A new year and a new beginning for the fabulous Soul Source photography thread. We've had so many fantastic contributions from so many members over two very long-running and very lengthy threads now, so it makes sense to start afresh.

For people who perhaps haven't contributed before, the idea is very simple: although the emphasis has been on nature/wildlife/flowers and scenic views, just post up and share pics you've taken of, well, just about anything.

Here's three from me, which were taken today in a small nature reserve behind Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Although it started out as a very clear and sunny afternoon, conditions changed very quickly and it became very overcast - and, I have to say, there was very little in the way of birdlife to see. Perhaps they'd all cleared off elsewhere as the place was pretty busy with people out burning off the Christmas calories.

 

Happy New Year!

2 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Good Evening Peter. Me to mate. Filled them all today. And just as important gave them fresh drinking water. 

As you can see from the picture of the Swan the lake was mostly frozen over and its a large body of water which takes some freezing so winter is finally here and too stay for a while hopefully to get nature back in synchronization

Steve

Hi Steve

Yep, it was your great photograph of the frozen lake which prompted my post. Nice pictures again Steve.

Best to you and Lou from Nottingham.

Peter

1 minute ago, Peter99 said:

Hi Steve

Yep, it was your great photograph of the frozen lake which prompted my post. Nice pictures again Steve.

Best to you and Lou from Nottingham.

Peter

Thank you kind sir.  it was bloody cold on the fingers, the wind was blowing a gale. Which unfortunately is not visible in the pictures.

Steve

Happy New Year to all.  . Anyway here are are a few photos I took on 3 Jan 2016 of the lichen/mosses/fungi in this lovely area  i live

 

Suz x

Nice sky yesterday afternoon although only captured by my iPad camera...

Just captured these on the 14th Jan on me phone whilst walking the dog around the park 

13 hours ago, suzannek said:

Happy New Year to all.  . Anyway here are are a few photos I took on 3 Jan 2016 of the lichen/mosses/fungi in this lovely area  i live

 

Suz x

H

Hi Suz. Happy New Year to you to, great to see you back posting pictures from your lovely area of the country

Steve. X

Thank you. I cannot wait to get out again. The next pics will likely be snowy  

 

Suz x

Duck  or  Rabbit  ...   you decide 

Not letting go of the steak!

On 1/17/2016 at 15:31, martyn pitt said:

Duck  or  Rabbit  ...   you decide 

Seen a photo like that before.Good shot.

A friend of mine sent me a nice diaporama with nature photographers.

Martyn, is it you ? ;o)

 

12 minutes ago, Philippe said:

A friend of mine sent me a nice diaporama with nature photographers.

Martyn, is it you ? ;o)

 

Great pic. I'd be keen to know where the second photographer is positioned. Are both in the water and on either side of the apparently oblivious kingfisher, or is the second person taking the pic with a telephoto lens from some distance off (and, one presumes, also camouflaged)?

 

 

On 20/01/2016 at 09:09, Philippe said:

A friend of mine sent me a nice diaporama with nature photographers.

Martyn, is it you ? ;o)

 

Martyn doesn't have blue wings and a orange chest unless he has overdone the spray tan again. 

Steve

1 hour ago, Philippe said:

Martyn, is it you ? ;o)

I am not that tall standing up 

 

30 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Martyn doesn't have blue wings and a orange chest unless he has overdone the spray tan again. 

Steve

That's tea all over the keyboard again 

1 hour ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Great pic. I'd be keen to know where the second photographer is positioned. Are both in the water and on either side of the apparently oblivious kingfisher, or is the second person taking the pic with a telephoto lens from some distance off (and, one presumes, also camouflaged)?

The other camera is close and wide angled, you can tell by the large depth of field where everything is in focus, it could easily have been on a remote and operated by the guy in the shot.

2 hours ago, martyn pitt said:

The other camera is close and wide angled, you can tell by the large depth of field where everything is in focus, it could easily have been on a remote and operated by the guy in the shot.

Ah, yes. Very logical and meaning that the photographer was perhaps looking for an impressive selfie... 

Paid my first visit of the year to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve on Morecambe bay today . Had the pleasure of two maybe three Barn owls . The first one was when I was having a coffee and putting on my walking boots before I had chance to get my camera out of the bag flew past me about twenty metres away. The other one was from approximately half a mile as you can see from the two photographs. One is heavily cropped just so you can see it a bit better, even though its not in focus

Steve

Edited January 20, 20169 yr by Winsford Soul

15 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Paid my first visit of the year to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve on Morecambe bay today . Had the pleasure of two maybe three Barn owls . The first one was when I was having a coffee and putting on my walking boots before I had chance to get my camera out of the bag flew past me about twenty metres away. The other one was from approximately half a mile as you can see from the two photographs. One is heavily cropped just so you can see it a bit better, even though its not in focus

Steve

Lovely late afternoon light!

Just now, Russell Gilbert said:

Lovely late afternoon light!

