Category: Birds

An EARLY start – 24 May 2016

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May 24 bDrove in to Glasgow just for a walk and to get some stuff for the hols.  Didn’t even go to the art shop!

Actually, that’s only half the story.  I woke about 4.20am and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I think it was all that sitting around on one train, then on another train, then on one more train.  Hardly walked anything at all, so I just wasn’t tired, so I got up and dressed and went over to St Mo’s to grab some of that early morning light.  It was a good decision.  Got some nice captures of closeups with that lovely light.  There was a bit of mist on the pond, but if I’d been just a little bit earlier, it would have been better – never happy.  Used the macro lens for the closeups and as usual was impressed with the sharpness.  See if you can spot the reflection.  You might have to go to the Flickr feed to spot it.

In the town I was listening to the bloke playing the sax.  When a photog started taking his picture he began to ham it up and I decided I’d have a piece of that too.  I liked the close cropped shot.  When we walked through the St Enoch’s centre there was a boxing promotion with a ring set up.  Ricky Burns did a bit of shadow boxing and I managed about 6 shots of him.  The mono was the best.  I liked the gritty feel of it.  I felt he looked like a boxer.

So that was a long day, but even now I don’t feel tired.  It was a great start to the day and the rest wasn’t all that bad either.
Repairs day tomorrow.  Doctor and Dentist – a glutton for punishment!

Walking in the Sunshine – 22 May 2016

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22may bIt’s a sunny Sunday and after breakfast we headed off over the fields and far away.  Luckily Sim is friendly with the farmer and we got permission to walk through the horses’ fields to the right-of-way.  I’m not that happy walking in fields with actual horses in them.  Sim calls them ‘ponies’, but these aren’t anything like the ‘My Little Pony’ my daughter had when she was wee.  These are big brown monsters, much bigger than me, but I treated them like I treat anyone bigger than me – don’t make eye contact, pretend they’re not there and everything will be fine.  I did, and it was.  we reached the relative safety of the road.  Relative safety because this is a narrow single track road, but the drivers seem to think it’s their own personal autobahn.  In other words, they think there is no speed limit.  That said, we survived the killer ponies and the madskull drivers and started on our walk proper.  Like yesterday it was mainly between fields of wheat and also yellow rapeseed.  I synched the camera with my iPhone to allow me to geotag the photos.  I knew it would only work with the ’10 and not the ‘5, but that wouldn’t matter because at least I’d have a record of the walk that I could plot on a map when I got back home.  Checked the first one and all seemed to be well.  We walked for an hour or so.  Probably more than an hour because although JIC and Scamp were charging on ahead, Sim and I were constantly stopping to get some photos.

When we got to the top of one of the hills, gentle hills. This is Engerland, not mountainous Scottishland remember.  They don’t do real hills here.  Anyway, when we got to the main road at the top of one of the hills, there was a debate as to whether we should return by the same route or do a round trip.  The round trip would mean walking on the grass verge at the side of the road and, since we’d already seen the stock car racing that was being done on the narrow road, we didn’t fancy our chances on the main road, so it was back the way we’d come.

On the way back we got a really good view of the ‘Chicken Prison’ or battery hen farm.  If you’ve seen one of these travesties you will know why Scamp won’t but the cheapest chicken, but rather the free range ones.  At least they had a slightly better life.  We also got to see how a lovely vista across the green fields is destroyed by a solar panel farm.  Just to complete the trilogy, there was a wind farm behind us.  I’m all for being ‘green’, but just how efficient are these blots on the landscape?  Wind farm windmills are white (white = pure) and generally now they are painted green at the bottom (green = natural).  It’s all colour psychology, or kidology might be a more accurate description.  During the first two weeks in April in Scotland almost no wind energy was generated as the wind wasn’t strong enough.  It is not a viable alternative to traditional methods of generating electricity.  Enough of the rant.

