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!

A male Sparrowhawk landed on the top of the feeder rail for a nano second, unfortunately for him the smaller birds had seen him coming and all found somewhere to hide.

I do love their eyes ... and look at those feet ... menacing

17 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

A male Sparrowhawk landed on the top of the feeder rail for a nano second, unfortunately for him the smaller birds had seen him coming and all found somewhere to hide.

I do love their eyes ... and look at those feet ... menacing

That's a stunner!

Been thinking holiday thoughts recently and we decided that in spite of the huge, huge immigration problem the island has faced this last year we'd go back to Lesvos. 

On ‎25‎/‎02‎/‎2016 at 20:19, Winsford Soul said:

Gaz. hope you and the lovely Debs are good. You must have kept them well hidden and out of Runcorn to keep hold of them mate.

Ste

We're good thanks Ste.

I just took the tax out of the windows and left them parked on bricks on the drive so no one would notice.

You off down the 'Principality' next weekend?.

 

8 hours ago, Zed1 said:

We're good thanks Ste.

I just took the tax out of the windows and left them parked on bricks on the drive so no one would notice.

You off down the 'Principality' next weekend?.

 

Only on the Saturday night mate. Thought I had better show my face with her majesty visiting from Bristol. You going to be accompanying The lovely Debs and the mad lot ? Be good as ever too see you or are you leaving it to the northern soul circus , chimps tea party  that normally accompany such events ? delete as appropriate

Ste

23 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Only on the Saturday night mate. Thought I had better show my face with her majesty visiting from Bristol. You going to be accompanying The lovely Debs and the mad lot ? Be good as ever too see you or are you leaving it to the northern soul circus , chimps tea party  that normally accompany such events ? delete as appropriate

Always looked forward to Prestatyn Ste, but it's not for me these days. Debs will be there with her usual entourage though.

Have a good weekend Fella.

Edited February 29, 20169 yr by Zed1

London Eye

12 minutes ago, Addio said:

London Eye

And far to eye for me.

I go all funny stood on the kerb. 

Taken a Ropley, boy they got some cool looking steam locos there.......................................

wish I was here on a day like today

Edited March 2, 20169 yr by Addio

My daughter Kat on Miami Beach this morning....

7 minutes ago, Steve S 60 said:

My daughter Kat on Miami Beach this morning....

Very nice mate. She's got more hair than you 

Will be up for the very last Ukrainian club in April if you can make it. Be good to see you again. 

Steve

17 minutes ago, Steve S 60 said:

My daughter Kat on Miami Beach this morning....

Obviously gets her good looks from her mam!  

Nice photo Steve.

1 minute ago, Winsford Soul said:

Very nice mate. She's got more hair than you 

Will be up for the very last Ukrainian club in April if you can make it. Be good to see you again. 

Steve

 

 

A bit more hair, but she's inherited my good looks, Steve ?.

Enjoyed the last one at the Uki so hope to catch the last one ever.  See you there.

 

Its been snowing heavily in Manchester today, just been out in the back garden

Steve

 

Its been snowing now for hours up here in Manchester. Can I get the iconic picture of a Robin in the snow. NO. I have Robins in my garden daily, don't know where they're hiding but I,m not giving up, just come inside for a nice cup of tea and to thaw out a bit

Steve

28 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Its been snowing now for hours up here in Manchester. Can I get the iconic picture of a Robin in the snow. NO. I have Robins in my garden daily, don't know where they're hiding but I,m not giving up, just come inside for a nice cup of tea and to thaw out a bit

Steve

They will be sheltering from the snow, thinking look at that daft lump stood out in this 

5 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

I have Robins in my garden daily, don't know where they're hiding

Steve

Maybe they've all gone to Prestatyn Ste.

Ours a few years ago in the snow......

21 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Its been snowing now for hours up here in Manchester. Can I get the iconic picture of a Robin in the snow. NO. I have Robins in my garden daily, don't know where they're hiding but I,m not giving up, just come inside for a nice cup of tea and to thaw out a bit

Steve

Steve set your fishing tackle up in back garden.Pint of maggots and sure one will show up.

4 hours ago, NCFC said:

Steve set your fishing tackle up in back garden.Pint of maggots and sure one will show up.

