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 Kevin.
Thanks BD!
Part of our morning constitutional takes us along a short section of country road - hah, more like rat run between one main road and another. I looked over into a farmer's field (one of the last remaining south of Wokingham, and in danger of being built on) when I thought I saw some rabbits, hunkered down, noshing away.
Only when we stopped and crossed over did I realise they were these. My view was obscured by a bank and brambles, so mister Barmy here hops over a narrow drainage ditch, scrambles up a steep bank, and, balancing precariously, rest his camera on a fence post. It was very over cast, I only had my Canon SX700HS compact, and it's lens was at x30 magnification (750mm to us DSLRs); which would result in grainy, blurred images if handheld.
A brace of partridge.
I dragged my Canon 80D along with me for this morning's jaunt, as it was bright when we set out. Heavy cloud rapidly swept in, just as we reached a 'soak'. An area of land, by the side of a footpath, dredged to capture rain runoff for slower release; much like a beaver pond. A consequence of this soak are a number of small ponds. One pond had a Grey Heron, which firstly was about 50 feet from us and secondly, more astonishingly, it didn't fly off immediately!!!! Thus, I was able to get a couple of decent shots.
Our nemesis, scrub kept getting in the way, forcing me to creep around to a better place after this photo
Eventually, it took umbrage at us interrupting its hunt.
A mix of photos from this weekend.
An interesting mix of great pics Mr Kes with a special one for PB at the last
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Happily singing away in a tree, this morning.
Gave me a dirty look for intruding on its space, before flying off.
It's funny, when they are singing you can often get a good photo. When they are on the ground I often find them very difficult. Nice photo's Angus
A few signs of Spring.
frogspawn in the pond.
honeybees on the move.
Great shot of the honey bees. Hope you used a long lens ...
Them Bees are busy