Back home after passing the demon ponies again, we had ice lollies and Pimms for lunch, then watched JIC starting the barbecue that would provide our supper.  What a supper.  Chicken kebabs for Scamp. Pork burger and sausages for the carnivores.

Dumped my photos and oh, oh, it looked like only one photo had been geotagged!  Bummer.  Then when I got them all in there were 40 tagged photos.  Only one session, but forty photos in the session.  All was good.  Just as a finale, a woodpecker arrived at the bird table.  I’ve never managed to get a photo of one.  This one was a bit twitchy.  Every time I went near the window, it went and hid in the big tree at the side of the garden.  However, I managed about four good shots from a sitting position on the couch!

Back home tomorrow.  I’d love to have stayed longer, but all good things must come to an end.  We had an excellent day and an excellent break.  Three days with Hazy and N D’Ag and three days with Sim and JIC.

Birds of a Feather in Kingston – 18 May 2016

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birdsTook the bus into Kingston from Chessington railway station, it was almost taking time to rain. Absolutely pelting down. Still marvelling at a joined up travel system. Obviously designed with joined up thinking. Spoke to an old guy, like me in Marks. He was buying a hat to protect his new hearing aids from the torrential rain. Hope they did the trick. Coffee in Nero, then a walk round the shops. By the time we came out the rain had stopped so we wandered down to the river. There was a swan sitting on eggs and a heron fishing. We also saw a cormorant fishing and it looked like it had successfully captured a large eel, but was having a problem swallowing the catch. It struggled with the fish for a full ten minutes before it swam off gulping the fish tail down its throat. We watched this battle with an old man who showed us his photos of the swan’s eggs. He seemed quite interested in the birds on the river. For some reason I felt quite sorry for him. Is this me in the future?

Scamp and I walked along the riverside walk, inspecting the unusual boats that were moored along the towpath. Most had ‘notice to quit’ letters attached to them. It seemed a shame, but I suppose it’s necessary to free up moorings.

Lunch for me was a chicken wrap from a Dominican Republic stall in the market and for Scamp it was a chicken wrap. Birds of a feather!

Went to Canute and Deliah’s for dinner and for the boys to watch football while we oldies sat talking. It was also the first time for Scamp and I to see Marcie. Scamp even got a chance to hold her.

Heading in to Lundinium tomorrow.

Party Time – 14 May 2016

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combo bWe were going to Moira’s party today, but Scamp suggested we go to Vecchia Bologna for lunch first.  After that, we still had some time to kill so we went to the David Stirling monument just outside Doune because there is such a good view of the Perthshire hills from there and I expected it to look good in the sun.  David Stirling was the founder of the SAS.  I took a few photos.  Usually with landscape the wide-angle lens is the best option, but for a change I used the zoom to frame the shot with some of the mid-ground trees and make more of that snow dusted peak in the background.  After comparing the two shots, I think the longer lens was the better shot of the two.  I did a bit of adjustment brush work to remove the blue cast from the hills, but left it on the distant peak to give a better impression of distance.

From there we drove to Ardgay to see if I could get a few shots of the Red Kites.  Unfortunately, we were just to late to see them feeding.  Next time we’ll go earlier and make sure we get the best view.  I did get a couple of shots, but the Panasonic lens isn’t quite up to this kind of photography.  Next time I’ll pack the Nikon and the Tamron.  For all its faults, it focuses faster and locks the VR solidly before you trip the shutter.  Next time!

Then it was off to Moira’s garden party.  It was indeed a garden party with all the trimmings.  Entertainment, food, drink.  Just good clean fun.  I hadn’t been looking forward to it, because I still don’t do parties – never have been a people person, but I did have a good time.  I was so pleased that the weather held up for her and Jim.

Driving – 6 May 2016

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EM100065- flickr--128--127Not exactly driving all day, but it seemed like that to me.

Out at 12 to drive to Larky for my cousin Alex’s funeral. Don’t panic Hazy and JIC, not brother Alex, cousin Alex. We hadn’t spoken for years, about 20 years to be a bit more precise. However, my conscience demanded that I go to pay my respects. It’s what you do.

