Many of you will have seen my garden photo thread from last year: "Post Furlough Return To Work....", and to save a thread getting too long, I thought I'd set up one for 2021. I was hoping to make it a retirement thread, but alas, that was thwarted at the last minute just before Xmas, but nature and life still continues, and so shall I....
So here it is. The light has been, well, yuk for any decent photos, but to start things off, a few snow scenes from the garden from last Friday.
A generaly view of the garden.
The chimera, complete with coconut shell full of mealworms, which often provides good viewing, but not this day....
The established erysimum
Last years erysimum and lavender
Stay safe folks, there will be wildlife photos here soon, lockdown or no lockdown....
Unknown said:great set of photos Mike including the flying squirrel lol
Thank you Hazel.
Cyril and friends often give notice when they're about to leap, so its a second and no more, to get the camera aimed and focused! LOL
Lynn L said:
It was CL not Ann but thanks for the reply.
Lovely set of photos, the squirrel is fab, I love the way the tail flattens up its back and curls round at the end and the next photo is really cute, almost like it is laughing at you, chewing away at whatever it found in the shell.
I am sure that once you retire that you will soon settle into new ways, for now enjoy the last couple of weeks at work and we can discuss the retirement later.
My apologies, and thank you.
I've always been one to move forward, so once its happened, I'll definitely settle in to the new life style, more bird and wildlife observation time, got to be a win win.
One big plus, no more 3:30am get ups, though I'll still be an early riser, but not quite that early... LOL
Does that mean I can stay up later! Asking for a friend....
Kizzy said:Great photos. Our garden is looking a bit sorry for itself, but there are signs of spring coming through!
Thank you Kizzy.
Our garden is slowly starting to look like a rat run now the snow has thawed, along with the rain we've had as well!
Unknown said:Lovely photos Good to get a Grey Wagtail in the garden and some nice ice sculptures.
Thanks Nige.
The pond fountain often delivers some good ice displays. Its a shame I can't get down lower to really grasp the aura. Well, I can get down, its called falling down, or a term I've coined "bum flop"!
Its the getting up where I need help!
Michael B said:
Its a shame I can't get down lower to really grasp the aura. Well, I can get down, its called falling down, or a term I've coined "bum flop"!
That I can understand given your history. Would a tripod help to get the camera lower even if you can't, although I appreciate it would be difficult to see what you're doing, unless you can send it to a phone or tablet. This is built in to most Nikons nowadays but I don't know for Canon although I guess it must be similar. I'm lucky not to have problems but I still find it very handy for doing low angle macro eg fungi when it's wet or muddy and I just don't want to lay down! Now, I've said it, I really must try getting a camera right down to water level for an interesting POV of ducks!
Unknown said:
I do have, and find very useful the Joby Gorillapod 5K Kit [sturdy enough for the 5D4 and Sigma 150-600 lens], which is brilliant not just for table top, but also ground level, and Canon have the Canon Connect app, the 5D4 and 750D both have WiFi, so that does make things somewhat easier. However, with the snow and wet ground, to get that low down meant risking water ingress to the camera and lens, plus the icicles were below ground level, which meant getting in close wasn't really an option.
I do also cheat a bit at times, using the Sigma 150-600 lens, which enables a lower angle of view by photographing from a distance.
One [of many] reason why I was reluctant to let the 750D go, was the LCD screen was articulate (if that's the right description), in that you can place the camera at any suitable angle or height, and adjust the LCD screen to enable a clear view of the subject.
Also another piece of kit I have, a remote cable release and a dedicated Canon remote wireless release which works on both cameras.
Canon RC6 Wireless Remote
https://store.canon.co.uk/canon-rc-6-wireless-remote-control/4524B001/
Retirement starts this coming weekend, and it'll seem almost like lockdown #1 again for a wee while, but I'll settle in to it soon enough.
With the rain yesterday, the garden has been a bit quiet of late, plus the photo opportunities haven't been very forthcoming, though it has been active in many other ways as spring draws near. However, today has been a bit more productive.
The tulips are now starting to grow, and should be flowering around April time.
The bluebells, also due to flower around April are also making good progress
The daffs, due to flower towards the end of March, now have buds, even though they've still got some growing to do....
And finally, of the plants, the snow bells are growing nicely, again due to flower March/April time.
As for the wildlife in the garden, to start with, a rather pathetic looking stock dove, that ambles around the garden but unable to fly. This seems to be an annual event, a stock dove unable to fly, and then dies. It is nature, but I would be interested to know if there is something genetically happening, or otherwise.
Incidentally, no flash as used, the light just happened to illuminated the stock dove which had taken cover almost behind a sycamore tree at the bottom of the garden.
Mr (Freddie Kruger) Blackbird was flexing his wings at me....
Now on a more cheery note,
Cyril was trying to aerate the grass!
Having lunch on the fence....
Later enjoying some sunflower seeds....
Quite contended was Cyril on the sunflower seeds, until, an alarm call from a passing blackbird!
No, I hadn't shoved a twig up Cyril's backside, its actually his left rear leg!
And I'll leave the rest to your imagination.....
Stay safe everyone