Following on from the huge success of the "Show us your bird and wildlife photos" thread (some 31 pages and a staggering +1500 posts), I thought it time to start a "part 2".

 

As we don't always have the opportunities to take bird or wildlife photos, but nonetheless might be taking great photos of other things, I  thought a broader approach might encourage even more people to share their top photos. 

 

They can be anything to do with nature, landscapes, outdoors, indoors, superb holiday snaps - basically, whatever. If you think it's a good photo and you want to share it, this is the place.

 

Here's three from me...

 

Goose - seen showing off in the woods of Amsterdam.

 

 

Sunset - as seen from our balcony last summer.

 

 

Filey, N Yorks - what a beautiful place. We were here for my younger brother's wedding.

 

 

Came face to face with this chap while taking photos of plants, an amiable little chap, though his parents weren't that friendly

I think this is a Green Hairstreak, not exactly in the best of conditions

And this beauty is a Southern Festoon that stayed still long enough for me to snap

Drosophyllum lusitanicum, the only insectivorous plant native to Spain, not the best photo as I was conscious of the fact that I was trespassing at the time, and as all that know me I do like to adhere to the rules, regulations and laws of everywhere, especially when they carry guns

 

Serapia lingua, the tongue orchid, supposedly the commonest of the tongue orchids, but the first I've ever encountered

 

Dactylorhiza romana, the Roman orchid in it's pale yellow form, another that eluded me until yesterday

Approaching the windmills at Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands. Taken in July 2007 on a month-long holiday after I'd quit my job in London after nearly 16 years. Three and a half months after this was taken I moved to the Netherlands permanently and have never looked back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 201510 yr by Russell Gilbert

Santorini, not exactly what I hoped it would be

Heraklion harbour, Crete, a different year of island hopping

Me in the sea at Rethymno, Crete

Edited April 24, 201510 yr by TattooDave

All 4 chicks seem to be doing well at Nottingham Uni.

 

Disaster on the Thurne after a deadly prymnesium outbreak(still ongoing).EA have managed to move over  700000 fish to safer parts of the system.

Spent 1000s of rod hours on this river and i'm gutted.Looks a total wipeout.

IMG_0177.jpgIMG_0174.jpgIMG_0178.jpg

 

Disaster on the Thurne after a deadly prymnesium outbreak(still ongoing).EA have managed to move over  700000 fish to safer parts of the system.

Spent 1000s of rod hours on this river and i'm gutted.Looks a total wipeout.

 

How awful , such a sad sight to see.

How awful , such a sad sight to see.

Yep i counted 4 pike over 20lbs probably more on bottom.Spent my life fishing system.Only positive i saw was a grebe with a live fish on sounds.Even the eels are floating dead.

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Disaster on the Thurne after a deadly prymnesium outbreak(still ongoing).EA have managed to move over 700000 fish to safer parts of the system.

Spent 1000s of rod hours on this river and i'm gutted.Looks a total wipeout.

Chris. I'm Gutted for you mate.. I'm assuming it's the golden algae that normally occurs in brackish water that's causing the problems.

Steve

Edited April 25, 201510 yr by Winsford Soul

IMG_0177.jpgIMG_0174.jpgIMG_0178.jpg

 

Disaster on the Thurne after a deadly prymnesium outbreak(still ongoing).EA have managed to move over  700000 fish to safer parts of the system.

Spent 1000s of rod hours on this river and i'm gutted.Looks a total wipeout.

Jeez, that's terrible. On the up side though, how the hell do you safely move 700,000 fish?

 

Anyone who says "carefully" will get a slap with a wet haddock!

Jeez, that's terrible. On the up side though, how the hell do you safely move 700,000 fish?

 

Anyone who says "carefully" will get a slap with a wet haddock!

Russell. I once found a haddock that had swallowed a syringe. It was a drug haddock. , Just tell them they need to be in another plaice.

