{"id":1539,"date":"2009-12-20T22:12:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-20T22:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/archives\/1539"},"modified":"2013-11-12T20:41:40","modified_gmt":"2013-11-12T20:41:40","slug":"the-slow-thaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/the-slow-thaw\/","title":{"rendered":"A kestrel swoops"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

While many of the roads in the south are clearing, locally we are still surrounded by frozen roads while the distant hills maintain their snowy covering. The clear skies are keeping the temperature down, but allow clear views out to sea (the coast is about 3 miles from here).
<\/span> <\/p>\n

The garden is beginning to thaw, warmed by the weak winter sun.
<\/span> <\/p>\n

The cold snap affects all wildlife as they seek what sources of food and warmth might be available. Behaviours change and ranges widen in the constant search for sustenance. This morning a flock of black-headed gulls swooped over the garden, a welcome change from the perennial herring gulls. This afternoon it was the turn of a kestrel. Nothing so unusual in that (they fly high overhead regularly), but today it dropped low and paused to hover just to the rear of the garden. The local (herring) gulls maintained a noisy watch, but didn't disturb it.
<\/span> <\/p>\n

Its hovering was in earnest, and after several minutes it swooped. I followed the rapid descent with the camera until it disappeared beyond the trees, somewhere in a neighbouring garden.
<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/span>
\"Nature<\/a><\/span>
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,1003,16],"tags":[1152,1136],"class_list":["post-1539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bird-of-prey","category-landscape-2","category-snow","tag-kestrel","tag-snow","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t