Everything is Permuted

Tales of a South Downs fox... and other ramblings

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Posts tagged with "kestrel"

Weather Blues

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 11:44:38 PM

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We're in the middle of a phase where the weather doesn't manage to do anything drastic but somehow lingers in a most unhelpful way. The skies are leaden from dawn to dusk, and the only break is the sight of a persistent but miserly drizzle. Not my mind of weather at all. So not much today, apart from a cormorant this morning taken in the gloom.


For a change of scenery I headed to the fields at lunchtime. The rain was just about holding off. I saw a few rabbits in the distance, and some bored seagulls circling aimlessly overhead. And a kestrel. It wasn't doing much, except semi-sheltering in a tree.




The garden is equally quiet tonight. And it's still raining.
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Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

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Perching Birds

Sunday, January 22, 2012 10:26:43 PM

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

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Winter Birds

Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:49:53 PM

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The title is not strictly relevant as all the birds featured today can be seen throughout the year. That said, a bright winter day is perfect for watching birds. The trees are clear of leaves, the birds are often slightly more bold than usual as they search for food, and the days are short which means some great light at a convenient time.

The first shot was taken in the middle of the day from our garden. It's not often that buzzards fly over us; but when they do the noise of the herring gulls is enough to tell me where to point the camera.


There were crows and magpies as well, but these next shots were taken later in the day in Sheepcote Valley.




The valley is actually reclaimed industrial (and contaminated) land, but wildlife thrives there and it's a popular spot for walkers. The blackthorn and brambles attract many smaller species, including goldfinches and stonechats.




There's one species which is especially at home in Sheepcote. The kestrel, and one finally emerged late in the afternoon as the sun was low in the sky.








A last look back as I left the sheep to graze in the soft glow of the setting sun.



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Camera note: all bird shots taken with the Canon 7D EF and 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. the final two shots were taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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In the Valley

Saturday, January 7, 2012 11:59:55 PM

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I spent an hour or so this afternoon in Sheepcote Valley and there are actually some sheep there at the moment. The local council use them to manage the vegetation. They're dotted in the distance in this shot, but won't be around for more than a few weeks before being moved to (low-grade) pastures new.


We were blessed with some blue skies, and precious little wind. The trails of the aircraft overhead were standing out brightly against the sky.


The weather to the south didn't look quite so promising. Plenty of cloud and what looks suspiciously like a mini tornado yikes It's taken from a distance and was probably high over the sea.


In the east, the moon was rising.


And to the west, as the sun was setting, the starlings were flocking.


Of the little wildlife I did see, this blue tit provided the best photo.


There was one other sighting of note. As I was leaving, and as the light had all but vanished, perched on a low branch over looking the scrub I spotted a male kestrel. Always nice to have kestrels back on the blog wink



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Camera note: the first two shots were taken with the Canon 7D and EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens. The rest were all taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

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Some Fulmars... (picture special)

Friday, December 23, 2011 12:08:02 AM

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In stark contrast to yesterday, we had sunshine for almost the whole of what is actually the shortest day of 2011. The clouds did mask any chance of a sunset, but by that time I had plenty stored away in the camera. The shots were all taken at Rottingdean,and although I spent most of my time (and the best part of two data cards) on fulmars, the first photo today is of a female kestrel which was hunting at the top of the cliffs.


It was the fulmars though that took most of my attention. They are now there in number, busy setting up home along the cliff face and preparing for the breeding season. This is a small selection. The last shot was taken as the sun was dipping behind the sea-hugging cloud bank.







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

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