s a rat. Given the size and shape I wonder if she female and pregnant; but she was certainly bold. Most of these shots are uncropped and were taken from a distance of about 3 metres. The light was not good, but better than early this morning when I was shooting at ISO 3200. These are at around ISO 1250.

rat

rat

rat

rat

rat

rat

rat

rat

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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Kestrels and Rodents

November 9, 2013 by Words | Comments Off

It’s been a good while since I’ve posted a kestrel sequence. These shots were taken early this morning at Sheepcote Valley, just outside Brighton. It’s a great location for kestrel spotting as they hunt for small rodents in the grassy downland.

Kestrel

Getting ready to swoop…
Kestrel

The dive…
Kestrel

And away with a vole tightly grasped.
Kestrel

If you think that the rodent in that last shot doesn’t really warrant a mention in the blog title, you’re right. It’s an altogether larger (and by now very familiar) species – the rat – that I was thinking about.

I took these shots at lunchtime while discussing with a local University ecologist recent media stories of ‘mutant’ rats in Sussex. He was concerned about suggestions that even stronger wide-spectrum poisons are needed to control the rat population, and about the associated ecological consequences. Poisons aren’t selective and would impact significantly on other species, including the water vole which has only recently been re-introduced locally. There are also risks to predator species. Meanwhile, the local rats do seem to be thriving this year.

rat

rat

rat

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

Also posted in Bird of Prey Tagged , , |