Good evening Russell.. Hope your well. The light as you say as lovely but the sun was very low and just disappearing behind Silverdale head , it was turned 4pm when the owls showed up. had to push the ISO up to 8000 just to get a bit of light onto the camera sensor.

steve

29 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Good evening Russell.. Hope your well. The light as you say as lovely but the sun was very low and just disappearing behind Silverdale head , it was turned 4pm when the owls showed up. had to push the ISO up to 8000 just to get a bit of light onto the camera sensor.

steve

All good here, thanks, apart from bit of a cold.  Nice that you had the opportunity to get out and about. Not done the same for what seems like ages. Sounds like you need to get there a bit earlier - or pass up on the coffee… 

30 minutes ago, Russell Gilbert said:

All good here, thanks, apart from bit of a cold.  Nice that you had the opportunity to get out and about. Not done the same for what seems like ages. Sounds like you need to get there a bit earlier - or pass up on the coffee… 

Glad all good mate. The weather up until last week in the Northwest of the UK has been nothing but rain since early December. This is my first day off since the weather has turned cold, frosty and sunny. So having heard about the Barn Owl sightings I couldn't resist the opportunity even though it meant a 130 mile round trip. It was worth it.

Steve

3 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Glad all good mate. The weather up until last week in the Northwest of the UK has been nothing but rain since early December. This is my first day off since the weather has turned cold, frosty and sunny. So having heard about the Barn Owl sightings I couldn't resist the opportunity even though it meant a 130 mile round trip. It was worth it.

Steve

I'll bet it was worth it - and a round trip of 130 miles definitely falls into the category of dedicated. I usually travel a round trip of about 10-15 miles to go to the Amsterdam woods - but that's on my pushbike, which is absolutely no fun at this time of the year! 

Got away early today from my London project in Little Venice and just thought the view of the working Cabman's shelter by Warwick Avenue tube station looked interesting.... A back bacon roll and tea is £2.90.....very cheap in west London.

Snowing very heavily in NYC just now. Only about 6" (15cm) on the ground....

My mate's daughter in Brooklyn has just sent me this as she heads off for brunch...

Asarum vulgare, better known as Friar's Cowl

Gibraltar from Morrisons car park, Saturday morning. 

Hi only one photo from my 10 mile walk. Taken up Woodland, County Durham 24.1.16. Who Ewe looking at ? 

Here's my cat after dinner. She loves her cheminée.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Philippe said:

Here's my cat after dinner. She loves her cheminée.

 

 

Wow! Great pictures Phillippe. I am very enviable of your fire and your lovely cat!

Peter

38 minutes ago, Philippe said:

Here's my cat after dinner. She loves her cheminée.

 

 

Phillipe. Love the fire, it looks so cosy and inviting no wonder the cat is sat there

Steve

On 1 January 2016 at 16:43, Russell Gilbert said:

 

Lived here over 14 years never seen a seal in the river Nene , watched it feed and come up with fish in its mouth - if you look in the second picture you can see Peterborough Cathedral (left hand side) in the back ground.

Wasn't there one in Boston a few years ago, had the anglers all up in arms?  Nice to see wildlife in odd places, we occasionally get wild boar and ponies come down from the mountains, but the winter has been so mild they've obviously got enough to eat.

The river Dee at Chester used to have regular visits off seals , They would turn up after a high tide which enabled them to get above the weir in the City centre, then they could stay sometimes for weeks gorging themselves on the massive shoals of Dace that had moved downstream into the City for the winter, but they sometimes ventured much further upstream to Eccleston ferry.

Steve 

23 hours ago, Philippe said:

Here's my cat after dinner. She loves her cheminée.

 

 

Hi Philippe

I'm really intrigued by your fire.  Would It be possible to see a full picture of the fireplace and the room it is in please?

Thanks

Peter

14 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Hi Philippe

I'm really intrigued by your fire.  Would It be possible to see a full picture of the fireplace and the room it is in please?

Thanks

Peter

Hi Peter, I'll send you some pictures soon.

5 hours ago, Philippe said:

Hi Peter, I'll send you some pictures soon.

Thanks Philippe

Peter

A couple from another day in Snowdonia, this time on Moel Siabod in the snow. The first is of old quarry houses and the second is coming off the summit as the sun tries to show its face.

 

Just a comment from me with no pictures yet. Yesterday evening i could hear a very loud screeching noise out the back. it was at least two Parakeets squabbling. I,m determined to get some photographs of them, still find it hard to believe that they're here and breeding in the North West of England.

Steve

What a dull grey day, never mind this Teal kindly did a low level fly by 

35,000 feet over the Atlantic yesterday.....nice fluffy clouds.

First true sign of Spring for me

Steve

 

Spent a few hours at Leighton moss RSPB reserve again today. I think its the worst day birding wise that I have ever had. On the Eric Morecambe and the Allen hide I only actually seen six birds, a pair of Shelduck, pair of Oystercatchers and a pair of Mallards.

Back on the main reserve wasn't much better with only this picture of a Robin to show for my 130 mile round trip. Not that its put me off

 

 

I think the butterfly is a small copper, I know what the shrub is though, Lygos monosperma.

Iris planifolia flowering near Gracelema

Recently renamed in honour of a hero of a Mexican battle, Roldana petasitis, flowering it's head off now.

Semi dry today took the Vette out to a local car meet.

2 minutes ago, ZoomSoulBlue said:

Semi dry today took the Vette out to a local car meet.

How many cars and bikes have you got! 

Nice.

 

Was sent this photo by a mate.No idea who took shot but its a goodie.

3 hours ago, NCFC said:

Was sent this photo by a mate.No idea who took shot but its a goodie.

A very good shot. I think it's a bittern and they are very shy and secretive.

P