Kicking off this year's odds and sods with Starlings in a rainbow on that extreme rarity: sunshine.
It was early morning, with the sun barely cresting the tree line. We were able to get out for our morning walk as it wasn't raining. This photo is my trusty Canon 80D and Sigma 18-300mm lens zoomed in at 300mm.
Pulling back a bit.
And finally all the way back.
Oh, 2024 got off to a good start with this.
So far my cat, perhaps two neighbouring cats visiting our garden, a local fox and Tawny owl, and this trap have accounted for at least five of the beasties. Sightings of rats in our garden are getting rarer, so I think I'm winning. Two rather timid and wary rats, that I know of, are proving more elusive to catch. I've resorted to buying a lethal trap. The trap was triggered, yesterday, but no rat, sadly. Though a mouse might have triggered it, and was small enough to be within the kill bar.
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
Thanks PB. I was at Wells from Sunday 24th August until Monday 2nd September and most of the time it was sunny and I had my shorts on every day. It wasn't quite as nice at Yeovil, I was back in my jeans, but mostly dry. It did get a bit chilly one night after tea, so I put a light jacket on over my t shirt. There were storms on Thursday though driving back up the M5 and M6. I did bring the sunshine home with me, but it didn't last ... it's peeing down again today ...
Great sighting and shots Linda
Great sighting Linda and well done, nothing wrong with that pic and can see it clearly, thanks for sharing your sighting and photo.
_________________________________________________________________________
Regards, Hazel
Super capture Linda, thanks for sharing
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Billysdad said:Well, I am eventually back from darn sarf. My brother in law recovered enough to be let out of hospital
That's good news, all round.
I know what you mean about 250 mile journey's, particularly close to and within the Midlands Motorway link [those old enough to recall, during the sixties there was a push to link the motorway network around Birmingham, click HERE to read the Midland Links Motorways. M5 (J1 to J3) and M6 (J13 to J1) archived article]. Add into that the HS2, and getting outside of the West Mids and Warwickshire is a trudge on it's own, twice over.
The important thing is, your brother is better and you can all relax.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Thanks Mike. Interesting read about the Motorway links. We have a motorway near us called the M65. It links into the M6 at Preston and was originally supposed to go across the country through Lancashire and Yorkshire to join up with the A1, but Yorkshire didn't want it, so now it just ends at a place called Colne and enormous traffic jams occur. Good planning eh!
Billysdad said:Thanks Mike. Interesting read about the Motorway links. We have a motorway near us called the M65. It links into the M6 at Preston and was originally supposed to go across the country through Lancashire and Yorkshire to join up with the A1, but Yorkshire didn't want it, so now it just ends at a place called Colne and enormous traffic jams occur. Good planning eh!
You're welcome.
As for good planning, after hearing this mornings news about planning for more renewable energy.......
While I was in Wells I was lucky enough to see the Swans in the moat surrounding the Bishop's Palace, beside Wells Cathedral. Apparently the current swans came from Swan Rescue South Wales and were called originally Janet & John, but had their names changed to Grace and Gabriel, after a public appeal for new name suggestions The story goes that swans were trained to ring the bell for food by a Bishop's daughter around 1870. The tradition still continues today, with each year's cygnets being trained up to ring the bell by Gabriel, before they leave the moat to begin their own lives.
These two shots were taken from a video that I did. I do very few videos ...
Interesting story, thank you