More of the shore

By Paul Cecil | Published September 8, 2008

Just a very quick post tonight featuring some of the waders seen down by the sea shore.

The first is from yesterday and is an actual 'first' for me…. a turnstone, seen along the coast at Bexhill-on-Sea.

Turnstone

Today produced another first, a ringed plover (at least I think I've got my identification correct). This time, at Rottingdean Beach.

Ringed plover

The highlight today though were the oystercatchers. I've managed a few snatched photos of them zipping along the shoreline, but today I stumbled upon a quiet part of the beach where half a dozen were paddling in the surf.

Oystercatchers

A minor spat

Their behaviour seemed to follow a pattern. Whenever the ubiquitous gulls started to gather they would take to the wing and descend further along the beach, repeating this each time the gulls encroached their space.

Taking flight

I've put some more shots of the oystercatchers in an album.

Still no sign of the old dog fox or the bold vixen, but the nicked-ear vixen was back tonight, calmer as reflected by the much improved weather (no winds). Here she is at the rear of the garden.

Nicked-ear vixen

Camera note: the oystercatchers and the plover were photographed with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The turnstone and the vixen were caught with the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS.

This entry was posted in Foxes, water birds and tagged , , , .

20 Comments

  1. CedarFox September 8, 2008 at 4:09 am #

    Nice :up:

  2. gdare September 8, 2008 at 5:09 am #

    Oystercatchers looked like they were walking on the snow 🙂

  3. Mickeyjoe-Irl September 8, 2008 at 9:09 am #

    That photo of the spat is a great action shot. :up:

  4. zetorres September 8, 2008 at 4:09 pm #

    Fantastic serie of photos, Words! :up:

  5. Words September 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    Thanks Ze!

  6. Words September 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    Darko, I had the same thought but even our summers can't manage snow (yet!).

  7. Words September 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    Thanks Eric!

  8. Words September 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    Thanks Mickeyjoe!

  9. zetorres September 8, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    :cheers: 🙂

  10. SittingFox September 9, 2008 at 7:09 pm #

    Congrats on adding yet more birds to your life list! :yes:

  11. Words September 9, 2008 at 10:09 pm #

    Adele, many more to go though, just in the local area. Would love to see a treecreeper!

  12. cakkleberrylane September 10, 2008 at 1:09 am #

    Wonderful series of shots!

  13. Words September 10, 2008 at 8:09 am #

    Thanks Lois!

  14. Ukwildlife September 12, 2008 at 9:09 am #

    more great photos 🙂

  15. Words September 12, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

    Cheers!

  16. Cynthia23 September 12, 2008 at 11:09 pm #

    Ah, what a lovely picture of the nicked-ear vixen. :up:

  17. Vulpes vulpes September 28, 2008 at 2:09 pm #

    Nicked-ear vixen looks even prettier with flowers! Nice bird shots too.

  18. Words September 28, 2008 at 4:09 pm #

    Thanks Cynthia… I missed your comment somehow!

  19. Words September 28, 2008 at 4:09 pm #

    Vulpes, thanks. I love the chance to photgraph the foxes with that spalsh of colour but they don't always cooperate. Mind you, this summer the flowers were none too helpful either for much of the time.

  20. Cynthia23 September 29, 2008 at 1:09 am #

    You're welcome. No problem. Hahahahaa … it happens. 🙂