Steve

Russell. I once found a haddock that had swallowed a syringe. It was a drug haddock. , Just tell them they need to be in another plaice.

Steve

They have been moving fish for a couple of weeks.EA net and move them in large tanks on trailers.Got to hand it to them i have watched them doing it several times .They are well drilled.

Russell. I once found a haddock that had swallowed a syringe. It was a drug haddock. , Just tell them they need to be in another plaice.

Steve

Obviously a dab hand with the puns. Trying to think of some only makes me flounder. Best get me skates on then...

Obviously a dab hand with the puns. Trying to think of some only makes me flounder. Best get me skates on then...

Done me up like a kipper with those quotes Russell.

Steve

Nature reserve at Lagoa dos Salgados on the Algarve. These are birds

A Goldcrest on the pull ... singing it's little heart out

 

 

 

Martyn. Have you heard or seen any cuckoo's near you yet mate ?

Steve

Martyn. Have you heard or seen any cuckoo's near you yet mate ?

Steve

Not personally Steve ... there has been a couple of sightings at Belvide last week, I thought I saw one yesterday in flight, but it was only a fleeting glimpse at distance, and the little bugger had disappeared before I could get on it with the bins ... mainly because I had a sandwich in my one hand   .

 

I am either eating, or Carol rings me just when something decent turns up   

Edited April 26, 201510 yr by martyn pitt

I heard my first cuckoo of the year on Friday on Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire - didn't it see it though 
 

Heard my first one on Thursday in southern Spain, so maybe they're a bit slow this year, meantime it's raining again, so much for the Costa del sol!

New in from Africa ... also in pretty good voice, a Reed Warbler 

 

New in from Africa ... also in pretty good voice, a Reed Warbler 

 

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Does the grasshopper warbler make it to the UK Martyn? Saw one Wednesday, Sardinian Warblers are common as muck here, though I've yet to photograph them

Does the grasshopper warbler make it to the UK Martyn? Saw one Wednesday, Sardinian Warblers are common as muck here, though I've yet to photograph them

Yes Dave ... we get the odd one or two at the reserve, one of the scarcer visitors though, I got some cracking shots of one a couple of years back, I will stick it up if I can find it

Here you are Dave a Grasshopper Warbler (from 2011) ... it was great to watch it singing, it's whole body trembled when it warbled its mechanical sounding call.

 

 

Took a cycle ride onto the Amsterdam woods today on what was a very grey afternoon. I made a special point of going to Bloesempark to see the display of cherry trees. Most of the blossom had gone, unfortunately. Lots of wild flowers to be seen elsewhere, though.

 

On this pic I desaturated the greens and left only the pink of the blossom and the colours of the bark. It makes for a nice effect, I thought.

 

 

These were taken in a tiny nature reserve called Vogeleiland (Bird Island). The woodland authorities haven't put any signs up to the reserve, so you either know of its existence or you don't, which I think is a great idea in a place that receives something like four million visitors a year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This heron came swooping in very close to me and was slow enough for me to fire off a few shots as it came in to land.

 

Edited April 26, 201510 yr by Russell Gilbert

Here you are Dave a Grasshopper Warbler (from 2011) ... it was great to watch it singing, it's whole body trembled when it warbled its mechanical sounding call.

 

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Nice one Martyn. Only ever heard one singing, never seen one.

Steve

A Common Tern with a snack .... there were that many small fish in  the reservoir feeder stream where they were catching these, I could have dived in and caught one in my mouth   

 

Heard my first one on Thursday in southern Spain, so maybe they're a bit slow this year, meantime it's raining again, so much for the Costa del sol!

 

Here in France (western south) I first heard it one month ago.

 

Now the nightingale is singing day and night and last week I heard the oriole,one of my favorite bird. It's early this year, usually it arrives in May.

Here in France (western south) I first heard it one month ago.

 

Now the nightingale is singing day and night and last week I heard the oriole,one of my favorite bird. It's early this year, usually it arrives in May.

