ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 20 June 2014

BLACKHEADS. (20/06/14)

It’s a much better day today. We are still getting the odd shower but there is blue sky in between. Grand it is, a bit breezy but much better. Musna grumble.

I’ve been bird taming, they are still rather unruly but I’m persevering and hopefully before I leave I’ll have them queuing in an orderly manner. _MG_2389  Blackheaded Gull. These are hooligans.

_MG_2390  Herring Gull. These are fine.

_MG_2393   Common Gull, there are two of these and they will take food from my hand. They have very sharp beaks but after last year when I got a nasty cut on the finger next to my little finger I now wear a welders glove that I found. I knew it would come in Handy.

_MG_2402 I set the camera up on the tripod, I used a 24mm lens and locked focus at nine feet, on this lens it is just shy of infinite. Then I hold my hand out with wholemeal bread on and fire the remote shutter cable with my other hand. It’s a bit hit and miss. It also makes them look far away but I do get more of them to fit in the frame.

_MG_2409  Very hit and miss, not a bit but in this respect it differs little from the norm when it comes to my birding.

_MG_2437  It is a bit windy and the bread kept blowing off my hand when I wasn’t ready to click so I thought a bit then threw a bit and watched where it landed and focussed on that bit. Got down to four feet focus.

_MG_2453   It’s not really the stunning effect I was after. I was going to try the 50mm lens but I had to stop as the lady in the camper twenty yards away said I was encouraging them to attack people, she said I was being irresponsible and as I could hear her over the racket the Gulls were making, decided to agree.

I hope she decides on a BBQ. I’ll creep up on her blindside and chuck a handful of bread onto her camper roof. Then pop round to suggest BBQs are anti-social. I love such trivial triumphs. She’s going tomorrow so I’ll have another go, I’ll try and find an assistant to throw the bread. I have one in mind. She is the lanky lass from the pub who can jump up and down in time to music crossing and uncrossing her ankles. I bet she would be a wonderful Gull feeder. I saw her in the shop this morning and she asked if I was going to turn up with my whistle.

Oh, the innocence of youth. I suspect she is a bit of a minx, as my mother used to say on the odd occasion when I took anything half fit home to tea. She has been to Scalloway and Stirling University to study swimming things. She has a degree in marine…things. I’ll guess fish but it could be crawly things like crabs or lobsters. I’d ask but would hate to see her fall over whilst dancing. I forget ladies can multitask. I’l start off tomorrow night with an Irish Jig then halfway I’ll switch to Mull of Kintyre. I bet she can’t stop airborne to that. I bet I’ll get a slap.

The Gulls do get close to me but they never misjudge it and hit me with their wings or feet. I enjoy them being so close, it’s great feeling the draft from their wings. They are good at flying, they never seem to bang into each other and they are not daft.

This morning I took the tripod down to the beach for some long exposures of the sea. They followed the tripod at a respectful distance. The sea wasn’t rough enough for the smoke on the water effect. It will be. I noticed a pair of Pipets that were different. They were bigger with black legs. I’ll have a look for them this afternoon. If they aren’t Sea Eagles then I bet a pound to a penny they are the elusive Rock Pipits.

Have a wonderful weekend. It is good fun here.

41 comments:

  1. Adrian can not send a few eagles this side?

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    1. Bass, they are breeding like rabbits here, I've never seen one. Ask the RSPB, They'll send half a dozen.

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  2. Hi Adrian One day I did an experiment from my car to see which gulls were the bravest adn would take bread from my open hands. I was amazed at the result. There were 3 types of gulls. Herring, Black headed and Common. Now if i had to bet on them, that is the order in which I would have put them for being bravest to take the bread. But NO, The Common gull was the only one who actually took the bread from my hand, the black head were very close and the Herring gull was way back!! So I found your experiment very interesting. Great shot of the B H gull. HAve a great weekend. I am off again to my old caravan!

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    1. Margaret, Common Gulls are the bravest because they have a beak like a razor. The Blackheaded are more numerous and the Herring Gulls are just big and a bit limp footed. They aren't very agile in the air.

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  3. Sounds like you're having a great time with ALL the birds.
    It's a good feeling getting so close to them like that.

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    1. Keith I take the camera out every morning and pop it on the tripod. It takes them but a couple of days to associate it with food. I am trying to get one perched on the lens hood looking in.
      I've got to play the whistle tonight but her dad and grampa will be there. Her grand dad is only a bit older than me. He plays the fiddle but is crap. I know how he feels. My fingers are not as quick as they once were.
      It's just a laugh.

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    2. Keith, I'll never make a birder. I learn't with the Eiders they will let me Moll and Alfie close after a few days. The Gulls could not care less about the dogs.
      In my dreams I'd love a twenty something fish qualified person to feel the same. What a way to go.

