Alien vs. Predator

Alien vs. Predator, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

Kestrels are not the only raptors doing well this year, the local Peregrines seem to have had a good year too.
This one was making plenty of noise as it flew from perch to perch along the cliffs.
I lost sight of her for a while and so I decided to sit on a rock on the edge of the cliff and wait.
She was sat on her own rock about twenty feet away and I had no idea she was there until she screeched and took off!
She looked a little annoyed that I had invaded her personal space.

In The Clear

In The Clear, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

After spending yesterday morning trying to take pictures in the fog, the skies cleared and the evening was just beautiful.
Time then for another walk to the cliffs to see the young Kestrels. It is easy to spend way to much time with this family and it didn't seem long before the cliffs were in shadow and it was time to leave.
It is amazing what a little Sun can do!

Three For Lunch

Three For Lunch, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

All of a sudden there were five Kestrels in an area the size of a dinning table. Mum and dad were both there as lunch was brought in. All three youngsters screamed and, after a whirlwind of little brown feathers, one of them tried to run of with what looked like a mouse.
The other two, looking more than a little fed up, followed hoping for a chance to steal lunch.

The Kestrel Triplets

The Kestrel Triplets, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

On a morning that should have been bathed in sunshine we had fog! Visiblilty was so bad that at times you could barely make out the sea beneath the cliffs.
Not the best of days to bump into the Kestrel triplets then, but they more than made up for the bad weather.
It was a real treat to watch them for a couple hours, until mum and dad brought lunch back and all hell broke out!

The Pyramids Of Purbeck

The Pyramids Of Purbeck, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

The hills that form the southern ridge of the Isle of Purbeck have been quarried for centuries. Parts have been ploughed for farming, but large areas have been left to look after themselves. The Townsend Reserve is one of these, with dozens of quarries linked with ancient paths and left for the wildlife and the ghosts.
Most of the old stone is covered by vegetation now making this place just about right for Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids.

Not Much Of A Bug Hunt

Not Much Of A Bug Hunt, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

It was still very windy and the low cloud was struggling to move on but I was starting to get stir crazy. A short walk to the nearest nature reserve for a bug hunt proved to be a terrible idea but the dogs enjoyed it.
Just one butterfly, a Gatekeeper perhaps, or a Meadow Brown, that disappeared when a gust of wind helped it along.
Still, if you believe the weather forecast a heatwave is about to hit us!

Dinner Bites Back

Dinner Bites Back, a photo by julian sawyer on Flickr.

A Greater Black-backed Gull patrolled the cliffs looking for an easy meal and settled for what looks like a Garfish.
It put up quite a struggle and had a go back, at one point its jaws were clamped tightly aroung the Gull's neck.
These shots were taken from the cliff top.