I hear nightingales all the time Philippe, but had to travel to the Jubrique area of the Serrania de Ronda to hear the cookoo. Saw a Bonelli's eagle from a few yards away take off from a cork bark oak, sadly my camera was in my pocket. Only saw one golden oriole all last year.

Here you are Dave a Grasshopper Warbler (from 2011) ... it was great to watch it singing, it's whole body trembled when it warbled its mechanical sounding call.

 

251_123.jpg

 

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Thanks Martyn, I heard it before I saw it, thought it was a large cricket or something as it didn't sound birdlike, I don't remember having seen them before, but then I've not spent a lot of time in Europe.

I hear nightingales all the time Philippe,

Dave, do you mean the whole year ? In the night its singing is very very powerful and beautiful, too.

 

Wikipedia just told me that the male stopped singing at night when he has found a fiancée, I guess he must have something else to do.

Edited April 27, 201510 yr by Philippe

Dave, do you mean the whole year ? In the night its singing is very very powerful and beautiful, too.

 

Wikipedia just told me that the male stopped singing at night when he has found a fiancée, I guess he must have something else to do.

From late March until October maybe, they fly off to Africa for winter, though I'm sure if I was a nightingale I'd prefer to be here, but there's probably not the insects about to keep them fed. I usually hear them when I'm walking the dog as it's a very quiet neighbourhood where I live. I have seen them from my kitchen window, along with Sardinian warblers, hoopoe, chiffchaff, spotted flycatchers, bluethroats and goldcrest, as well as blue tits, sparrows, blackbirds and starlings of course.

Hi all!x Super pics i've seen for the last half hour and stopped pressing like cos me finger hurt...!x

I went through the route of the Yorkshire Tour last week. Otley/Ilkley and Askwith. This pic is taken from the Ot/Ilk road looking across the valley to Askwith......last Wednesday hottest day i've had so far 'out there' this year!x I used the 'panoramic' feature on the ipad....!x

 

 

I then went to York Minster and was privileged to go behind the scenes and visit the folk who are restoring the famous East window in the Minster. Nick the gaffa and Mel here are part of a 12 folk team making new panes of glass that 'mirror' the original 600 year old panes and 'seal' them by putting these squares in front! They take 2 days to make each new pane and will last an estimated 200 years! There are 700 individual squares like this.....and each original takes 3 weeks to clean and make ready for 'sealing'....!!x  I managed to get a fingerprint on the front one.....for posterity!!!x

 

 

These last pics are of Sutton Bank near Boltby on the edge of the North Yorks Moors. Apparently it featured on the 'secret Britain' progamme of late with hang glider nutters jumping off it!x Amazingly this scene and more is only 7 minutes from the A1.....a secret indeed!!!x

 

 

...a unique view from Ravensthorpe Manor....100+acres and featured in the Doomsday Book!!x Privately owned mansion and grounds and this is the rear view back to the A1 and Thirsk from Boltby!x

 

 

 

England at it's best methinks all the above!x St George would be proud....as am I....delight....without any Turkish...or anyone tbf!x

 

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...off tae Edinburgh and a private Castle to deliver wedding paraphernalia for some Russian Billionaires sons wedding who is on the telly in some soap in Russia apparently...all secret so can't say owt.......but will get what I can and bring the best!x These 100 year old apple picking ladders from York are part of the props for the wedding pics...as is a 100 year old croquet set....by Jaques of course...which I collected in Cornwall some months back!!x The Russkies luv proper English stuff....or are trusting of a good Brit who knows the craic......yawn!!x For those interested in the Minster etc there are more 'behind the scenes' pics on me timeline on FB...X Have a happy week all...X

 

 

 

A few from today at Pennington Flash

 

 

Who needs to see where I,m going

 

 

Redshank

 

 

Male Bullfinch

 

Steve

Reed Warblers have been active, collecting nesting material

 

 

 

Typing this while sitting on the back balcony where we've had the most amazing sighting just a few minutes ago.

