It was wild, windy and sunny today, tempting enough to take me back to the location where earlier in the week I'd seen a buzzard swooping over the local fields. Plus the scenery is worth a visit on its own account.
There are several species of birds which are common sightings over farmland, and today the house martins and swallows were out in numbers. Both species are hellishly awkward to photograph. They swoop, skim the ground and generally change direction at high speed without stopping for breath. I waste a heck of a lot of frames on them, but occasionally it works.
In between taking shots of the swallows and martins I kept my eye open for what else might be about. And I hadn't been there long when I got my first 'big' sighting. A heron circled the field, coming somewhat closer than earlier in the week.
Next on the list of the more unusual sightings was a seagull. Yes, you read that right! A seagull. Most of the gulls we we see round here are the ubiquitous herring gulls, and at certain times of the year there are large flocks of black-headed gulls. This one was neither. It was a Great Black-Backed gull, the largest and most dominant of the gulls, but not nearly so common as the other species.
But I'd gone out to see buzzards, and after an hour or so there still hadn't been any sign of them. Until I was about to leave…
It was keeping low over the fields, which proved something of a struggle for focusing. Lots of wasted shots (as ever). Buzzards are big, almost twice the size of a kestrel or sparrowhawk, but size is no deterrent to crows when they decide that someone is on their territory. Even so, I was still taken by surprise when a crow decided to do some lone 'mobbing'. And yes, it saw the buzzard off!
Buzzard and Crow
More shots from today in the June Birds and South Downs albums. I also saw a kestrel 🙂
Camera note: all the birds were photographed with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. I used the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM for the landscape.
gdare
23 Jun 2008"Both species are hellishly awkward to photograph." Exactly. So unpredictable.
I am amazed you managed to make photographs of buzzard and crow like you are above them. Were you on a tree? 😀
zetorres
23 Jun 2008:D:D
It seems that you was very hight taken this photos…
Great shots as always my friend! fantastic.
cakkleberrylane
23 Jun 2008Yes, excellent shots!! The landscape is so peaceful looking, quite a nice contrast to the action of the birds!
ellinidata
23 Jun 2008magnificent pictures!
are you a pilot?? but again the noise will scare them away before you approach!
Ukwildlife
23 Jun 2008Top shots, especially the swallow! I have only rubbish photos of them and martins and swifts in flight – I'll try again once I upgrade!
With the gull how can you tell its not a lesser black backed? Different people tell me different ways and yet I still struggle!
Words
23 Jun 2008Lois, yes the spot I was in is wonderfully quiet. An occasional walker goes past, but no traffic. Very peaceful indeed.
Words
23 Jun 2008Neil, thanks. The swallow was one of about 40 attempts. It's really a point and shoot effort. Just occasionally one is in the frame. And of those, I very occasionally get one in the frame and in focus. As for the gull i.d., I'm relying on the RSPB Complete Birds of Britain, according to which the Lesser black-backed gull has only one white spot on the wing, while the Great has the flash of white on the edge of the wing as well as the spot. Also, the beak and general size seemed about right. But I could be wrong!
Words
23 Jun 2008Darko, no I wasn't up a tree :lol:. The field is in a valley. I was up by the road, looking down from here:
Words
23 Jun 2008ZT, thanks. As you can see from my previous comment I had a good view down into the valley.
Words
23 Jun 2008Angeliki, no I'm not a pilot :yikes: The birds are much closer to the ground that it looks.
Vulpes vulpes
23 Jun 2008Wow, you've been busy! Great shots!
Words
23 Jun 2008Vulpes, that was quite a lazy day really. I went to one spot and waited to see what would turn up. Most of the time I was practising landscapes (or missing shots of martins and swallows).
zetorres
24 Jun 2008Yes, great view! Fantastic! 😉