After the service we came home because Scamp was going out to one of The Witches’ 60th birthday bash in Milano. After a quick change, I drove her to Milano so she could enjoy a drink (or five) with the girls. I took the opportunity to wander St Mo’s with the heel of a home made loaf to see if any of the residents wanted a late lunch. Found Mr & Mrs Coot out with the red headed weans who where very receptive to a big bit of stale bread. I think there were about eight baby coots in the brood. Quite a handful I’d imagine. Checked the photos in Lightroom when I got home and they looked good, so PoD was sorted if nothing else.

I sat and read for a while after that, enjoying the peace and quiet before the next episode of the day. Scamp phoned asking for a lift home because the others were ensconced in the restaurant for the rest of the day. Picked her up and after another swift change went to pick up June to drive to Larky again for dinner with C&N. Great dinner and conversation with them and eventually left just before 1am and, because of roadworks on the M74, chose an alternative route through Bellshill. Only to find that I’d driven back on to the M74 again! We still can’t work out exactly what went wrong. Personally I think we went through a time slip and the roads lost alignment somewhere. We definitely took the Bellshill turnoff at the Raith Interchange, but the next sign we was was for Shettleston. Anyway, with my excellent navigational skills we found our way back home about 2am. Today, because I’m writing this on the 7th May, I’m still exhausted.

Scamp said that if anyone was watching our comings and goings on Friday they’d have wondered what was going on. She had had four changes of clothes on the day! Just showing off? Oh, surely not.

Off to Ayrshire today to visit Dorothy.

Another wet one – 2 May 2016

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comboToday was similar to yesterday with intermittent rain showers, but today’s showers were heavier and blown along by a stiff westerly wind. That’s the weather report done. Tomorrow looks much the same.

Got fed up sitting in the house and since we needed some shopping, I took the opportunity to go and get some photos – two birds, one stone, you get the idea. Actually two birds were involved in the photos. Two mallards sprang from a pathside puddle on the old railway and walked quite happily along in front of me. I had my camera ready, focus and exposure set, ready for them to fly off, but they just kept waddling along keeping a weather eye on me to make sure I didn’t get too close. When I did speed up, they did too, but they eventually tired of the game and flew off. It was either that or they were deliberately leading me away from their nesting site. That could have been the answer to their strange behaviour. After that the rain came down in torrents and there was nowhere to shelter, so it was just a case of grin and bear it. By the time I got to Dumbreck marshes the rain had passed and the sun was shining on the Campsies. Had a quick scout around to see if any deer would show themselves, but as I was upwind of them, there was little chance of me surprising them. Then the next shower hit and this time I did get a bit of shelter under some pine trees. By then it was time to head back and that’s where I saw the textures on the Broom seed pods. I liked the twisted pods which for some reason remained dry in spite of these showers.

Driving back home I got caught in a long and heavy hail shower. I’m glad I was in the car when that came. Wouldn’t have liked that stuff stinging my face.

Like I said, more of the same forecast for tomorrow. Oh what fun!

Friday, Fridges, Coots and a Coy Crow – 29 April 2016

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combo bFriday used to be the beginning of the weekend, especially on a long weekend.  Friday is the only day I regret being retired because you don’t get that TGIF (or TFIF for the atheists).  My dad was right when he told me “you don’t get weekends when you’re retired.”  Not to worry, the rest of the week makes up for Fridays!

