After a bit of the alternative Xmas, one not to be repeated, I hope, The Hideout has been a welcome refuge while trying to get back on my feet again.
The Hideout, just a random name I gave it, is my man cave, an integral brick built extension to the garage, which became a convenient dumping ground when we moved in 23 years ago, now nicely converted to a man cave.
A short 4 minute guided tour, no waffle, of The Hideout, which can be viewed HERE.
In my previous The Hideout thread, I did confess to honourably borrowing an annual based theme, so here it starts, and a link to the shorter 2023 thread, "Some from The Hideout 2023";
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/285975/some-from-the-hideout-2023
Not many photos to start with, I didn't fancy lugging the camera and dropping it, but The Hideout has been a comfort, heating on, gentle music in the background and urban nature (if such a term exists, well it does now), going about its business, and particularly nest building.
A pair of magpies seemed to be nest building atop our cherry tree, twigs etc being taken in, then the next day, the twigs seemed to be transported out, and to another tree, most likely a lot higher, further away. it may have been the cherry tree provided a central storage place, or not.....
The Hideout is definitely fulfilling its intended role.
Less of the waffle, and more photos.....
What better than an early sign of spring, daffodil shoots, that started showing very early December, which they always do here.
Mr BB looking for more suet pellets to be thrown from The Hideout, onto the grass....
Yesterday, 13th Jan,
Blue skies
and a magpie enjoying a bathe...
These first few images were taken through a dirty kitchen window, I know, should be clean, but I had been a guest of our fabulous NHS over Xmas/NY
Though blurred and out of focus, I hadn't anticipated the magpie taking flight,
These last few were taken from The Hideout
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Lovely photos Mike including the swift
_____________________________________
Regards, Hazel
And a few more, this time with a new lens....
I do like my aeonium aeonium schwarzkopf/zwartkop, out in the sun where it belongs...
Mrs BB wanted some of the action
but was very disappointed to no suet pellets out....
Buff tail bumblebees on the lavender
uncropped
Mrs Blackbird is certainly posing with such good posture for the new lens. !! Lovely photos.
Loved the bee pics
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Nice photos mike, thanks
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Some more using the RF 200-800 lens, and this also playing with the FV setting, which is like manual exposure control.
The rare showing of a water lily flower this year, hardly surprising with the lack of sun.....
A small white butterfly
which was eventually accompanied by another. I'm not quite sure whether they were being friendly, or territorial, there was no sign of any friction....
Then Cyril, lazing on a sunny afternoon, possibly after eating too many fermenting apples from next doors garden....
A speckled wood butterfly
Now for Mrs HS, and I note the regular shaped dark patch on the chest, which I often see on house sparrows during breeding season, making me wonder if that is due to looking after the brood...
Any thoughts anyone?
A buff tailed bumblebee on the lavender
and in flight....
That's the last for now using the RF200-800 lens.
Well captured Mike. I particularly like the 'in flight' shots of the Butterflies and the Bees, and of course cyril ... . Looks like the new lens is doing a good job ...
Now, the new RF 24-240 lens, and what better to start with, a very radiant sunrise
The colours were that spectacular, the sunrise cast a nice glow on the garden...
The next few of bees in flight, were using the FV setting on the R5 exposure control. How much better the FV was over the TV setting I'm not sure, but it does, unsurprisingly, work better with the RF lenses over the EF lenses.
Not quite a BBIF
This is a BBIF
A garden spider
A "hairy stripybuzzy bee" (you know my bee id skills, are below zero) on the lavender
That Tommy Steele song comes to mind,
What? Oh ermWhat a mouth!What a mouth!What a north and southBlimey what a mouth he's got
That's all for now.
Billysdad said:Well captured Mike. I particularly like the 'in flight' shots of the Butterflies and the Bees, and of course cyril ... . Looks like the new lens is doing a good job ...
Thank you.
I'm very impressed with both the new lenses, they are bringing out more potential from the R5. But I can't knock the EF lenses, they did what they were designed to do with the 5D4, and made a good stopgap until I could invest in RF lenses.
Yes, Cyril, too much zider on a sunny afternoon me thinks.
The young family next door have gone their separate ways, so the garden has become unkempt and overrun with brambles and other stuff.....
A crackin' sunrise there Mike, lovely colours. A bit early in the day for me ...