 

Heard the warning cries of a gull overhead. Presuming it to be harrying something, I looked skyward expecting to see a buzzard. No, unbelieveably it was a flippin' osprey. Iread a couple of years back that they were occasionally seen in this region, but aren't common visitors.

 

Never seen one before (Dad took us to Loch Garten once when we lived in Scotland about 40 years ago, but the birds had quite literally flown), so I'm absolutely amazed to see one from the comfort of our own home.

 

And I can also report a first sighting of swifts, although that was somewhat tame by comparison!

Typing this while sitting on the back balcony where we've had the most amazing sighting just a few minutes ago.

 

Heard the warning cries of a gull overhead. Presuming it to be harrying something, I looked skyward expecting to see a buzzard. No, unbelieveably it was a flippin' osprey. Iread a couple of years back that they were occasionally seen in this region, but aren't common visitors.

 

Never seen one before (Dad took us to Loch Garten once when we lived in Scotland about 40 years ago, but the birds had quite literally flown), so I'm absolutely amazed to see one from the comfort of our own home.

 

And I can also report a first sighting of swifts, although that was somewhat tame by comparison!

Nice one Russell. Cant top the osprey but can match your swift, seen my first one of the year today myself

 

Steve

Nice one Russell. Cant top the osprey but can match your swift, seen my first one of the year today myself

 

Steve

Still amazed by the sighting of the osprey. Funnily enough, my older brother is a postie in Scotland and spends as much time up the mountains as he can. He told me a couple of years back that when first seeing an osprey he thought it was a heron in both flight and shape.

 

That description always stuck with me and he's right. After expecting a buzzard (because we see them frequently here) my first thought on actually seeing the bird was that it was just a heron - except that the wings, which are just as long, are considerably narrower at the ends. And of course, the markings gave it away as soon as I could see the bird's underside properly.

 

As for the swifts, they were screaming brilliantly as they shot close passed the house at the speed of sound or whatever it is they fly at. With their arrival summer is here as far as I'm concerned.   

Today marks the 70th anniversary of liberation from the German occupying forces in the Netherlands. Coincidentally, the German war machine had its Dutch HQ in Aalsmeer, which is where I live.

 

In celebration of Liberation day, we had a convoy of WWII military vehicles start off on a mission, possibly a trip to the nearby town of Amstelveen. I shot a few video clips and strung them together. You can see the result here...

 

Typing this while sitting on the back balcony where we've had the most amazing sighting just a few minutes ago.

 

Heard the warning cries of a gull overhead. Presuming it to be harrying something, I looked skyward expecting to see a buzzard. No, unbelieveably it was a flippin' osprey. Iread a couple of years back that they were occasionally seen in this region, but aren't common visitors.

 

Never seen one before (Dad took us to Loch Garten once when we lived in Scotland about 40 years ago, but the birds had quite literally flown), so I'm absolutely amazed to see one from the comfort of our own home.

 

And I can also report a first sighting of swifts, although that was somewhat tame by comparison!

Tame eh ?? us Swifty's have feelings you know Russell

I thought this made a rather calming image 

 

I thought this made a rather calming image 

 

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Martyn. And there's me thinking Carol was a calming influence on you. Not a Australian black swan

I remember a escapee turned up on the Sankey /St Helens canal in Widnes about 10 years ago

 

Steve

Typing this while sitting on the back balcony where we've had the most amazing sighting just a few minutes ago.

 

Heard the warning cries of a gull overhead. Presuming it to be harrying something, I looked skyward expecting to see a buzzard. No, unbelieveably it was a flippin' osprey. Iread a couple of years back that they were occasionally seen in this region, but aren't common visitors.

 

Never seen one before (Dad took us to Loch Garten once when we lived in Scotland about 40 years ago, but the birds had quite literally flown), so I'm absolutely amazed to see one from the comfort of our own home.

 

And I can also report a first sighting of swifts, although that was somewhat tame by comparison!