Scamp wanted the drain in the fridge unblocked.  It’s a messy, awkward job that means the fridge has to be angled out from the wall so I can clean the drip tray at the back after unblocking the drain hole in the fridge itself, then drag it back in.  Only, this time when I dragged it back, one of the little wheels at the back came unstuck.  The axle had come loose from the wheel and in an attempt to fix it, I tried to drive out the axle using the screwdriver as a drift (<Technospeak> a DRIFT is a bar used to push another into or out of place </Technospeak>).  It didn’t work.  The axle got jammed in part of the chassis of the fridge.  Oh well, I’d just have to forget the wheel and use a packer to sit that corner of the fridge on.  Switched it on and … the light came on, but the compressor didn’t.  Shit!
Left it for about 10 minutes to settle but still no go.  Switched it off and made a cup of coffee while Scamp priced a new fridge.  I imagine I had rattled the compressor too much by hammering the drift.  After the coffee and the shock that the most expensive fridge she found was £9900, I switched on the fridge and Lo and Behold, it sprang into life.  Obviously my analysis of the situation was correct and the refrigerant just needed to stabilise itself.  Phew!

Went for lunch at Cotton House, then had Scamp’s tyres checked at Jim Dickson’s and finally booked her car in for MOT next week.  Lunch and housekeeping dealt with.

Walked over to St Mo’s and took the “Big Dog” AKA Nikon for a change.  The batteries in the Nikons last forever compared to the Olys.  About 750 shots at present with the battery on category 2 out of 4, 1 being New.  Got some shots of mummy coot sitting on a nest with at least one wee red chick in it.  Further on I actually framed my shot to include the round out of focus light.  The rest of the shots were too poor to bother with.

On the way home, I saw a crow having a bath in a puddle.  I thought it would make a good shot, so I brought out my camera.  The crow took one look at me and walked away.  Ok, camera back in bag and walk away.  Took a few steps and watched the same crow walk back to the puddle again with its towel over its shoulder.  It saw me watching again and did an abrupt about turn.  I didn’t want to delay it’s bath time any longer and turned my back on it before its bath water got cold.

A Super Sunday – 24 April 2016

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comboWent for a walk around Broadwood Loch rather than its little cousin St Mo’s.  Broadwood is a bit duller than St Mo’s in my opinion, but nowhere near as dull as Strathclyde Loch.  Like SL it’s a manmade or manflooded loch that originally was a piece of bogland with loads of peat underneath.  It was always being set on fire during the summer.  Flooding the area produced a loch and reduced the possibility of it going on fire.  Originally there were great plans to have it stocked with fish and there was to be a sailing club.  Neither of these plans saw the light of day.  What NLC did was categorise part of the loch as a nature reserve which has the advantage of costing nothing and preventing either of the leisure activities from taking place.  Cost saving from NLC?  Surely not.

After lunch I chose cycling rather than the gardening that Scamp opted for.  Went out with the intention of finding some damselflies to photograph, but they were still swimming in the ponds dressed in their nymphal disguise.  Maybe I was being a little optimistic, but I just thought with the increase in the temperature and light recently there was just a chance of some of them hatching early.  Maybe next month.

What I did get were, from the right and going anticlockwise, Mr Grey’s cousin from the morning walk around Broadwood.  Next it looks like a volcano, but it’s a pit bing near Kirkintilloch.  On the left is a wee bit of interesting sky I saw on the way home.  At the top a monochrome landscape shot with the Arran hills in the background.  Centre stage is a recently ploughed and seeded field with tractor tracks heading over the hill.

Not a bad Sunday.  Not bad at all.

Out for a Spin – 19 April 2016

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combo bGot up this morning and couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do.  Yes, it was sunny, but it was cold.  Yes, there was very little wind (good for cycling) but that wouldn’t make for interesting skies.  I was feeling quite down.  In an attempt to lift this “creeping malaise” to quote Floyd, Scamp suggested we go out for a light lunch.  So off we went.

I’d driven over the new Drumgrew bridge yesterday.  Now don’t look askance, this is quite a big deal.  The bridge has been closed for over 5 months now to allow it to be raised to accommodate the cabling for the electrification of the Glasgow – Edinburgh railway line.  The closure has been a real pain as the only other direct route from Cumbernauld to Kirkintilloch is a single track road with very few passing places.  So to return to today, we drove over the new Drumgrew bridge and out towards Kirkintilloch – nobody in their right mind actually wants to go to Kirkintilloch, which means that the upgrade of the Drumgrew bridge was a bit pointless really!  To cut a long story short, we drove to Drumgoyne and had lunch in a garden centre there at a table next to the window and in the sun.  My ennui was lifted.

