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
Jays, Dunnocks, Great tits and big treat for those who like grey squirrels.
One day I hope to see a Red Squirrel. We're planning a week's holiday in Ullswater soon. I found there are a few locations around there, like NT Aira Force, which we can walk from where we are staying. There were other sites around Ullswater.
For those interested, these photos were taken with Canon's R7; mostly with AI tracking turned off, but with Single point AF; fully electronic shutter; hand held; all in our garden and all shot through double glazing.
We'll kick off with a Jay. A regular to our garden, sitting on a grape vine I dug out. Therefore, Jay on a (fencepost) stick.
It flew over to its other favourite perch. In processing this photo, I noticed that my Snakes head fritillary needs their seed pods removed.
Yes! I think this is definitely a keeper. The R7 has changed the way I photograph. Previously I shot as if I was using film: frame subject, get in focus, press shutter for single photo. The R7, because of the speed and sensitivity of auto focus, causes me to now take multiple shots. Though my Drive Mode is still only continuous slow - not the insane 30 fps!
Unfortunately, the right hand side of this photo had reflection from light coloured curtains, causing the milky appearance. Sigh, that's what happens when you photograph from an upstairs bedroom
This was an exercise in holding the camera and lens still, and then seeing how auto focus coped.
Oh well, not all shots turn out perfect.
A test of low light capabilities. Hunting for food deep in the undergrowth next to pond. The angle I shot at (45 degrees through the window) meant light was going through about 11mm of glass.
Actually, as I type I've just noticed I might have to tie the clematis in to its supports.
Now the squirrels. Favourite of some, hated by others.
First four are from kitchen window and through two panes of glass.
They always try to climb up my bird feeder pole - daft things. Note, I've had to reedit this post as I noticed that the forum's software had loaded the wrong image here.
Whoops, not working. It slides down a bit.
It made a mighty leap to get further up the pole, but realises there is no where to go. Now, how do I get down from here?
Get set...
Remainder taken upstairs.
Note, the forum's software was doing something odd. It refused to upload a new image, and kept uploading one of the previous images. I reckon it's cache got in a tizzy. I went ahead and posted this item, and then immediately edited it. The cache was cleared.
Squirrel had a good long clean. It appears to be taking long socks off.
I'm hungry.
After cleaning itself, it turned around walked back a bit, then wiped its face against the oak branch.
Long way up.
Short way down. Be seeing you.
The photos look far better on my laptop. I think its because the forum's upload software munges them. Probably compresses them. Other forum software and social media programs to the same. Facebook and blogging software really compress images and make them a lot smaller pixel wise.
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
The joy of letting the lawn grow wild
Mrs Bully didn't want a group photo lol
Even buzzy bees are having fun
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
I love the Bully with the dandelion seeds ...