It feels like it's been a long week, and work commitments have meant that I've missed much of the excellent autumn weather. To make up for it, last weekend I headed off to the Downs and found a kestrel. Today was spent in the garden clearing fallen leaves, sorting out the pond, and keeping my eyes on the sky overhead.
There were gulls and pigeons (of course), and small flocks of starlings. The jackdaws were massing, and an occasional magpie flew overhead. A general pattern developed, which meant I didn't have to concentrate too hard on the overhead activity to know when things changed. And they did. Twice.
Late morning I glanced up and noticed three large birds flying toward the garden. And they weren't usual visitors. The size, and formation didn't fit the pattern. I kept watching. As they approached I could see they weren't any of the usual passers-by. Not quite a first, but certainly the first time I've seen them here.
Cormorants, about three miles inland, but heading out in the direction of the coast.
The afternoon was much as the morning, with gulls, jackdaws and the occasional pigeon (no cormorants though!). I got on with clearing the leaves. Then I noticed something change in the way the gulls were flocking, something about their ever more intense calling and circling. I glanced up. Gliding gently down the length of the garden, at a very moderate height (just above the trees), was a sparrowhawk; hunting, but not finding, prey.
Both sequences were brief. The cormorants were overhead for 23 seconds, the sparrowhawk for about 20 seconds (though it circled a short distance away for another minute before being seen off by the gulls). Not as brief as recent fox sightings though. But I did manage a shot of the vixen last night (Friday).
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
Vulpes vulpes
19 Oct 2008Cracking Sparrowhawk shots, Words!
Mickeyjoe-Irl
19 Oct 2008Great shot of the sparrowhawk. I'm always amazed at the detail you're able to capture.
Words
19 Oct 2008Thanks Mick. For once just about everything came right. The bird was moving slowly, the sun was behind me, the only problem I had was that it actually came too close (inside the minimum focusing distance on a couple of shots). I can't imagine I'll get many better opportunities than this
Words
19 Oct 2008Thanks Vulpes!
dmfalmeida
20 Oct 2008It's just jaw-dropping the pictures you take, Words!
You're blessed with the shooting talent and once again blessed for having the chance of being in touch with these great animals…
Peace,
Dan
Words
20 Oct 2008Thanks Dan. It's a great area to live, but until a couple or so years ago I didn;t have any idea just how much wildlife we had in the area. You could live a lifetime and simply not see it.
Cynthia23
20 Oct 2008Nice shots! :up: WOW the sparrowhawk!
Words
20 Oct 2008Thanks! It was a good moment when I looked up and saw it.
Words
20 Oct 2008Thanks Doug! That's up there with my best sparrowhawk shots. Usually they're too high or too fast, or I'm not looking in the right direction.
anonymous
20 Oct 2008TBR writes:
Another stupendous set of photos – the hawk being another contender for photo of the year 2008 (remember the wagtail wasp and wall?!)
Stunning stuff, and THE reason why I keep visiting Everything is permuted.