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.

 

 

Doing the Via Feratta in the lakes last week

Kalimera from Molyvos on the Greek island of Lesvos. Here's the early morning scene as the sun rises over the castle behind our apartment...

 

Finally managed to get back here. Thanks Mike.

Just returned from Pembrokeshire with plenty of photographs. Will download them and post as soon as I get chance

 

Steve

Here,s a badger photograph for starters

 

Steve

What a great start ste ,look forward to seeing the rest of your photos .

What a great start ste ,look forward to seeing the rest of your photos .

​Thanks Ste

These three fox cubs pictures where taken from about 100 metres away, the blurred bit is a fence wire which was between me and the cubs.

As soon as I got out of the car they disappeared back into the gorse scrub. Countryside foxes unlike there urban cousins are one of the shyest wild animals in this country

so I was extremely pleased to even get these pictures

 

Steve

These three fox cubs pictures where taken from about 100 metres away, the blurred bit is a fence wire which was between me and the cubs.

As soon as I got out of the car they disappeared back into the gorse scrub. Countryside foxes unlike there urban cousins are one of the shyest wild animals in this country

so I was extremely pleased to even get these pictures

 

Steve

​Wow! Really like them Steve.

Hope you and Lou had a great time.

 

Peter

​Wow! Really like them Steve.

Hope you and Lou had a great time.

 

Peter

​Thanks Peter.

We had a fab time  .... back to work tomorrow unfortunately

 

Steve

 These animals are wild and extremely shy and the slightest movement or noise sends them running. the first click of the camera shutter button sits them up with ears cocked as below then normally the second click of the button sends them running back to the sett

Steve

 

 

 

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

​Peregrines have just been on countryfile , BBC1

Will repost picture's.

Edited June 16, 20159 yr by Winsford Soul
mistake

Here,s the ones from the post I messed up earlier

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 20159 yr by Winsford Soul

Fabulous pictures of puffins

Fabulous pictures of puffins

Thanks you . Was lucky this year.  Last time I visited skomer island they where all still incubating the eggs so didn't get to see any bringing back sand  eels for the chicks

 

Steve

Edited June 16, 20159 yr by Winsford Soul

Great pics ste , very professional mate

Great pics ste , very professional mate

Cheers Ste. Will sort a few more out soon.  Hopefully see you soon mate

 

Steve

 

 

 

Just been told that fbm holidays have added this picture to their website slideshow of swallows rest cottage. Well chuffed

Steve

 

Edited June 19, 20159 yr by Winsford Soul

I took these about + - 10 years ago. This is the old racing (road) circuit at Reims in France. Incredibly you could just drive the circuit being on a public road. The racing scene just upped sticks and left and the whole thing just left there to rot. Historically important this is where the very 1st Brit ever won a Grand Prix. I understand it has been refurbished and they hold classic car events there.

I took these about + - 10 years ago. This is the old racing (road) circuit at Reims in France. Incredibly you could just drive the circuit being on a public road. The racing scene just upped sticks and left and the whole thing just left there to rot. Historically important this is where the very 1st Brit ever won a Grand Prix. I understand it has been refurbished and they hold classic car events there.

Chris. You can just picture a jaguar or lotus cortina in British racing green driving past . They're very evocative pictures. 

Steve

OK going back a to February 2012 and an amazing sight above Sydney, Australia, the sun with a halo above the Opera House

First and only time I have seen this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(optical_phenomenon)

Came home from work the other week to find this looking down at me from my garage roof..........

No idea where it came from and a few minutes later it was joined by two other Peacocks!. ........ and No, I don't live in a Stately Home.

Edited June 20, 20159 yr by Zed1

OK it's not a great photo, taken on a small, old camera through a dusty window but could someone identify it.

I've seen it hovering above the roadside behind the trees and getting chased off by a load of rooks when it got too close. It's been back a couple of more times so could be it's patch.

It's about 5 miles from Macclesfield, Cheshire so won't be anything fancy.

 

Rick

OK it's not a great photo, taken on a small, old camera through a dusty window but could someone identify it.

