HAPPY NEW YEAR (31/12/10)

  Thank you all for visiting……………it’s been a mixed year for me but we are still here.

I wish you all health, happiness, prosperity and most of all satisfaction in 2011.

PS. I hope you can read my writing…………Answer tomorrow.

FLASHING IN THE BATHS (30/12/10)

Today has been a nondescript sort of day…………..no rain but dull and cloudy. Had a wonderful couple of hours wading up and down the estuary after a Curlew. I hardly managed a shot of it never mind a half decent picture. Just one of those days. All ambitions of wonderful uncropped images came to nought. Still were it easy there would be little fun in it.

We saw the Geese overhead, the Oystercatchers, a lone Widgeon, a something else and the Goldeneye but they flew off before I got close. There were two female ones with them today.

     The Something Else………….I’ll hazard a guess at Common Sandpiper.

     A Grey Heron……………it was misbehaving It flew one way………I followed …….it flew back could have played that game all day but it may have starved…………serve it right!!

       The Curlew or I hope it is……..it had obviously had lessons from the Heron.

        Another Haven’t a Clue…………….This river is fine but the birds really blend in…….even big ones are hard to spot.

        A pair of departing Goldeneye. The sum total of my achievement if one ignores a welly full of muddy water and a pair of trousers that will in all probability be ruined for ever.

Came back to the truck, had a quick clean round………….it was quick anti bacterial spray and a flick here and there with kitchen roll………Had a read. Had a siesta. Thought this is not much of a post so wandered up to the Roman baths for a spot of flashing in the dark……………This expedition turned out little better.

                   We flashed here, we flashed there but it was getting boring and unproductive……………I was just about to take the camera off the tripod when a rare beast appeared……………The West Cumberland Flying Glow Worm…..

           Only jesting………..it’s my torch really…………….and a touch of colourizing in PS.

We’ll be out tomorrow undeterred…………bright eyed and bushy tailed………pigs are fed and flying!

All the best.

 

THE PROSPECTOR (29/12/10)

I got in a bit late last night. Went to the pub quiz as I was feeling in a sociable mood…….very good it was and we almost won…….would have done were it not for the five teams that came in front of us.

Got back to the truck with Molly’s help………….good job she knows where we are parked only to find the service batteries were dead. Impossible for me to fathom after an emotional and testing quiz so called it a night and went to bed. A blown fuse so easily fixed in the cold light of day.

We set off for a walk in surprisingly good weather. The light was eerie a peculiar golden sheen to everything. I found it most appealing, wasn’t sure whether to blame the beer at first but it was real enough, the camera doesn’t lie……………mine does a bit………..all these images have had a gentle prod in the golden direction.

     Low cloud and mist rolling from the fells into the estuary greeted us.

   The Oystercatchers were already into their breakfast………..there seem to be more everyday but they are not the tamest of birds.

Then we really struck gold………………………..

   Or Goldeneye……. Male Goldeneye.

  We wandered round the corner and I felt like King Midas there were another half dozen.

Three flew off………………

I got a bit closer to the sociable ones…………..made my day they have.

What a racket, Canada Geese from the din they were making. Not landing here but someone's winter barley is in for a shock.

 

As we turned for home a rainbow appeared and was reflected in the creek………….A magical morning…….I feel a sunset just around the corner. It looks like being a good day.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother with the forecasts………….supposed to be drizzly and foggy today. It is much better than that.

BY GUM IT IS WARM (28/12/10)

It is also very wet, misty and generally horrible. I was dreading the return of south westerly winds. They are here so I'll just have to make the best of them.

     Ravenglass……………………Hardly the stuff picture postcards are made of.  After this stunning view, taken in one of todays brighter moments we moved on up the estuary.  Lots of Oyster Catchers around as usual. A Redshank hiding amongst the pebbles. I was going to post it but on consideration I would have had to crayon a circle around it. That doesn’t look too professional. The National Geographic doesn’t have red scribble on it’s pictures.

      Here are two of them dancing on their lunch………….The estuary is about thirty percent mussel covered so they are in no danger of starvation…………….More a miracle they can fly.

        I hope this is a female Widgeon……………No doubt wiser minds than mine will educate me if she isn’t.

        This is I think a different duck altogether…………….I’m guessing a female Pintail. That would be nice.

After an hour and a half wading through muck and mussel shells this was the sum total of todays endeavours. So it was back to the van for a well earned coffee.

I filled the feeder again and whilst drinking my twelveses……..it was a bit late for elevenses look what flew in.

        Not the great Tit, there are dozens of them but I was glad to see the Nuthatch….It’s the one on the left…….we orthodontists know such things.

       The Pheasant was as glad as I to see the Nuthatch. He can’t get at the feeder but with a Nuthatch about he doesn’t need to, they fire seed in all directions.

That’s all for today. The forecast is for more of the same but we’ll see.

 

FOUR DAYS ON (27/12/10)

I am back……………….thought I'd give you all a break whilst I had a few days of self indulgent melancholia. So Bloody Ding Dong…it’s over for another year. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and boxing day were grey dark days, freezing cold. I was filling the feeders for the birds three and four times a day, am now down to seed, bread and water, or they are. After heavy rain last night the snow is away. They are now foraging for themselves,  I moved the feeders to a different tree…….doesn’t do for them to become dependant. It was unbelievable yesterday. We had everything from a Nuthatch to Collared Doves with all the usual visitors in between. Dozens and scores of them.

Before I go any further I’d like to bring this superb post to your attention……CABINET OF CURIOSITIES. 

A few of the many visitors for Christmas lunch.

A Thrush what manner of Thrush I can’t tell……………..it is most likely a Song Thrush as there are more of them.

     

Female Chaffinch………………………………………..And a Blue Tit.

