After yet another successful year on the Odds & Sods thread, initially started I think by Hazy, it might be wise to kickstart the 2023 thread off.
Thank you to those who have contributed to last years thread, and there has been very interesting odds and sods in "Odds & Sods 2022" that aren't enough to place into a dedicated thread, which you can look back on the following link:
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/278729/odds-sods-2022/1417300?pifragment-4285=76#pifragment-4285=1
What better for me, and as yet, I've not ventured far, ewe know what I mean, with this lassie on Baddesley Clinton estate yesterday....
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Flying high, very high, right over me, was a Skylark singing his little heart out on the Manor Farm restoration. Several Skylark breed successfully all parts of the nascent Longwater Road nature reserve - even while restoration was/is on going. This particular Skylark was doing what Skylarks do - try and get as high up as possible and sing as loud as possible. Indeed, after my first half dozen photos, the bird carried on climbing to the point where it was difficult to find in the sky. It was having a singing match (i.e. territorial battle) with some Skylarks on Chandlers farm, over in Hampshire.
Cropping out
The bird was doing flap - flap -glide. You need to picture poor old me. Arched right back, enormous great lens pointing upward. I must have looked a sight to walkers on the path.
This is the flap phase
The bird, as I mentioned earlier, climbed ever higher, and worked its way eastward. I finally managed to pick it up again, just as the blighter was so high up. All remaining photos cropped.
It's just finishing its flap phase and moving to the glide.
...and glide
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A couple of pictures taken when sitting in the garden today.
Morning all. Thank you for your kind comments. Really glad you like them.
Now a tale of horror, possible woe, but definitely an arghhh moment.
My old lady came to sit down at dining table at 7:20am for a nice relaxing brekkie.
She slid herself, all calm like, into her chair.
Then prompt shot out of it.
Mr Bolt could not have moved faster.
The speed of light is only marginally faster.
She exclaimed and pointed at summat under table.
I came round expecting the usual mouse or vole intestines.
Our dozy cat brings her tiny number of kills into our dining room to feast on them.
What is wrong with our lino Karndean covered kitchen floor, easy to clean up, is beyond me.
But she always selects our carpeted dining room.
This, however, is what she brought in.
Impressive, what?
At least she polished the blighter off. It is now food for whatever can carry it out of our garden. Not sure a Magpie is up to it. But our local Carrion Crow or Red Kite are more than capable of getting this.
I placed in on a table, in middle of garden, which Red Kites know they can get food from i.e. scraps left over from making stock.
A couple from last nights walk
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Crikey that's a biggun! It would have frightened the life out of my Billy! .... and me ....
I love the fourth one Linda. Lovely and sharp ...