Cormorant and Peregrine

I don't need much of an excuse to head out with the camera, but today – for what it's worth – I did have an excuse. I wanted to test out the 40D which I got back from being repaired this morning. It had suffered sea water damage while I was photographing the seals at Ramsey Island. Numerous parts have been replaced, and once I'd set it up the way I like it I headed off to give it decent work out.

I started out on the Downs, photographing fields of maize.

There weren't many birds about (no kestrels 🙁 ), though a small group of (meadow) pipits were posing on the fence posts along the side of the local golf course.
Meadow pipit

Reckoning that I'd have more to photograph by the sea (there's always something happening by the sea) I made my way over to Rottingdean. No fulmars at all at the moment, and the gulls were relatively quiet (for gulls). There were some boats out on the water, and an intrepid swimmer was slowly making their way along the coast.

I was looking out to sea when the first real sighting made an appearance. A cormorant was heading in. Usually they stay parallel to the shore, and at some distance; but the tide was in and this one was evidently coming in to see what pickings there were.

That shot is typically the distance I see them. I kept the camera in line and continued photographing until I got this.
Cormorant

It finally came to rest a short way out, settling in the almost still sea.

Encounters like that are extremely satisfying, and by the time I'd finished photographing the cormorant (it slowly drifted away from the shore with successive dives), I was ready to head back home. When I saw this.
Juvenile peregrine

It's a juvenile peregrine, almost certainly from the brood at Sussex Heights. It was keeping unusually low for a peregrine, much to the consternation of the pigeons, gulls and jackdaws which adopted an evasion tactic of scattering in every direction. I lost sight of the peregrine as it rounded the cliffs, but not before I'd taken several more shots.

The bird has been ringed, so with a bit of persistence a definite identification should be possible. It looks like 34 to me, but it's not the same '34' as I reported in a previous post. The ring is on the other leg.
Peregrine ring #34?

Update: I'm now leaning to it being one of the Chichester Cathedral peregrines (apparently West Sussex uses black rings).

On the home front the garden is still very active. I'll do a proper update soon, but for now I'll just include a brief encounter between two of the foxes.


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Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D. Everything bar the landscape was taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The maize was photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens (due for repair imminently!).

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This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. gdare

    27 Sep 2009

    That last peregrine shot is beautiful :up:

  2. Words

    27 Sep 2009

    Thanks Darko! That was easily the closest I've been to a peregrine.

  3. SittingFox

    27 Sep 2009

    Splendid!

    I think they should combine all pipits into one species. It would make the task of the identifying them so much easier :whistle:

    I've just got back from Pulborough Brooks and saw a peregrine there, although not quite that close :right:

    Interesting fox behaviour video :up:

  4. Words

    27 Sep 2009

    It could well be one of her family you saw at Pulborough. I've now got confirmed details. The peregrine is female, this year's brood, hatched 24/5th April, and was the last of four chicks to fledge (2nd week of June) from the Chichester Cathedral nesting site. Oh yes, and her favourite colour is blue :whistle:

  5. SittingFox

    27 Sep 2009

    Mine was an adult (photos on my blog later) so maybe a sibling from a previous year's brood. Was pestered by both crows and magpies, ignored several passing pigeons, and didn't advise me of his / her favourite colour. Bother, I knew there was something that I forgot to ask :doh:

  6. Ukwildlife

    27 Sep 2009

    Great photos, great sighting in the peregrine. I was down Rottingdean briefly as I headed back from Brighton. Didnt see anything but gulls and a kestrel by the car park.

  7. Words

    27 Sep 2009

    Neil, there's a kestrel I occasionally see over there. I can't find a photo quickly, but here's some video from earlier in the year. 😉

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