Everything is Permuted

As something of a follow-up to the previous post, today was one of those exceptional surprises: a Bank Holiday when the sun shines! I'm still getting over the shock

But good weather is good weather (even when it occurs against all the odds), and I made a return trip to Rottingdean. This time the tide was out, and this time I also kept an eye on when it was likely to come in The shore was crowded with people but, as ever, if you head along the front to the rock pools it's easy enough to find a quiet spot. And it's the quiet spots that are the preferred haunts of the less gregarious of the sea birds.

A small flock of oystercatchers were enjoying the sun, skimming along the water's edge.
Oystercatchers

The fourth bird in the shot (top left) is a sandwich tern, once again masking it's appearance by attempting to integrate with other species. This seems to be a common trait of theirs. And it was the terns that got most of my attention. Watching them in flight was interesting. Like the oystercatchers they tend to call/whistle while in flight, but more distinctive than that is a very noticeable 'circular' wing movement. I'd not noticed this before, but it was very clear today and will help identify them at a distance in future. It's quite different from gull movements, and different again from the stiff wing-beat of the fulmars. As a rule, wing movement is one of the easier indicators of what's around if you can't get close enough to see any detail. It's just a matter of looking out for differences.

Looking for me?

They were in a playful mood, skimming along between rocky landing sites.
Ready?

Go!

The race is on!

Beat you, la! la! la!

There are several more shots from today and from a couple of weeks ago in the Sandwich Terns album.

And just because... here's a photo of the bold vixen from last night.


Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens and UV filter, except the fox which was taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM.

One of the less familiar faces in the garden is the squirrel. I do see them every now and then, but usually they are skittish and sightings are brief. Also they tend to 'hang out' on the bird feeder which is usually in deep shade. Today, however, one particularly greedy specimen decided that a peanut was indeed equal to the price of a photograph.







This afternoon brought a different kind of surprise. We'd headed out to one of the local walks (Castle Hill), an area of scientific interest. It's renowned for butterflies and wild flowers. I've been there before, but as we entered one of the valleys I looked up to the brow of the Downs and to my amazement a string of kestrels were out hunting. There were at least six or seven in the air, a veritable flock. I'm used to seeing two or three together, but have never seen quite such a gathering. I presume there were young kestrels among the adults. Plus, it turns out when I checked back on the photos, one was actually a sparrowhawk

It was impossible to get close (believe me I tried) as part of the area is fenced off for conservation, but I was able to get several group shots and some long distance hunting activity.
Three kestrels

Hovering kestrel

Gliding kestrel

I will definitely have to head back there again when I get the chance, and try to find a route that takes me to the top of the valley for a better vantage point.

The other sighting of interest was as we were heading back. I noticed some pigeons take off from a field, but my attention fixed on the birds that stayed put and 'ran' deeper into cover. I'm fairly sure these are red-legged partridges. These are an introduced species but now moderately common in the south east (though not that easy to spot!)
Red-legged partridge

As for the foxes, well there were three in the garden last night at various times. Bold (of course) plus Stumpy and a brief visit by the cub. Short clips below.



Camera note: the squirrels were photographed with a new lens, the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM. Not only one of the lowest priced L lenses (relatively speaking), but razor sharp even when wide open. The kestrels birds were all photographed with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

I was over at the local kestrel valley today. There were one or two about, but only at a distance. What did catch my eye though was this slightly larger bird of prey. It was flying high above open ground, circling and occasionally swooping. The speed, movement and range discounted it being either kestrel or sparrowhawk. From the ground it looked like a peregrine (if a small moving dot in the sky can 'look' like anything).


It was too high up to make out much detail while I was there (these are all hefty crops), but when I looked at the images on the computer I noticed what appear to be straps (jesses) on the bird.


This got me thinking. I couldn't see anyone out flying the bird, but the straps suggest a kept falcon. I've posted over on Wild About Britain and one suggestion is that its a Saker. However, an alternative proposal is that the straps are part of a radio tracking device on a juvenile peregrine. I'm slightly leaning to the former on the basis of the wing patterns but I'm not sufficiently familiar with either breed to be certain.

Here's one more shot (a 100% crop).


The consensus is that the second bird that appeared is indeed a juvenile peregrine. I was slightly confused by the vertical banding on the breast, but having checked further I'm fairly sure about the identification. And yes, I got both birds in one - very long distance - shot


Here's a better shot of the second bird. The markings do look quite different from those of the 'saker'.


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