Everything is Permuted

Horse dressed for the weather

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Camera note: both shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

The weather has not been good. Along the coast gusts of up to 100mph were reported overnight. It wasn't quite so severe where we are, but we awoke to metal-grey skies, wind and rain. By early afternoon there were hints that the sun might break through, but this proved to be a false dawn. The squalls were moving through rapidly though so I chanced a quick visit to Rottingdean.

The tide was out, which normally would be ideal but I was after crashing waves against the sea walls. I ventured down on to the beach instead. A small number of people were braving the elements, but generally it was quiet. Except for the sea...







I didn't stay long. The winds made it treacherous. Stones were strewn over the paths, and the light (never good to begin with) was fading fast. The rains were never far away.

It's quiet now (though still raining).

Back in the garden, it's also been quiet. The trail cam has revealed a much reduced level of activity over the past week (brief glimpses of the foxes, and one sighting of a badger). Seasonal, or perhaps weather related. Last night (strictly speaking, the early hours of Saturday morning), I did finally get a direct sighting of the Bold Vixen. She was lurking at the rear of the garden. She is still displaying a slight limp, but it's harder to detect now. She occasionally holds the leg when she's standing, but mostly she seems content to place weight on it. A good recovery all told.


Camera note: all the sea shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens and UV filter (mainly to protect the lens). I used the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens for the vixen.

The nice weather went on holiday while I wasn't looking, and we've been drenched in near continual rain. I have had a couple of interesting chance encounters though. The first was on Sunday. I had been in town and was just arriving back home. I turned to go into our narrow drive and stopped. Right in the middle of the drive, fluffed up in a ball and being watched closely by a crow was a ... Well actually, I can't be sure about what it was but my best guess is either a woodcock or sandpiper of some sort. Definitely a wader. I took a few seconds of video on my phone (still have to figure how on earth to transfer it), but I doubt that the footage will be conclusive. It flew off strongly when it spotted me. An absolute surprise, and a sharp lesson never to go out without a camera (most unusual for me but I really wasn't expecting to have the chance to use it).

The second encounter was this morning. It was raining and so I didn't detour to look for the deer. Just as well. As I was driving into work a small figure caught my attention. Yes, the much rumoured local fox was out and about. I parked, grabbed the camera, struggled with shutter speeds as low as 1/30s and 1/50s and managed just a handful of long distant snaps.
Walking

Scratching

And gone

Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.