Tag Archives: cormorant

Cormorant and Gulls

Aug
14
2018
by Words | 4 Comments

I spent a couple of hours this morning at Falmer Pond. I wasn’t expecting much (I was really planning just to test out some new gear), but on arrival I spotted this beautiful cormorant perching on a rock at the edge of the water.

cormorant

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

I think I may have been disturbing a private moment though…

cormorant defecating

Those were both taken with the 100-400 lens, but I was interested in getting familiar with my 500mm lens and a new tripod head (Flexline). The beauty of the Flexline is that you set it up so that the horizon is always level, even when you start moving the lens around. And even better, the lens doesn’t creep! This won’t mean much if you’ve not used tripods, but ‘creep’ is a big issue and means constant alignment and readjustment with most systems. Anyway, the remainder of the shots here were taken with the longer lens, from a tripod. Using the Flexline was a delight.

A couple more of the cormorant…

cormorant

Cormorant

I did some gentle tracking (very easy and very smooth), including several shots of juvenile herring gulls.

juvenile herring gull with fish

Herring gull at Falmer Pond with fish

juvenile herring gull splashing

A bigger splash

The second species of gull at the pond is the black-headed gull, though most of them have now lost their chocolate brown breeding plumage and simply display a dark facial spot.

Black-headed gull at Falmer Pond, with fish

Black-headed gull at Falmer Pond, with fish

black-headed gull on rock

Back home the foxes were in and out of the garden this afternoon, including a visit by Pretty Vixen.

fox

Pretty Vixen

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 1DX Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens or EF 500mm f/4 IS II USM lens.

Cormorant and Fulmars

May
10
2018
by Words | 6 Comments

You may start to notice a subtle change of location over the coming weeks. Nothing too outlandish, but I have finally packed in working for good and am enjoying an early retirement. At the moment it feels like a holiday… I like it!

I headed down to Rottingdean this morning to see what was going on. The tide was out, as were a couple of cormorants. Not that they did very much other. The first one flew off while I was trying to gain a better vantage point. The second simply perched on a yellow warning sign for the better part of an hour. I gave up first.

cormorant

Cormorant number 1 at Rottingdean Beach.

cormorant

This is the second cormorant. It shifted position very occasionally, and defecated twice. Other than that, it did just about nothing!

cormorant

The most exciting move of the day!

cormorant

And in close up…

Between some of those shots I did wander along the cliffs to see what the fulmars were up to. There are still some about, and they are still playing their usual game of endlessly trying to land on the sheer cliff face.

fulmars

Fulmar failing to land at Rottingdean cliffs, East Sussex

fulmar

Fulmar at Rottingdean cliffs, East Sussex

And finally a quick shot of a rock pipit digging out a grub from the cliff walls.

rock pipit

Rock pipit catching bugs at Rottingdean cliffs, East Sussex

More fox cubs soon (and regular shots over on Fox of the Day).

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

Falmer Pond and a Blue Moon

Jan
31
2018
by Words | 4 Comments

That’s bit of a grand title, for what is simply my post this year about Falmer Pond. I was up there briefly this morning (early light, dull with a hint of rain) and then again at lunchtime when a little bit of sunshine appeared.

Although nothing especially unusual happens there, I like the peace and quiet and that occasionally there are one or two more interesting birds. Today was good day: a cormorant and a heron.

heron in tree

The heron was perched on the willow sited on the island in the centre of the pond.

Heron in flight

Heron in flight

Cormorant swimming

Cormorant swimming on Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant hanging itself out to dry

Cormorant hanging itself out to dry

And to mark the occasion, it’s what’s known as a blue moon today (the second full moon in the same calendar month). It’s also a super moon (at the closest point in its orbit). To be honest, it looks just like does every other time of the year, but I took a photo anyway.

Super Blue Moon

Super Blue Moon

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