Notes from a small garden

What with work, cat-sitting and dad-sitting, there has been precious little time for birding lately. However, I am currently in Brighton looking after the lovely Mango and Pepper (they are cats, not dads) and have been pointing the camera at a few things in the garden in between work.

Not only that, but my sister and her family stayed here with me for a couple of days, and we had a wander down to the seafront. I'll spare you the family photos, but here's a couple of Herring Gulls.

A youngster, executing an impressively sharp turn... but still keeping a very level head.

This one had found a mussel - maybe picked off the steel struts of the pier (the one that hasn't been burned to a crisp).

Close views were easy. Pity it was such a dull day...

Two days later we had wall-to-wall sunshine and I spent some time in Mike's garden, seeing what came along.

Yep, more Herring Gulls. They nest on the rooftops pretty much throughout the town, and are always floating along overhead. This one is a third-winter (I think).

A fine adult male, looking all dramatic and handsome with the sun behind him.

I like this one because the head is sharp but the wingtips blurred. Sort of makes me look like I know what I'm doing...

It wasn't all about gulls. The sunshine brought out a few insects, which inspired me to bring out the macro lens. Here is an unidentified fly sp.

A pair of Long-tails showed up, and I fluked a shot or two despite their infuriating restlessness.

And finally... would a blog post of mine be complete without a blurry fly-by Sparrowhawk? No, it would not.

Oh, I forgot to say. My new teleconverter is busted - it's doing the same disconnection thing the old one did.  However, apparently I've had it too long for it to be replaced so it will have to go back for repair instead. I'm really tempted to buy a Nikon tc, though, as I have rather lost faith in the Kenko ones. Anyway, all these shots (except the macro one) were taken with the 300mm on its own, and it's reminding me that I do really love this lens as it is, even though it is a bit on the short side.