It's not been a great start to the year, weather-wise. Rain, rain, and more rain just about sums it up. It was not much better yesterday, (New Year's Eve); but 'not much' was enough to take the camera down to Rottingdean and see what was lurking in the grey. The sea was 'heavy', and the tide was in.
And this being Rottingdean, the fulmars were abundant.
The cormorants were keeping further out to sea, but a small group did venture slightly closer to the shore.
And right on the shoreline, a lone oystercatcher came in to feed among the herring gulls.
Just before I left, the sun briefly showed beneath the cloud bank.
The sun hasn't been seen since! It would be really nice if we could have it back. Please!
Oh, and of course, a Very Happy New Year! Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens apart from teh sunset which was taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.
Two locations today. The summer weather (!) drew me to Rottingdean, but I wasn't alone and the crowds didn't make for an ideal bird-watching afternoon. Still the sea was calm, and a beautiful rich blue.
The local marina was busy. There were plenty of sailing boats out on the water.
Closer to shore, the seaweed danced in the receding tide.
For wildlife, I returned to the garden where there's always something to see. Today it was the small white butterflies which are the current dominant species, though there are still some speckled woods and an occasional gatekeeper to keep them company. But it was the small whites that kept my attention. They have the advantage of being relatively bold (ie they don't fly off even when you get close).
I promise some foxes soon. I've been recording stills on the night cam, but haven't yet sorted them out. In the meantime here's one of the other night cam creatures from a few days ago. Camera note: Rottingdean shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Butterfly photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens. Badger courtesy of a Bushnell Trophy cam.
It was cooler today, or at least it felt cooler as a result of strong winds. Things have calmed this evening, but earlier in the day it was enticing enough for a trip down to the coast at Rottingdean. The tide was in and, as expected, the waves were impressive.
Most of the visitors were happy to watch from a safe distance.
If you ventured too close to the edge you needed nimble feet to avoid a soaking.
Not everyone though is afraid of a bit of water. One Brightonian was determined to enjoy the bracing (and abrasive) power of the sea.
The fulmars were keeping away from the cliffs. Given their usual difficulty in negotiating a safe landing I'm not too surprised that they were few in number today, though one or two were around. They generally flew in for a quick look before going back out to the relative safety of the sea.
And there were gulls...
Tennis-playing gulls...
The winds have dropped this evening and I've spent some time waiting to see if I can get a glimpse of the fox cub, or the badger. I didn't even manage a cat... so instead here's some trailcam footage with all of them from last night.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Video via a Bushnell Trophy Cam.
I don't know where the sudden burst of warm weather came from, but today was glorious! It started with a typical early autumn mist, with glimpses of sun breaking through. This was the scene at just after 8.00 this morning. Sheepcote Valley
If you look closely you can see a couple of goldfinches on the teasel in the foreground. They're easier to see when a group takes to the wing on a short flight between feeding points.
Or fly straight at you...
Or even stand still in air!
A robin was singing-in the morning...
And a thrush was joining in...
By the afternoon the sun had gained some strength, the breeze had dropped, and the sea at Rottingdean was lake-calm.
The sandwich terns were busy feeding. Here an adult delivers a fish to a youngster.
A ringed plover looks out to sea...
And later, the plovers were finding rich pickings among the pebbles...
Even the wheatears came down to the coast for the day. Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
Where did spring go? Today was shrouded in mist, and tonight has seen constant rainfall. It feels like the clocks have gone forward to autumn, not just a single hour.
First, a gull taken over the garden...
And this afternoon, a (meadow?) pipit...
Some oystercatchers and an interloper...
A fulmar, of course...
Far out at sea, shrouded in mist... a flock flies by (geese? cormorants? I'm not sure)
And a boat slips quietly into view...
Tonight, in the rain a frog guards the spawn...
A newt swims near the surface of the pond...
And the bold vixen sits patiently in the rain... Camera note: all the daytime shots taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. The night shots were taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM
My Opera
