In The Garden.

I recently changed my Sigma 150-500 for a Nikon 300mm with a converter. I was really pleased with the Short-eared Owl photo but other shots have so far been a bit hit and miss. However, when the lens is used without the converter it really is very good and a couple of shots here from the garden shed of the birds coming onto the seeds are a good test. Out in the wild of course the lens is not quite powerful enough but hopefully as I get used to it I will get happier with the combination.

Blue Tit.

Goldfinch.

For those that may be interested I now have photos on Flickr with mainly my older stuff working through gradually to my recent photos. You can find these at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128888346@N02/

Short-eared Owl.

I already had The Burgh on my shortlist for today, but after seeing that 6 Short-eared Owls had been seen there yesterday it went straight to the top of the list. With good sunshine as well hopes were high as Pete and I headed off. Early afternoon a couple of owls were seen in the distance and not long after  that 4 Short-eared Owls flew over quite close to us giving fabulous views. 6 Red Kites were also on the wing at the same time giving us a right raptor fest!!

Short-eared Owl.

Seaford Snow Bunting.

With a really sunny day at last yesterday it was a hunt for the male Snow Bunting that has been seen on Seaford beach over the last few days. With home commitments I was unable to get down there until yesterday and with several people looking it was not looking too encouraging as there was no sign of it. I decided to head along to Tide Mills where several Redshank and Dunlin were feeding, a Kingfisher was also seen. On the Pier a single Purple Sandpiper was sleeping. On the return to Seaford I met up with Pete and as we approached the Sailing Club another different Snow Bunting was showing. After a while we crept a little closer and the Bunting quite happily carried on feeding, it then flew up over our heads before landing quite a bit nearer to us where it had a bath in a puddle. A great experience with this lovely little bird.

A Day To Remember!!

I was looking back at some of my old pictures when I came across some from way back in 2011. It was a day over in Blean Woods in Kent on the 27th May where the Heath Fritillary was having one of its really good years. With the weather being a bit overcast the butterflies were not over active and with several fresh butterflies emerging it was a session that it will be hard to repeat.

A newly emerged butterfly.

Once I had had my fill of these lovely butterflies I headed off into the Kent Downland to see the Monkey, Lady, Fly and Man Orchids. It really was a day to remember!!

The Rough-legged Buzzard and the Lark!!

I mentioned on my previous post that I had got up with the lark hoping to see the Rough-legged Buzzard and on that occasion I didn't see either. Well, today I took Pete over to see the bird and I was pleased to show him the Lark chasing the Rough-legged Buzzard!!

Once again, the weather was not too good with it being very dull all the time we were there, but it was great once again to see this magnificent bird hunting.

Pick on someone your own size!!

p.s. My learned son tells me my lark is actually a Reed Bunting!! (But that spoils the story so I've told him to keep quiet).

This is the same photograph cropped heavily!!

The Rough-legged Buzzard.

With a bit of sun early in the day yesterday I was up with the lark and went to see the Rough-legged Buzzard at Jevington. Unfortunately for me the Buzzard had a lay-in so after a couple of hours I had to leave without seeing it!! (No larks either). Not long after I left the Buzzard was seen of course. 

Today, after dropping Pen off at the hospice I went for another go. It was showing pretty well all the time I was there, although quite distant. It dropped down on prey several times whilst I was there so it seemed to be feeding well. Only a few pictures taken as it was really good watching this fabulous bird through the binoculars. It was also obvious that with the poorish light and the distance it was away there wasn't going to be any great pictures anyway!!

Rough-legged Buzzard hovering.

Being mobbed by Corvids.

Soaring overhead.

More Insect Memories.

Thanks to some excellent service from my insurance company I was only without my camera for 7 days!! Unfortunately I haven't been out to use the replacement yet, so here are a few of my insect pictures from April this year that I didn't post at the time.

The 3 butterflies were from the Frog Firle area at the back of Seaford. The Speckled Yellow were seen during a butterfly survey in private woodland.

Male Speckled Wood.

Grizzled Skipper.

Mating Speckled Yellow.

Male Wall Brown.

During the winter I will post more of my old shots from the summer.

A Dwarf Discovered.

Last week I tried to teach my beloved camera to swim, however, it couldn't!! I am now waiting and hoping for the insurance company to sort it out. Due to this I thought I would look back over a few of the events over the year.

Back in April I was looking for Wall Brown larvae on the scarp of High and Over when a very tiny moth flew from under my feet. It landed on the top of a blade of grass where I could just about see it. It was one of the smallest moths I had ever come across and it was a bit of a struggle to get a picture in focus of such a tiny beast whilst trying not to slide down the steep scarp. Once home I tried to identify the moth in my micro moth book, but, as usual it was a bit of a struggle. As it was I had to contact Colin Pratt, the Sussex moth recorder about something else, so I added a picture of this moth to the e mail for him to identify for me. It was therefore a massive surprise when he came back to me informing me it was Brown-barred Dwarf (Elachista subocellea), a very rare moth that had only been seen in 2 locations in Sussex on the edge of Eastbourne since Victorian times!!

Brown-barred Dwarf.

I came across the moth again on a couple of occasions over the next 2 or 3 weeks where I managed another photo of it. As it is so tiny I dare say it is in other sites as well but just hasn't been seen. It just goes to show that it is worth getting a photograph wherever possible of these tiny micro moths.

Brown-barred Dwarf.