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 Hazy. Autumn is a good time of year for fungus spotting. Hope I see some more ...
Taken at Minsmere a while ago.
BTG.
Glad you all like dragonfly photos. I got very lucky with light conditions and tameness of the beasties.
My ditch saga enters its end game.
This little lot arrived on Tuesday morning.
Given the record breaking amount of rain we've received this year, it was inevitable that the heavens opened up the moment the delivery driver rang our doorbell. It rained the entire 30 minutes it took to unload the lorry. I know 'cause I stood in it talking to the driver.
This is the hole ready and waiting for the soil. Though we had already filled the area to the left of the black thing.
We couldn't shift the soil on Tuesday as it rained and rained and rained and, for a bit of variety, it poured. The rain finally stopped Wednesday morning. The old girl and I shifted 1.6 cubic metres in the morning and sprog arrived in afternoon to help me shift the remaining 2.4 cubic metres. Giving this...
A shed is going here - the soil is C grade, ideal for this area. The hole in the bottom right of photo will be filled with my numerous pot plants, which I can finally put into the ground, rather than it sitting on decking. Hurrah!
Anyway, in between ditch work - in which I have spent most of the summer. I have managed some photography, mainly on our morning walk - though the Thames walk was a special.
I post processed the next two photos on my fancy new monitor - which is working out brilliantly. This Red Kite was swooping around, fast and low, in early morning sun. I had restricted view due to trees, and only managed two photos, of which only one was decent, before it flew off.
I'm reduced to photographing 'steam' coming off melting ice.
Good luck with the garden renovation. I quite like the steam
I thought that steam was coming off you Angus, shifting all that soil ... . Glad you are enjoying the new monitor ...
In Sidmouth this weekend, enjoying the Turnstones and a drunken Bee who was enjoying the pollen a bit too much
Excellent photos Kevin. That bee does seem to be fair getting stuck in ... . Hope you are trying a few scoops too in the local hostelry ...
Thank you, BD, yes we did pop to The Swan in Sidmouth, where the beer is rather well kept and the atmosphere welcoming not that I drank like the Bee because a) one pint is plenty these days and b) drinks now cost a million pounds each. Or near enough
Great pics Kevin, I do like Turnstones, such attractive birds and the bee must have enjoyed the rare spell of sunshine.
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Regards, Hazel
Thank you and I agree. Turnstones are lovely to watch in terms of the bee, yes, maybe that was the reason. It sat on the flower for a couple of hours at least