By the sea side

The unseasonable weather (it was hot, and this is an English summer) means only one thing: a trip to the seaside (just a five or so minute drive away). Of course there were gulls, the black-headed and herring gulls mainly, but I'm fairly certain there were also some common gulls mixed in among them. I must mug up on my sea-bird identification. One bird though, is unmistakeable: the cormorant.

Cormorant

We were facing open sea so there were no resting places for them, but several times one swept along the coast. They tended to keep away from the shore so most of my shots were something like this.

Occasionally they strayed closer to the beach

And one finally flew in overhead at high speed

We also took the opportunity to visit the local duck pond, which has had a recent architectural overhaul: there's a stairway for the ducks in case they are too exhausted to hop onto the central island.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

There are more photos from today in the Rottingdean album, including an emperor dragonfly which refused to settle, forcing me to resort to trying to photograph it as it zipped over the water.

Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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This Post Has 15 Comments

  1. Vulpes vulpes

    28 Jul 2008

    Great overhead Cormorant shot and I love the idea of the duck ladder!

  2. Cynthia23

    28 Jul 2008

    Wonderful WORDS! Each photo wonderful! :up:

  3. gdare

    28 Jul 2008

    Were you sailing or this is your powerful zoom again? 😀

  4. Words

    28 Jul 2008

    Thanks Cynthia!

  5. Words

    28 Jul 2008

    Darko, I was sitting on the beach (which is mainly pebbles, not sand) so these are all with a long zoom.

  6. Words

    28 Jul 2008

    Vulpes, thanks. I thought the ladder was cute as well 🙂

  7. gdare

    28 Jul 2008

    Yeah, the same kind of mistake as when I presumed you were flying few weeks ago 😆

  8. Words

    28 Jul 2008

    Darko, I always keep both feet firmly on the ground 😉

  9. gdare

    28 Jul 2008

    Smart 😎

  10. Words

    29 Jul 2008

    Adele, thanks. I was surprised at how fast the cormornats were. The main problem was keeping it in focus while it swept over the sea. But they're a good excuse for heading back down there again to try to get some better shots.

  11. SittingFox

    29 Jul 2008

    Cormorants can be hard to catch! Great pictures – I especially like the first one of it with the yacht. And those ducks seem to have a life of luxury 😉

  12. zetorres

    30 Jul 2008

    Fantastic serie of photos! :up:

  13. Words

    30 Jul 2008

    Thanks ZT!

  14. cakkleberrylane

    1 Aug 2008

    Great shots!! The duck stairway is wonderful!

  15. Words

    1 Aug 2008

    Lois, I liked the stairs as well. It was just a matter of waiting for one of them to use it 😀

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