Rather than drive back the same way we had come, I turned at the end of the road and we went back through Killearn then over the hills to Fintry.  It’s been ages since I’ve driven along that stretch of road and today was a good choice.  The light during the run was lovely with bright sun and fluffy clouds driving shadows over the hills.  Just what I wanted for another time lapse.
[Have you ever had one of those words or phrases that’s in your head, but just won’t come out your mouth, or in my case down to my fingers and out through the correct keys.  Time Lapse is my blind spot.  I know the technique.  I could, and often do, give anyone the MEGO effect (My Eyes Glaze Over) talking and enthusing about it, but ask me what it’s called and all I can say is “That time exposure thing, no, not exposure.  Delay, no, not delay either.  It’s that effect you see on the TV all the time.”  One day I’ll remember the phrase, but by that time I’ll have moved on to some other obscure effect, I’ll forget ITs name, and the whole thing will start again.  Aargh!]
The Time Lapse.

It wasn’t the most dramatic scenery.  We’re not talking Rannoch Moor here, just some low hills with interesting clouds casting shadows on them and best of all, a convenient parking place.  Unusual in itself in Scotland.  This time I set an interval of 5 second and 60 frames.  That would give me just over 4 seconds of video time for 3 minutes of filming / frame recording time.  This was a much better setup than yesterday.  Firstly because I was using a tripod today, but secondly and mainly because I could sit in the car instead of wandering around like a spare …  The video, once the Oly had created it, was good enough.  More leisurely than yesterday’s one.  That may have been due to the shorter interval or to the fact there was less wind than yesterday.  However, it worked and that’s the main thing – and the focus was correct this time!  You might notice that I collected a few cars on the road in my time lapse (see, I’m remembering it now) and also, towards the end was photobombed or should that be time-lapse-bombed by a bee!  Once I get the thing sorted out in my head and remember its name, everybody wants to get in on the act!  While I was packing up I noticed a goose sitting snoozing among the bracken over in the next field.  By the time I’d changed lenses it had woken up and was keeping an eye on me.  I grabbed a few shots and left it.  I imagine as it didn’t immediately fly off that it was either hung over from the Old Firm match on Sunday or it was sitting on eggs.  Either way, I didn’t want to annoy it and we drove away.

We stopped further down the road at the Crow Road car park (remember going there to do mountain climbing JIC and Hazy?).  Spent some time watching the shadows running across the valley rather than trying to record them.  That’s where the monochrome landscape came from.  Behind me some sheep were lunching on the thin grass over by the rocks and I thought they’d make an interesting shot or two.  That explains the shaggy sheep shot (be careful how you say that!).

Hoping for more sun, less ennui tomorrow.

Just walking in the rain – 13 April 2016

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combo bIt’s been a bit of a mixed up day. It started off dry then it rained then it was dry for a while then it rained again. We had both decided to go to the gym in the morning. It turned out to be early afternoon, but who cares. Pool was busy when we got there, so we agreed to do a bit of gym work first. It looks like about 1pm is the optimum time for a swim. The “brown towels” (the spa folk) go for their lunch then and the pool empties. At least it did today.

After our lunch the sky cleared and the rain stopped and I went out to St Mo’s to get some photos, armed with both Olys in my new bag. I hardly got out the door when the rain started. However, I plodded on and got some shots of coots’ nests. I don’t remember ever seeing them before. Saw a deer, but it was off too quickly for me. There were lots of snails and slugs about, so that may be a sign that the worst of the frosts are past. Finally got some decent shots of bursting buds. Impressed with the sharpness from the Panasonic lens if I switch off the vibration control and rely on the in-camera anti-shake. Another lesson learned.