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  4. Adrian, You should try feeding those gulls at four in the morning, right next to your neighbours van...that should set her up for the day!
    Also, the fresh morning air would help to ease your hangover, which I suspect will be thumping away nicely by then?
    Have a good one tonight, and remember...be good and if you can't..then enjoy yourself!...[;o)

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    1. Trevor , the big night is apparently lunch time tomorrow. Two coachloads pulling up wanting to look at fit totty and old men. Janie wears a tartan mini skirt with canvas knickers underneath. We have rehearsed. I have to play 'Toss The Willow' Then I have to roll over into ' Strip the Feathers' I finish with the ' Eightsome reel'. Don't worry for us I know the tunes if not their names. Apparently you can get over fifty pounds a bus in tips. I'll work the bus and double it. Ask Jane to pose and tell them all about crabs and such.
      Sounds like good money for looking at bomb proof Knickers.

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  5. That 1st photo of the gulls, really pops out,shame about the old trout next door though.

    peter

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    1. Peter, I have struggled today but a bird is a bird. I'm working, should pull £50 tomorrow.
      I just wish my fingers were nimble enough to play the flute. A whistle is quicker and there is precious little to beat the sight of a young lass hopping.

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  6. Pipits with black legs sound like Rock Pipits to me have a look around any seaweed as they often can be found searching it for insects look forward to seeing the Pipits now lol.
    The flight shots of the BHG are brilliant.

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    1. Douglas, I'm not a proper Birder. I love them fliting about my head and I like getting their trust. I want more of the little sods. I would love a sky full a frame full. They are wonderful. Trouble is I have to be at 1250s. They move so fast. I love your crisp bird shots but I like to see them being birds.

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  7. Brilliant exhibition of Gulls, but I love the ones you called ' hooligans', they are fantastic.

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    1. Bob, Blackheaded Gulls are wonderful but they are naughty birds.

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  8. Terrific gull shots, especially like the first one ~ so clear and bright eyed. Glad you are enjoying yourself. As for being tipsy, very fitting when you are situated on the tip of Scotland! Have you thought of showing the lass the 'photo' of you playing the flute?



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    1. Glo, from experience I can tell she is fit as a butchers dog. It was a brilliant picture. I can't play the flute now. I can just about manage the whistle. I'm just back from a practice. Even in jeans she can hop...I told her....I'm in lust.
      She Knows that the hopping and crossing the ankles fast dance is the way to doctorate in lobsters.

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  9. Sounds like you are having a grand time in this location. Hope to see lots of photos.

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    1. Horst, I just wish this wind and cloud would go somewhere else.

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  10. Gulls are professional scavengers. They can get close but not close enough to put themselves in danger. They certainly are an attractive photo topic.

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    1. Red, I enjoy them and they do look good against the light.

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  11. A great set of close and flight shots Adrian. I keep thinking there are gulls here but it turned out to be a Blackbird which does a good imitation as part of its song.

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    1. John, the gulls here are almost tame. They treat the campsite like a giant larder.

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  12. Good luck with the bus if your weather is anything like mine this morning!

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    1. Graham it is dull and windy but most of the rain is passing north of me. That will most likely change at twelve thirty.

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  13. I am always fascinated by the seagulls that have only one leg ~ since I was very young. We used to feed them hot chips on the beachfront.

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    1. Carol, I have never worked out why some gulls only have one leg. They do perch on one leg but they often have two.
      Children can be cruel.

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    2. Adrian, you must have misunderstood my comment ~ nothing cruel.

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    3. Burning birds seems a little unkind.

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    4. Hot chips aren't exactly burning. Don't UK seagulls eat chips? Chip butties. Fish & Chips. I am surprised ~ where there are people eating fish and chips there will be seagulls.

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    5. Carol, I guess hey do. How they stop so smart looking picking through rubbish amazes me.
      I've got the message. You are kind to gulls. I bet you only gave them the chips with green or black bits in.

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  14. To smother the complaints of the lady in the nearby campervan you should have simply walked up to her in a manly manner, taken her in your arms and snogged her face off. That would have given her something else to think about apart from a friendly ex-seaman feeding gulls for photographic purposes.

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  15. Glad to hear you are having fun despite, or maybe because of, your irresponsible behaviour. I like the shots of the birds in the air. I'm sure if I could have a super power it would be to fly. (I know, too much time with the grandkids!)

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    1. Pauline, I will have another go. There could be more Tomfoolery before long, I've a couple of little gadgets on the way and it's raining.

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  16. "Adrian's Images" has been included in the A Sunday Drive for this week. Be assured that we hope this helps to point even more new visitors in your direction.

    http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-sunday-drive_22.html

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  17. The shots of the multiple gulls are incredible. Very fine, all of them. If you get any more "gadgets", the rest of us may just shut up shop! :)

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    1. Bill the new things that arrive are thirty years old....there is a lot to be said for being in control.

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