{"id":1816,"date":"2011-01-09T23:01:37","date_gmt":"2011-01-09T23:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/archives\/1816"},"modified":"2013-11-09T21:29:18","modified_gmt":"2013-11-09T21:29:18","slug":"fulmars-in-the-sunshine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/fulmars-in-the-sunshine\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulmars in the Sunshine"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

It won't last, but we saw sunshine today… all day, and at the weekend! Ok, it's freezing cold outside now (the pond has ice on it) and the forecast is for rain later in the week, but as the saying goes, 'make hay while the sun shines' which is exactly what we did.<\/p>\n

We took the relatively lazy option of heading down to Rottingdean. This avoids the sodden fields and woodland paths, plus guarantees some decent bird sightings as well as good views.
<\/span> View of Brighton Marina taken from the top of the Rottingdean cliffs<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> Gulls… with Saltdean in the background<\/span><\/p>\n

The tide was in (which means there was little chance of seeing any waders), and the undercliff promenade was crowded with people out enjoying the sun. This isn't a quiet spot, but that doesn't seem to bother the birds that make Rottingdean their home. Like this jackdaw, one of many that live in small crevices in the rock face.
<\/span> <\/p>\n

But being Rottingdean, and this being my blog, main photos are inevitably going to be fulmars. The colony looks very healthy and there was a constant traffic of them flying along the cliff face, circling out to sea and sweeping in as they attempted to find a rocky foothold. And 'rocky' is the word… nine times out of 10 it's 'mission abandoned'.
<\/span> <\/p>\n

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

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

Some do make it of course…
<\/span> <\/p>\n

Mainly though, this is what you see…
<\/span> <\/p>\n

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

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

While we were there I took one other shot which I'll post tonight. This view features in a current National Lottery TV advert. I've no idea why they chose to film in Rottingdean, but they did. Anyway, it's a great view and gives a good idea of the size of the chalk cliffs.
<\/span> Beach huts at Rottingdean<\/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, except the final shot which was taken with the EF17-40mm f\/4L USM 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":[1044,1003,989],"tags":[508,47,246],"class_list":["post-1816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coastal","category-landscape-2","category-water-birds-birds-2","tag-fulmars","tag-jackdaw","tag-rottingdean","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