Saw an osprey yesterday morning by the coast, first I've seen for a couple of years, the last one was being mobbed by ravens. Saw a golden oriole yesterday too, but not close enough to photo. Going out tomorrow to the mountains, so might see something to photograph whilst there.

These are from yesterday

 

Mallard drake asleep

 

Very noisy parakeets feeding

 

a couple of curiosities colour variations of Brachychiton populneum

To commemorate VE Day....i did this picture of Margate. To the right is the harbour and far right the white building/outcrop is the Winter Gardens roof. I took it on Thursday...E Day. My Grandad George was in the Navy on a minesweeper off of Gibralter for most of WW2. He then fished out of Grimsby docks on trawlers for 40 years after the war and ended up as a maintenance man at Immingham docks working on Nuclear subs until retirement!x He told me this....from the rooftop of the Winter Gardens in Margate....12 years ago....RIP...X

 

The beach featured in the pic was used as an impromptu First Aid area....during the embarkation for D Day! He said there were thousands of troops lined up in 4 columns being shuffled onto ships taking them to France. Where those tankers are moored.......troop ships that had just left the harbour....bulging with young lads...and lasses....were being hit....sunk....by bombers/fighters flying overhead from the Luftwaffe. The First Aid post was set up to deal with those managing to swim back or be rescued by little tugs scouting for survivors among it all. He said the majority of lads in the FA area were there because they had 'lost it'....whilst in the queue to get on the next ship. Not many bombed soldiers were rescued...all within sight of all. It is a story that isn't told....and pictures of it were banned as it was too horrific to show back in the 50's. the pics of the situation are under the 100 year 'secret' rule. Not many made that category when 'censorship' was being applied to the horrors of WW2.

 

Not every picture tells a story....does it?x

The second pic was of us being escorted off the premises after being told 'we can't go there'....after taking pics when breaching the security for the Winter Garden/Farage election result venue!! I turned around and said calmly.....'do not tell me I cannot take a pic of where my GrandDad left these shores to go fight for us all....' He must have got my sincerity in my voice and posture....and calmed down. Good job too....he got camera shy....init!x Sheeesh.

 

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Not a Political point or anything really....just a fact.....the 'meeting point' used by many UKIP staff/support crew and the like....as well as reporters....was this venue sporting proudly Northern Soul paraphernalia....just a fact!!x

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Edited May 9, 201510 yr by SOOTY

Margate as an embarkation point on D-day ... where were they invading ... Southend ... ?

Sorry WoodButcher....I didn't give all the 'detail'. It was for a week leading up to Ddays landings from round t'corner. A decoy they were. The Black Watch and Irish in the main were put through there.....canon fodder init. Supposed to be on a training run. Some things I ain't proud of being British. But then again....there is always a greater good to be had....I keep finding...X

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I'll leave you with a 'unique' as opposed to a 'great' pic. It is one of the only pic that came out of UKIP Headquarters during the count!! The rest are on my FB!! I was the only 'independent' allowed down in the 'basement'. No Journalists were allowed and besides 2 security men I was the only non white in the room! Welcomed by all too....which is not so unique......enjoy!x

 

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by SOOTY

Convenient that 100 year 'secret' ruling eh ... !

 

Mind you with all your 'connections' amongst the powers that be I'm sure you've had a peek at even those most deeply classified documents ...    

 

5th Btn Black Watch landed on Juno evening of 6th and would hardly have been 'practicing' at Margate in the morning before pulling out of the Solent after lunch , and the 1st/7th Btns left these shores on the 9th from Tilbury not Margate .

Edited May 10, 201510 yr by WoodButcher

A rare prey for my cat :

 

Edited May 10, 201510 yr by Philippe

Philippe. Most people will be very familiar with mole hills but few know what the moles actually look like and even less have had the pleasure of seeing them. I've only ever seen two in my life, actually handled one of them.

Did it survive the encounter with your pet ?

Steve