Everything is Permuted

With the jet stream slipping southward once again, our weather has become unpredictable (and highly variable). So it was a day of cold breezes, warm sunshine, clouds and some rain. It was beginning to improve by early afternoon which is when we visited Woods Mill. To be honest it was quiet... wildlife-wise. There were lots of young children out enjoying the place, and getting involved in supervised pond-dipping and so on; but the bird life was sporadic (I spotted a kestrel), and the dragonfly count was low. The carp were pretty active though, mainly because of children feeding them from the bridge.


As for more conventional subjects, the only worthwhile sighting was of a pair of beautiful demoiselles. They were in an awkward spot below another bridge, in heavy shade. This is the male.


The female was busy egg-laying in the slow running water.




As the afternoon brightened we headed over to the nearby RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks. Pulborough is a place mainly for long distance viewing, and is famed for its wetland birds, such as this flock of lapwings taking to the air along with a large group of starlings (of all things).
(Click for large version)

The lapwings were spectacular, but equally exciting to me was a much more sedate photo. I'd spotted a fallow deer in a nearby field, and then my eye was drawn to a tiny speck of movement in the far distance. This is a fairly hefty crop.
(Click for large version)

For close-up shots at Pulborough you can always rely on the rabbits, which excelled themselves today.




And I think my favourite rabbit shot...


Finally (and I'm getting near the end of this marathon post), the best bird sighting was outside the visitor centre as we were leaving. There were several greenfinches feeding on a bird-feeder.


They're always nice to watch, but the main event was just to the right of them: a nuthatch. This is one of those species that, while not uncommon, I very rarely get to see; let alone photograph in decent conditions.







Camera note: carp photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens. All the other shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

Birds perch in all sorts of places. That's one of the benefits of being able to fly. You can get to all sorts of resting points that other creatures can't reach; and you have a built in safety device should you slip. Of course most birds will settle for a branch in a tree, like this greenfinch in our garden this morning.


Another common perch, especially for this next species, are lamp posts. I'm sure it's the same in other parts of the country, but you can scarcely drive anywhere in Sussex without seeing a kestrel perched high over the road as it searches for rodent trails. This one was doing just that at one of the highest local points, Telscombe, which is about a mile and half from Rottingdean (up hill most of the way!).




Kestrel on a lamp post

The street lamp is nice and stable and affords a good view of the surrounding grass verges. A good spot for a kestrel to pick, and one which preserves energy which would otherwise be expended in hovering. Less understandable was the choice of a starling who pick on a decidedly mobile perch. The winds were gusting at the top of the cliffs and the perch was swinging rapidly from side to side.
Starling on a weather vane


Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

I'll come to the new babies in a moment, or more accurately to the parents as I haven't actually seen the young ones yet. So having raised and then dashed your hopes, I owe you a double dose of daily cuteness. Luckily, the pond was bathed in sunshine this morning. Perfect light for goslings.






The ducklings were busy as well. Well as busy as tired ducklings can be!


Even the young moorhens were out and about (though annoyingly they still remain deep in the shaded areas by the bank of the pond).


Now for the newcomers. I spotted this just a few yards from my office. It pays to look locally sometimes. It's not a glamorous nest box, but it's serviceable and has become home to a family of great tits. The adults were flying back and forth, and the box was squeaking excitedly!




Finally, one shot from the garden, taken early evening as the sun was getting low in the sky. It's a greenfinch, one of the garden regulars.


Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.