Winter Blues.

With the weather being totally rubbish for most of the past month or so it has been very difficult to get inspired to get out with the camera.  So much so that when I did look at the camera the other day I realised I had a couple of shots still on there from near the beginning of December that I hadn't even down-loaded!!

These were from a walk I had done with Nigel down Pevensey Levels, and I was actually quite surprised to find that I had a half decent shot of a Mute Swan that flew over me before he had joined me.

Mute Swan.

Since then I have been out walking a bit but often with just the binoculars, as the light was generally poor and also that I just couldn't be bothered to carry the camera and lens most of the time.

On the walks I have seen a few decent things including a Peacock on the 23rd December and at least 5 different Wall Brown larvae.  I have also seen good numbers of Corn Bunting on the South Downs near the house although they have generally been quite flighty.  It seems the farmer has left a strip of set-a-side on the edge of a field and the Corn Buntings are taking advantage of a lot of free food.

Today I did actually take the camera out as after a morning of heavy rain, the sun decided to make a longer appearance this afternoon, and as I approached the area where I had seen the Corn Buntings I could see a large flock some distance away as well as 4 birds much nearer.  I decided to try and get a bit closer to the 4 and was very pleased to get close enough to get a couple of shots of one of them.  This was the only thing I photographed today despite walking around 8 miles!!

Corn Bunting.