Tag Archives: rat

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.

Posted in rats

Water Rat plus some time on the farm

November 15, 2013 by Words | 2 Comments

The rats are becoming ever more elusive as the water level rises, but they are nothing if not adaptable and I spotted this one today perched on a thick branch overhanging the water. I had to struggle to gain a clear line of sight to it through all the overhanging branches. These are the best I could do.

Rat

Rat

This final shot of the rat gives a better idea of its location. Its taken directly into the sun bouncing of the water’s surface.

rat

Those were this morning. Later in the day I went out to the fields where the sheep were forming an orderly queue as the farmer arrived with their feed.

Sheep

Over head a small flock of fieldfares gave warning of cold weather to come.

Fieldfares

Fieldfare

A pony snuggled down in the weak sunshine…

pony

And somewhere in this photo there’s a fox. Can you find it. I didn’t see it until I was processing the pictures. The animals at the top of the photos are horses… that’s the only clue.

horses and fox

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

Posted in Birds, Farming, Foxes, horse, Sheep, South Downs National Park Also tagged , , , |

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.

Posted in Bird of Prey, rats Also tagged , |