      Icy Dune Reflection.

     The ruins of the Roman Bath House………This is a project for later in the week………Flashing in the dark again.

    Low water…….Low contrast……………this place can be magical though.

As of yesterday we have the long lens back from the menders so will get down here for pictures of Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Redshank and a few others that are different.

That’s All for today. All pictures will enlarge should you feel so inclined.

DUG IN FOR CHRISTMAS (23/12/10)

We are in Ravenglass. for a couple of days or so. I love this place. The ducks are ducks but with my new found powers of observation not your run of the mill Mallard……….Posh ducks. We will be back in February.

Still not got any decent rubber on the camper but no worries we are getting about. Arrived here and was greeted like a long lost frein’….pain in the neck. Time to reinvent myself I suspect.

We got sorted grabbed dogs and camera and went for a wander down to the estuary.

Big surprise…………………..

    Always a difficult decision but I'll guess at a Pochard…………….If I'm lucky a Red Breasted Pochard. Here are a few more on the wing………….that’s absurd………the wing is on the bird…………..

    Why do they take off and disappear, antisocial it is………So is having a dump in the sea…………Birds will be birds……….it’s just under the pair together if you doubt me.

        Or maybe they just don’t like dogs sharing their domain.

Not only did I see Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird, Jay and numerous little jobs whose pictures I will endeavour to take. I also saw these…………

       Not your common tufted duck but an altogether superior duck. The Merganser. Lord protect me from my ignorance. I hope I'm getting better. if not then let me know. I am trying!

Still waiting for the long lens back but it is mended……………Thank you Sigma cheap at just over a hundred pounds. Considering it fell off a table and was dropped in the sea.

Try not to get too ratted but if you do hold it like a gentleman…………that applies to the ladies as well. Not easy, as you know!

Have fun, Merry Christmas.

 

SPIKEY ICE (22/12/10)

Today is a clean, polish, paperwork, shopping day. I got distracted for an hour.

   As usual I’m not happy with my pictures but am persevering with a new lens and new camera. Amazing how one becomes at one with a lump of glass, electronics, and metal. The new camera is undoubtedly better but it is not yet mine…………give it six months. I’ll get there.

        Back to cleaning…………….Have a good day.

MAMMALS AND MOONS (21/12/10)

After this mornings endeavours we had breakfast thawed out and set off for a walk up Latrigg. I didn’t get half way. A half mile or so from the A66 I had all ready slip slidied over twice and it’s worse going downhill so we stopped at a place called Ewe How……Also stopped at a place called George Fisher on the way home and purchased, at vast expense, a pair of spikey feet…..Knew I would have to bite on the bullet eventually……Food parcels gratefully received. No meat please after watching the moon being eclipsed by us this morning I think I may have turned into a Vogan……………(The Eagle Comic and Dan Dare if I recollect correctly.)

Wandering up through Latrigg Woods we happened upon a Red Squirrel. Drop dead beautiful they are but unfortunately regarded by Terriers as prey. They quick sticks shot it up a tree. Daft mutts as they are shot it into the sun and by default so so did I. I’ve put a wee circle round it to save you time looking…..A record shot……….A Cliff Richard record shot.

       Nothing astounding to see from todays stroll. A few views of Grisedale Pike, Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater, and some other Pikes, Riggs, Fells, Bells and Latters…… Hills to thee and me.

   Keswick and the bottom end of Derwentwater.

Being a bit Arty Farty here. Trying to line this mini gorge up with the Newlands Valley……………..It doesn’t. He should not have rested on the seventh day. If a jobs worth doing it’s worth doing right!

   These are the same views but zoomed  in a bit….Whinlatter and hiding in the gap Bassenthwaite it has a dab of mist on it. Even if todays images are not of the best I’m not crayoning over all my pictures. For those that don’t know there are Osprey breeding on Bassenthwaite……Not now! You have to come in summer, they fly away in the winter.

This one sort of fills the gap….Derwentwater mid left. I couldn’t do what I set out to do as trees got in the way so no monster panorama. A good walk nevertheless.

Nearly forgot, a polished up Moon being eclipsed by us…………’Every day Is a Winding Road’…..Rarely are they boring.

Tomorrow it’s polish the truck, shopping, a new front tyre or two and stow everything anyhow……..I meant neatly….Ready for a move to Ravenglass on Thursday.

You can’t tell but I think I’m turning into a Touchy Typist……………I can type…… BbAssenThHWwaithe.. without hardly looking at all….!

 

MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING (21/12/10)

Today is an important day. It’s the Winter solstice, the first day of winter……that’s a cheering thought. From now on though it’s all downhill the days get longer. I thought I’d nip out yesterday evening and first thing this morning to indulge my Druid and Wicca leanings…..which one I lean toward I couldn’t really say. Perhaps I should take my convictions a little more seriously. 

    Moonlight over Keswick and a vapour trail I should have spotted during the edit.

   The Theatre by the Lake.

     Another shot of the moon………….this is known as a link. This morning saw a lunar eclipse and I shot most of it. Almost half of it anyway. I got up a bit late and then the moon went behind the trees……still better to see some of it than none of it……..All the following are cropped as I still don’t have my long lens back from the menders. I’ve not messed with them……………Promise. They should enlarge.

 

The last one is almost there. Had I been able to observe it for longer it would have reflected a deep red light. I can feel a Photoshop moment coming on.

The quality is not of the best but I tried my best. Freezing it was. I hope all you loonies out there appreciate my sacrifice. I have loads more so will see if I can polish a few up. They are not shot to a time interval unless you consider A Marlboro a frame scientific interval timing……..more like suicide. Also a couple have longer gaps as I made a cup of coffee during one and lost the dogs for a while during another. Bet Patrick Moore doesn’t operate under such constraints.

Have  good day.