A small selection of shots taken at Falmer pond today, beginning with a beautiful sunrise over the Downs.
The golden light spread across the pond just in time for this shot of a moorhen. 
The sun stays low all day at this time of year, but even so it had lost those deep colours by lunchtime which is when I spotted another moorhen high in a tree above the water.
While I was watching the moorhen clamber down to water level (they don't seem very keen to fly), a pair of collared doves commenced an aerial courtship dance among the branches. 
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D EF and 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.
derWandersmann
12 Jan 2012Wonderful sunrise, Words!
And I don't blame the moorhens for not wanting to chance a flight through that tangle, no matter what the doves do.
gdare
12 Jan 2012A perfect light for perfect photos! :up:
studio41
12 Jan 2012Originally posted by gdare:
yes, nice light!
and the photos are very nice, too-
interesting spectacle the bird- I've not seen a moorhen before- and the last two photos are special. I especially like the left bird's pose in the second-to-last photo and the right bird's posture in the last picture.
serola
12 Jan 2012Vertical version of the moorhen is excellent :hat:
cakkleberrylane
12 Jan 2012The light adds a unique quality to the picture. Very interesting shots of the collared doves too. It must have been great to watch that.
Words
13 Jan 2012Jill, thanks! I think the dove on the right is the male, judging by the way the tail feathers are fanned out.
Words
13 Jan 2012Lois, thanks. It was nice to capture the doves. They are very pretty birds, smaller than pigeons and with throaty warbling call.
Words
13 Jan 2012dW, I can't recall ever seeing a moorhen fly into a tree. They sometimes fly down, but very rarely up more than a few feet.
Words
13 Jan 2012Erwin, thanks!
Words
13 Jan 2012Darko, thanks!
Words
13 Jan 2012Sami, thanks! It's cropped rather than taken that way.
SittingFox
16 Jan 2012Wonderful sunrise! And the birds do seem to think that it's spring. I saw a magpie building a nest last week.
Words
16 Jan 2012Adele, we're getting some beautiful sunrises at the moment, and at just about the right time of day. I've not seen too much nesting activity yet, but it can't be long now.
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Great shots