I've seen it hovering above the roadside behind the trees and getting chased off by a load of rooks when it got too close. It's been back a couple of more times so could be it's patch.

It's about 5 miles from Macclesfield, Cheshire so won't be anything fancy.

 

Rick

Rick. Only on a kindle at the moment and they are not very good for viewing on but it certainly looks like a Buzzard to me

Steve

OK it's not a great photo, taken on a small, old camera through a dusty window but could someone identify it.

I've seen it hovering above the roadside behind the trees and getting chased off by a load of rooks when it got too close. It's been back a couple of more times so could be it's patch.

It's about 5 miles from Macclesfield, Cheshire so won't be anything fancy.

 

Rick

It is a Buzzard, Buteo buteo, the first bird I owned as an aspiring falconer when I was a teenager, moved on to a Goshawk soon after as buzzards tend to not want to hunt and would rather eat carrion.

It is a Buzzard, Buteo buteo, the first bird I owned as an aspiring falconer when I was a teenager, moved on to a Goshawk soon after as buzzards tend to not want to hunt and would rather eat carrion.

Thanks Dave and Steve. It was back again today sitting on the same post for five minutes before heading off . If it's going to be a regular visitor I'll try to get some better photos.

Rick

 

Bloody hell Steve. Your pictures have really come on in this last year - as has already been said they look professional. The puffins are fantastic quality - well done mate.

Peter

Thank you my friend. I've only been taking pictures for a few year's, in fact I've only owned a camera a few year's. It's something that I have never bothered with before. Still on a massive learning curve.

It also helps that I have always loved wildlife and birds in particular. 

Steve

Hi all...X I am glad to say I am gonna be puter bound doing editing and stuff for the next week or so and will take coffee break time to catch up on your pics!!!x I do see stuff on FB...but....yours are more 'quality' stuff on the whole!x I've averaged 2000 miles a week in recent weeks around the nation top to bottom and sideways....sometimes in the same day!! I have gathered many pics of beautiful...historic....and unusual sights from around Britain! I will get some together and put them in here for your pleasure!x This was last week....passing Hexham way about 5.30am......that mist went for miles and looked as tho you could walk on it!x

The second pic is at 10.40pm....approaching Glasgow.......look behind....pitch black....ahead....'daylight'....great spectacle as the sun was giving it's last smile!x

 

@@
~
LUV
SOOTY
X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A  couple of flowers I took on Cockfield Fell which is about a mile and a half from where I live. Both flowers are miniature as they are subject to sheep grazing/rabbits and the windswept wild weather. Heath Milkwort and Lousewort. Lousewort is a parasitic plant which feeds on other plants such as heather and lichen 

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Edited June 29, 20159 yr by mike
click the + on the image after uploading and they should then show like this

3

Edited June 29, 20159 yr by suzannek
These are the meadows at Wham, Butterknowle where I live and some of the flowers found there

Walking alongside a wheat field yesterday the wind made the wheat almost hypnotic

 

Kev

A couple of my current favourites, with most plants now being dry and scorched.

Bulbine frutescens, a lovely little succulent.

Parkinsonia aculeata, a park tree that you don't see many of (saying that, there's four within half a mile of me)

Edited July 4, 20159 yr by TattooDave
mispelling

Here,s a few more from my recent jolly to Pembrokeshire

These two where taken in near darkness using flash so wasn't sure how they would turn out. The picture of the  bat took over a week to get right,ish. the brown wooden background to the left  is actually the eave of the barn as I was looking directly up

Steve,

 

A drinker moth caterpillar which is about 3" long

 

