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Sky - Sunrise, Sunset, Moon, Clouds, Rainbows, Eclipse & Sundogs Page 7

Image Taken on 20 May 2020 at 04:47    Image of day on 15 Jun 2020

Two days later our local female Kestrel was out hunting 15 minutes before sunrise.
Left: Landing on the meadow post lit by camera flash.
Middle: about a third of a second later by natural light. Colour was so inaccurate we decided black and white was more accurate!
Right: One minute later giving the world a good stare.


Ref: 20200615_d01_20200520_0447_115-116+0448_117_fb6 kestrel female visit to meadow post 15m before sunrise 1-3 of 3 (montage 2 in b&w)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 06 Oct 2010 at 17:57    Image of day on 06 Dec 2010

Our busy Female kestrel goes on hunting until sunset though we rarely see her for a few hours after dawn. Here she is flying 'home' (wherever she roosts) lit by the setting sun.


Ref: 20101206_df1_20101006_1757_148 kestrel flying low at sunset (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Jan 2009 at 15:43    Image of day on 05 Feb 2009

With the sun only a few diameters above the horizon the kestrel flies along the bridlepath and disappears to the North.


Ref: 20090205_dc1_20090118_1543_190 kestrel male flying into evening sun against bare hedgerow(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Jul 2016 at 15:29    Image of day on 18 Aug 2016

This is another accurate montage of the male Kestrel's flight, but this time leaving out the even numbered frames to avoid the image getting too crowded. So just over 2 seconds of flight here.


Ref: 20160818_df3_20160703_1529_105-117 kestrel male turning in flight against clouds 01-13 of 14 (accurate montage alt frames @ 6fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Oct 2011 at 07:30    Image of day on 21 Nov 2011

We are expecting to be blighted with wind turbines 1000 metres towards the sunrise. Until then we shall make the most of the view we have. Here a dawn kestrel surveys the plot in search of breakfast.


Ref: 20111121_d01_20111003_0730_011 kestrel on telephone pole under rising sun (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 12 May 2011 at 13:43    Image of day on 19 Jun 2011

In the distance to the North this Little Egret was having a really hard time trying to make progress into a strong NE wind, at times going backwards. We expected it to give up and land but instead it dropped in height into the shelter of trees & made straight for us, giving an opportunity for flyover shots.


Ref: 20110619_df1_20110512_1343_352 little egret in flight against blue sky & white clouds 3 of 6 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 10 Feb 2018 at 07:31    Image of day on 18 Mar 2018

Facing away from a lurid dawn, this Little Egret flew by us, lit by the pink of the sky.


Ref: 20180318_df3_20180210_0731_075-079 little egret in flight lit by sunrise 4-8 of 8 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Apr 2022 at 17:45    Image of day on 08 May 2022

Successive frames, lower then upper.
Natural spacing with no cloud detail would be guesswork, so we had a little 'artistic' moment.


Ref: 20220508_df3_20220408_1745_158+157 little egret in flight passing white cloud 2+1 of 5 (montage for detail)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Apr 2022 at 17:45    Image of day on 08 May 2022

These 3 pics are at 7 frames per second - this is a big bird to be flying with this much separation between frames.


Ref: 20220508_df3_20220408_1745_163-165 little egret in flight passing white cloud 3--5 of 5 (montage impression @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 06 May 2010 at 20:03    Image of day on 08 Jun 2010

Big surprise one mid afternoon was this Little Owl (proper common species name - not a 'baby owl') spotted in a flurry of wings in the orchard and sat for a few minutes on top of the disused nestbox that Great-spotted woodpecker have in the past (but not so far this year) used as a drumming post.
At sunset next day this is the same owl, same perch, beautifully lit by a shaft of sunlight finding it's way through a tangle of trees and branches.
Sadly this little chap has a injured left eye which we hope is temporary - we don't know how well a one-eyed owl can manage long term.


Ref: 20100608_df1_20100506_2003_043 little owl on roof of disused small nestbox in orchard with apple blossom lit by evening sun (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Mar 2009 at 17:50    Image of day on 09 Apr 2009

This long tailed tit has been given an exotic colour by the setting sun. The sky behind it was clear so it appears the 'normal' blue.


Ref: 20090409_db1_20090318_1750_080 long-tailed tit against clear blue sky lit by setting sun(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 23 May 2009 at 10:53    Image of day on 21 Jun 2009

Away from the detail for a moment - a delightful Mackerel sky ...


Ref: 20090621_p34_20090523_1053_440 mackerel clouds & cumulus to north(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Nov 2018 at 15:38    Image of day on 04 Jan 2019

The days are getting very short now, and the sun 'slides' towards the ground over an extended period. It still moves at about 1 diameter in two minutes, but the path to ground is much more shallow than in summer. Anyway, we get a few more 'sunset' opportunities at this time of year.


Ref: 20190104_d36_20181118_1538_083_fb4 magpie against setting sun(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image of day on 16 Jan 2006

Magpie rooting about as a gloomy January dawn breaks.


Ref: 20060116_d3c_26649 fb2 magpie at dawn 2006jan12_07-59-04(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Jan 2018 at 16:18    Image of day on 04 Mar 2018

For a week or two a month either side of the Winter Solstice the sun penetrates the trees at around sunset with the current layout of this site. Here a Magpie triggers the camera.


Ref: 20180304_d36_20180130_1618_053_fb4 magpie at sunset(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 19 Jul 2021 at 06:50    Image of day on 29 Aug 2021

A Magpie makes an early morning landing lit by the sun behind. We think that the brown feathers are backlit, while the white primaries are catching the sun directly.


Ref: 20210829_d01_20210719_0650_001_fb6 magpie landing on meadow post in cloud of midges with sunlight through feathers(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 04 Dec 2009 at 08:33    Image of day on 03 Jan 2010

Dashing around to find a place where this magpie was centred on the moon before the bird flew or the moon moved too much was for once successful. Genuine single frame.


Ref: 20100103_db1_20091204_0833_066 magpie on black poplar top centred on moon (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Dec 2021 at 08:24    Image of day on 01 Feb 2022

Unknown to us at the time, the same light was playing on this Magpie who was stopping off at the Meadow Post.


Ref: 20220201_d01_20211228_0824_002_fb6 magpie on meadow post as sunrise streaks over meadow (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Jan 2026 at 15:49    Image of day on 15 Feb 2026

The setting sun provides splashes of orange over this Magpie and the Post top.


Ref: 20260215_d01_20260103_1549_116_fb6 magpie on meadow post glistening with light from sunset(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Oct 2019 at 17:29    Image of day on 02 Dec 2019

In the rain, a foraging Magpie decides to fly off making a spray of water droplets.


Ref: 20191202_e62_20191014_1729_081+1731_082_fb5 magpie taking off from ground in rain making cloud of spray 1 of 2 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


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