NO CROPPING (10/12/09)

Before you look at these images it's supposed to be an 'O' in the title.

A lovely day again, spoiling me it is. Actually got a sunrise so no excuses, breakfast and out.

     Went down the road towards Porthcothan, could here twittering and chirping so got myself and the dog insinuated into a bush. First mistake of the day, damn wet in there it was and full of rabbit burrows. Molly thrashing about after rabbits, yipping and snuffling down their holes.......... (excuse the expression) curtailed the birding. Not a bird to be seen or heard for miles. Extricated myself, with minor scratches, wet knees and soaking feet. The wellies still damp from yesterday were discarded in favour of trainers before departure. We headed down to the beach to run some of the energy off her.

        Blackbird a male one. I'm not cropping any of today's images as it wasn't till I got back that I realised I had not only left the camera on centre weighted spot metering but on bracket as well. One in five have turned out OK.

       Pied Wagtail..... Can't half run.

       Carrion Crow I hope! Bit small and tidy for a Rook. Love the way all Corvus strut and pose. Corvus/Corvi I trust that's the right term. Been doing my homework..... Promise.

       This is the same bird, doing what it's supposed to eating carrion, in this case a dead Flounder.

Suddenly noticed the bus to Padstow was due so hurried from the seaside to the bus stop, arrived just as the bus was approaching, threw out my arm, forgetting poor Molly was on the end of that one, almost put her into orbit. Sorted ourselves out and puffing fit to bust said. 'Thanks for waiting.' The driver replied. 'You look as if you've been dragged through a hedge.'    'If only you knew!'

Upon arriving in town, I decided to walk the old railway line towards Wadebridge. It's actually called the Camel Trail, sounds posher for tourists. I have to agree it has a more romantic ring to it.

The Little Petherick Creek Bridge. It was high water today, there is a footpath runs around the creek, which at low water should yield sightings of birds other than the swans and mallard I noticed. It would also get one off the railway line, which is lethal. No trains anymore just bicycles. They hire them at both ends. It wasn't pleasant today. I can't imagine what it must be like in summer.

       These trees are common in Devon and Cornwall. They are a conifer? Certainly evergreen, presumably imported in Victorian times and then self seeded. Anyone know what they are?

Saw this little mite sunning itself, so swapped lenses and here it is.

        Dunlin, it looks sort of rounder than the ones readers kindly identified for me in the summer. It's also on it's own and waited for me to switch glass. The ones I saw before you couldn't get anywhere near and there were dozens of them. Could be fat, thick Dunlin, I suppose!

       Ever faithful a Black-Headed Gull. Easy, Oh! so easy. Six months ago not only would I not have had a clue what it was but would still have messed up the shot. Thank you all for your encouragement.

Just at the start of the trail, there's a fresh water pond, it's dammed, like a swan pond, not damned, like me. Looking over the old railway bridge, look what I saw and not twelve feet away, had to zoom out.

       Little Egret.....OK, for this, zoomed back in.

        Little Egret at 50mm, it's sitting in a black hole under the dam wall. Thank heaven I had the foresight not to switch the camera from spot metering....The Devil Looks After His Own!! Life doesn't get much better.

Eventually even the best models get fed up....... Away it goes.

      And then it's gone.

     Quite how I got the last two, I don't know. Was so excited could have crushed a grape......Much, much, much more excited than that....Hope it's not the same bus driver................'Now you look like you've been dragged through a hedge and wet yourself.'.........If only you knew!

As I say no cropping today, minimal Photoshop today, just a absolutely perfect today. I have a few seascapes and landscapes which I will run up over night as we are back up to Dartmoor tomorrow. The forecast is still looking good. So out with the panorama head on. My panorama head, can't afford one for the tripod.

All the best.