Steve

...hi all...off to see some luvly sights on a trek along the South Coast from Worthing to Weston Super Mare......but popped in here to see some 'quality' stuff before I left!x Brill pics of our Wildlife and plants....X I have loooads to share at some point but pick these pic for now...!x Sad story to go with it i'm afraid....and a warning to all as we head out there during the Summer weather!!x This is Llantwit Major...South Wales. I took these pics 2 weeks ago. I know the family who run the cafe on the beach and own the Land....good friends for years...since 1988 to be precise! I have seen over the years Maria's Dad 'landscape' the area 'for' the people...at his own expense. In his last years....Council came along with a compulsory purchase order on ha;lf their land. They said they needed to 'look after' the area. That...was 5 years ago......they have never seen anyone from the Council...or workers of any kind....attend the Land since...apart from a serious breach after a thunderstorm....out of 6! A Charity I know is going to help them win back that trust and respect the family have earned by their Community over the past 50+ years so they can carry on...as they were.....looking after us all.....without the Councils 'help'. We had talked about casualties so far this year due to rock fall etc. There had been 3 but no fatalities...as yet. Maria said keep clear of the corner cos it is 'moving'. She's grown up there for 50+ years....knows the craic...and any crack!!!x I did as was advised....I do when i respect folks judgement on matters. Took me pics and went onto Cornwall. Next morning....on the news.....a Lady had been killed during her early morning walk......rock fall.....that corner.....RIP...X 

As said....stay safe.....and enjoy our Heritage.....X If your down there....pop into the cafe and say hi from me....you'll be welcomed with a smile.....and they have YOUR life in their interests.....my kinda folk...X

@@
~

LUV
SOOTY
X

 

 

As the warm weather appears so do the Dragons ...

A female Ruddy Darter takes a rest

Edited July 5, 20159 yr by martyn pitt

This is an Emperor Dragonfly a little farther away than I would have liked but them's the breaks, which gave me quite a challenge to actually get a shot of it in flight 

This is an Emperor Dragonfly a little farther away than I would have liked but them's the breaks, which gave me quite a challenge to actually get a shot of it in flight 

I see a lot of Emperors, but their speed and ability to change direction at will make them a formidable foe, so I for one salute you.

Went up Snowdon on Tuesday via Crib Goch. A great day. Three pano's from the summit

This is an Emperor Dragonfly a little farther away than I would have liked but them's the breaks, which gave me quite a challenge to actually get a shot of it in flight 

Great pictures Martyn. Not that I expect anything less from you mate

Steve

I'm not long back from three weeks in Molyvos on the Greek island of Lesvos. Having been there a few times now everything is very familiar, so I find myself taking less and less pics. My Nikon hardly saw any action at all and I relied on my ever-present iPad Mini to capture the photographic record.

 

These black & whites are post processed from colour snaps using the somewhat simple but still useful Photoshop app for iOS...

 

Molyvos castle...

 

One-time small fishing boat skippered by friend Stratis Kabanas who takes a max of four people out on snorkelling and pleasure trips locally under the name of "Escape".

 

A local fishing boat heading out for the night from Molyvos' small harbour.

 

 

The vista from Molyvos' pebbly beach. From this location I'd swim to the outside wall of the harbour (which you can see on the far right) and back again. Lots of great snorkelling to be had on the way in wonderfully clear waters.

In spite of the twin financial and refugee crises faced by the island, I have to say that the local people are incredibly generous in their warmth and support of the migrants who are now overwhelming what little facilities exist for them.

Edited July 6, 20159 yr by Russell Gilbert
Typo

Just a quickie to illustrate the apparent 3.4%  difference in size of the Sun between Perihelion and Aphelion this year , the points in the Earth's orbit when it's at it's closest to and furthest from the Sun.

Not strictly accurate as I couldn't get a shot today at Aphelion.

 

                                        2nd January 2015                                                                                         24th June 2015

 

Edited July 6, 20159 yr by WoodButcher

A male Black Tailed Skimmer 

Had a trip out to Pennington Flash today. Two new birds for me .Green Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover. Got a few pictures of the Green Sandpiper to post when I download them. Unfortunately the little ringed plovers where about 100 yards away and when they're as small as a sparrow there wasn't much to photograph. Looked great through the binoculars. 

Steve

Well pleased to have spotted a stork when we were in the Amsterdam woods for a bit of a stroll and a bite to eat early evening. Just as Steve's plovers were too far away, so the stork was well out of effective range of my 200mm zoom - hence severe cropping needed.

 

 

Unfortunately the little ringed plovers where about 100 yards away

Steve what do you mean ... too far away ... WoodButcher posted a shot of the Sun and that's bloody miles away