Tag Archives: robin

Fledglings

Jun
20
2018
by Words | 6 Comments

I spent the afternoon today at Woods Mill. The young kestrels are nearly ready to fledge and can now be seen at the front of the nest box. The adults are still very busy feeding them and guarding them from other species.

Kestrel chicks

You can just see four of the six chicks in this photo

kestrel chicks

Kestrel chicks at Woods Mill

crow attacking kestrel nest box

Corvid attempting to raid a kestrel nest box

Those were all taken from some ridiculous distance away, but I was able to get a little closer to a young robin. It was sunning itself and kept hopping right up to the camera.

robin fledgling

Robin fledgling ‘sunbathing’

robin fledgling

Robin fledgling at Woods Mill

robin fledgling

Robin fledgling at Woods Mill

Plus a quick fox photo from last night. Pretty has taken a shine to rooftops!

fox on roof

Fox on a roof

Camera note: First photo taken with the EF 500mm f/4 IS II USM lens + 2x extender and the third with the 500mm lens (no extender). All other bird photos taken with the Canon 1DX Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The fox photo was taken with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.

Christmas Nature Photography Outing

Dec
15
2016
by Words | 4 Comments

I’ve been dealing with other matters recently, but I was back out with the camera today. It was a Nature Photography trip, one of the annual Christmas events arranged at work. A small group of us went up to Falmer Pond… always a relatively safe location for being certain of having something to photograph. And I have to say that the local inhabitants did us proud. As did the weather which started overcast, but gradually brightened up over the hour into a fine winter day.

The star for me is always the cormorant, and while he wasn’t being terribly active he provided a few nice shots as he rested on the small island in the centre of the pond.

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Cormorant at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Being Sussex there are the inevitable herring gulls. This one is a juvenile coming in to land on the water.

Juvenile herring gull at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Another regular is this greylag goose, one of the small number who remain at the pond all year round (we have quite a lot migrant greylags in the summer).

Greylag goose at Falmer Pond

It can’t really be a Christmas photo shoot without a robin, and sure enough several were around and happy to pose.

Robin

The final sequence is the local heron, who excelled itself by eventually agreeing to perch on the No Fishing sign.

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

Heron on No Fishing sign at Falmer Pond, East Sussex

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

Starling and Robin Portraits

Apr
19
2015
by Words | 2 Comments

Some very simple shots today, of two very common British birds. I’ll start with the starling. At first glance these birds are very ordinary looking, but up close they disclose a beautiful iridescent plumage, nicely set off by the brilliant yellow beak. I saw this one on a wall during a walk along the cliffs at Rottingdean today.

starling

starling

starling

Robins are also extremely common, and while mainly a ‘small brown bird’ they are of course blessed with stunning red breast plumage. This one came out into the garden yesterday, shortly after we’d been working out there. That’s a common trait: they are very inquisitive and will often go to newly worked soil to investigate and take any easy pickings.

robin

Not much new to report on the foxes. The trail camera indicates there are just two visiting at the moment, and while I’ve had a couple of brief direct sightings they are very shy and won;t allow themselves to be photographed. Unlike the badger (also one of a pair). This is from last night.

badger

Camera note: all bird photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The badger was photographed with the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.