Caster is the best bird bait. They don't bugger off and they bloody love them.

Yesterday on Facebook, a friend on the Greek island of Lesvos posted up a freshly-taken pic of a group of swallows, which means that they're on their way… 

1 hour ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Yesterday on Facebook, a friend on the Greek island of Lesvos posted up a freshly-taken pic of a group of swallows, which means that they're on their way… 

Russell. That's great news. My favourite bird. It just epitomises  spring and summer for me. Last year was the earliest that I can remember seeing them in the UK. 7th April

I have seen Sand Martins and House Martins in late  March but never Swallows.

Steve

On 3/2/2016 at 19:53, Steve S 60 said:

My daughter Kat on Miami Beach this morning....

Steve i have a daughter called kat also:-)

1 minute ago, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. That's great news. My favourite bird. It just epitomises  spring and summer for me. Last year was the earliest that I can remember seeing them in the UK. 7th April

I have seen Sand Martins and House Martins in late  March but never Swallows.

Steve

Have to agree - they epitomise the summer as do the swifts, which I just love hear screaming through bright sunshine and cloudless skies. They're my soundtrack to summer. Come on all of you guys - get a move on!

I'm a bit concerned though. Considering current attitudes to migrants coming through Greece, will they be allowed to enter the UK? 

4 minutes ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Have to agree - they epitomise the summer as do the swifts, which I just love hear screaming through bright sunshine and cloudless skies. They're my soundtrack to summer. Come on all of you guys - get a move on!

I'm a bit concerned though. Considering current attitudes to migrants coming through Greece, will they be allowed to enter the UK? 

  Russell. That's a great idea mate. If they can fly allow them in.

Steve

8The Lesser Celandines are starting to appear down my favourite woods, spring is on its way.  Althouğh as William Wordsworth said in his poem about this lovely wildflower 'ere a leaf is on a bush, in the time before the thrush has a thought about her nest.' Then it goes onto say 'telling tales about the sun when we've little warmth or none'  We have 10 flowers appeared now. Also the Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifrage is starting to come through to carpet the woods in a sea of gold (top photo)

On ‎09‎/‎03‎/‎2016 at 14:55, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. That's great news. My favourite bird. It just epitomises  spring and summer for me. Last year was the earliest that I can remember seeing them in the UK. 7th April

I have seen Sand Martins and House Martins in late  March but never Swallows.

Steve

Just back from Huelva, plenty of swallows and swifts heading north, you can expect them within a week.

This swallowtail butterfly obliged yesterday, first time I've got close to one.

Happy, the dog, in the dunes at Conil

This is a modern cathedral at El Palmar de Troya, with a high wall around it, possibly because they are a small schismatic church that has split away from the mainstream Catholic church and have their own pontiff.  A pretty place, but not very welcoming.

Inside Palma cathedral. My apologies I am not religious, but I love religious buildings and architecture and in particular cathedrals. I believe this is to signify the Holy Trinity ??? sorry if Ive got that wrong, just thought it was stunning and should be shared. It was added by Gaudi 50 years after the Cathedral was completed.

x

Edited March 13, 20169 yr by crazylegs

3 hours ago, crazylegs said:

Inside Palma cathedral. My apologies I am not religious, but I love religious buildings and architecture and in particular cathedrals. I believe this is to signify the Holy Trinity ??? sorry if Ive got that wrong, just thought it was stunning and should be shared. It was added by Gaudi 50 years after the Cathedral was completed.

x

The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu (a title also used by many other churches), is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Majorca, Spain, built on the site of a pre-existing Arab mosque. It is 121 metres long, 55 metres wide and its nave is 44 metres tall. By way of comparison, the height of the central nave reaches 33m in Notre Dame de Paris, 38m in Reims, 42m in Notre-Dame d'Amiens and 48m in Saint-Pierre de Beauvais, the highest of all Gothic cathedrals.

Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 but finished only in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma atop the former citadel of the Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the episcopal palace. It also overlooks the Parc de la Mar and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1901, fifty years after a restoration of the cathedral had started, Antoni Gaudí was invited to take over the project. While some of his ideas were adopted – moving the choir stalls from the middle nave to be closer to the altar, as well as a large canopy – Gaudí abandoned his work in 1914 after an argument with the contractor. The planned changes were essentially cosmetic rather than structural, and the project was cancelled soon after.

You weren't that far out in your 50 year bit, although it was 50 years after the restoration was started, rather than the cathedral completed, as that would have been 1651.  All this courtesy of Wikipedia.

Leucojum tricophyllum in abundance near Lepe, Andalucia.

This is my Yorkie on the 11th March he knows how to keep warm 

 

 

atb Kev

Edited March 13, 20169 yr by Kev John

23 minutes ago, Kev John said:

This is my Yorkie on the 11th March he knows how to keep warm 

 

 

atb Kev

I can only guess as to how cold it is, it's 15C here at the moment and my dog doesn't seem to mind that at all.

8 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

I can only guess as to how cold it is, it's 15C here at the moment and my dog doesn't seem to mind that at all.

Dave

13c outside today

Its always 20c in our house i feel the cold more now 

But he's got a thick coat on all the time 

Edited March 13, 20169 yr by Kev John

1 minute ago, Kev John said:

Dave

Its always 20c in our house i feel the cold more now 

But he's got a thick coat on all the time 

I don't put the heating on here Kev, it's not needed, I don't wear socks, and am in tee shirts all year.  

Happy probably feels the cold more than me.

Did a seven and a half mile walk today where I live. Signs of Spring. looking over the fields at Wham where I live. walk along the bottom of Cockfield Fell and the River Gaunless  Lesser Celandine are coming through 14.3.16

Frog spawn on the pond at the bottom of Cockfield Fell and Crow Howle Beck 14.3.16 

Three white tailed bumble bees in my garden today, Spring definitely  here

Steve

The Nottingham University Peregrines are back! You can see the first egg of 2016 being laid here- https://twitter.com/NTUEnvironment/status/709777195577810944/video/1

and then watch the rest of the laying, hatching and hopefully successful fledgings here live................

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/sustainability/biodiversity/falcons/index.html?campaignid=falcons

It's a roller coaster every year!

Peter

 

Took a midweek afternoon trip to a nearby pancake house/cafe on what was a lovely, sunny spring day (bit of a nippy breeze though). It's a favourite haunt in the Amsterdam woods and we stopped long enough to catch the sun setting over Schiphol airport. The pancake house has a number of deer there with the males showing definite signs of spring fever!

 

 

2 hours ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Took a midweek afternoon trip to a nearby pancake house/cafe on what was a lovely, sunny spring day (bit of a nippy breeze though). It's a favourite haunt in the Amsterdam woods and we stopped long enough to catch the sun setting over Schiphol airport. The pancake house has a number of deer there with the males showing definite signs of spring fever!

 

 

Last shot had me thinking big pike.

6 minutes ago, NCFC said:

Last shot had me thinking big pike.

You wouldn't be wrong. Lots of big pike in the waterways around us. Have a look here. They're all local pics...

http://www.schweglerbotenverhuur.nl/vangsten%20op%20locatie%202006.htm

Edited March 18, 20169 yr by Russell Gilbert

1 hour ago, Russell Gilbert said:

You wouldn't be wrong. Lots of big pike in the waterways around us. Have a look here. They're all local pics...

http://www.schweglerbotenverhuur.nl/vangsten%20op%20locatie%202006.htm

Have you got a spare room?

Russel i used to be able to catch them.

50 minutes ago, NCFC said:

Have you got a spare room?

Nope, but there's a hotel nearby and we're very close to Schiphol! 

They say that our jobs will be replaced by robots. I'm going the other way and taking over theirs. They'll never know what hit 'em and they'll never know it's me! 

 

 

Here's a few from me from today at a very gloomy and overcast RSPB reserve at Burton Mere

A Wood Pidgeon and a pair of Lapwings sky dancing which was taken with a long lens and cropped heavily

Steve

On 19/02/2016 at 11:55, autumnstoned said:

Few more experiments with my camera phone. The building is Norwich University Of The Arts with Norwich Cathedral in the background in the 2nd picture.

It was just called Norwich School of Art (and Design) when I went there

Edited March 18, 20169 yr by Jason S
correction