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!

Caught a pair of Goldcrest displaying yesterday, tiny little bird, always on the move

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 20169 yr by martyn pitt

My poor sad dog after having surgery last Thursday because he swallowed a discarded fishhook on the beach. 

1 hour ago, TattooDave said:

My poor sad dog after having surgery last Thursday because he swallowed a discarded fishhook on the beach. 

Ay up Dave

Proper upset me that has. I hope he'll be ok.

Peter

1 hour ago, Peter99 said:

Ay up Dave

Proper upset me that has. I hope he'll be ok.

Peter

He's on medication Peter, but typical dog he hates having to take tablets, soft food and no treats at the moment, but is soldiering on.  He has to go to the veterinary hospital on Wednesday for a check up and then has the staples out next Monday, hopefully.  It's been a traumatic weekend. Not to mention the cost, but he's worth it.

1 minute ago, TattooDave said:

He's on medication Peter, but typical dog he hates having to take tablets, soft food and no treats at the moment, but is soldiering on.  He has to go to the veterinary hospital on Wednesday for a check up and then has the staples out next Monday, hopefully.  It's been a traumatic weekend. Not to mention the cost, but he's worth it.

Sounds like he's on the mend. And I'm certain that he is indeed worth it.

Nice one Dave.

Peter

Hope he is feeling better soon! Then LOTS of treats!!!

x

1 hour ago, crazylegs said:

Hope he is feeling better soon! Then LOTS of treats!!!

x

Thanks, his staples come out next Monday, then he'll be wearing a muzzle on the beach, but he'll be getting lots of treats.

Here's my contribution to the Goldcrest theme. Not a patch on Martyns who once again I take my hat off   too for the stunning images that he posts on here

Steve

4 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Here's my contribution to the Goldcrest theme. Not a patch on Martyns who once again I take my hat off   too for the stunning images that he posts on here

Steve

What you looking at Big Ears!

Peter

2 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

What you looking at Big Ears!

Peter

Peter. Its a Goldcrest with attitude mate

Steve

5 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Peter. Its a Goldcrest with attitude mate

Steve

Known as a herring spink in Norfolk.BTW blackbirds are singing big time at moment!!My fave sound other than soul music.

Edited March 21, 20169 yr by NCFC

Not a picture but I have been putting food out for my hedgehogs recently but have yet to see one - fingers crossed. The food is going but that could be cats or Magpies etc.

Peter

6 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Not a picture but I have been putting food out for my hedgehogs recently but have yet to see one - fingers crossed. The food is going but that could be cats or Magpies etc.

Peter

Peter. Good evening my friend I think that hedgehogs are still or should be still hibernating, They do wake up occasionally during their hibernation period and tend to go back to sleep. They normally wake up properly in April, the males first.

Steve

3 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Peter. Good evening my friend I think that hedgehogs are still or should be still hibernating, They do wake up occasionally during their hibernation period and tend to go back to sleep. They normally wake up properly in April, the males first.

Steve

Good Evening Sir 

Thanks Steve. I guess I was platying safe and working on the assumption that it has been fairly mild. Having said that they were still active into late November/December so they are probably still tired and fast asleep! 

Peter

Here,s a couple from me taken today on Spike island in Widnes of the new Mersey gateway bridge crossing of the river Mersey. the first one is the support columns mid river and the other one is  part of the car deck that will be raised into position . The scale is awesome when you consider that fiddlers ferry power station is in the picture

Steve

Nice photos Ste, I can see this being built from where I work, the yellow structures on top of the main columns are creeping shutters, once the concrete inside has set the shutter creeps up to be filled with fresh concrete and repeat.

Here is a closer view of Fiddlers Ferry power station, for those of you that are scared of heights take a look at the ladder on the rear right cooling tower, the vans at the bottom give you scale

1 hour ago, Widnes63 said:

Nice photos Ste, I can see this being built from where I work, the yellow structures on top of the main columns are creeping shutters, once the concrete inside has set the shutter creeps up to be filled with fresh concrete and repeat.

Here is a closer view of Fiddlers Ferry power station, for those of you that are scared of heights take a look at the ladder on the rear right cooling tower, the vans at the bottom give you scale

Ste. Have you got any pictures from on top of the cooling towers mate ? Because I just know that you will have climbed that ladder

Ste

50 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Ste. Have you got any pictures from on top of the cooling towers mate ? Because I just know that you will have climbed that ladder

Ste

Sorry Ste don't have any from the top and I don't work there now,  also referring back to your 2nd photo, the red part on the right side of the new bridge is also a shutter ( a type of mould for the concrete ) it drops and moves along to be raised in to place for another pour, all worked by pneumatics, great engineering.

Lovely to see a bit of colour where we live. Spring is well and truly here.

The Katie storm left a nice rainbow near me this afternoon....

First of the Hirundines this year a Sand Martin. Only had a 200ml lens on my camera and it was a long way away so the picture is heavily cropped but you can make out what it is. Also thought I saw three Swallows but wasn't sure. They would have been the earliest sightings for me by ten days had i been able to confirm them. Also heard two Skylarks singing but they where too high to see them

Steve

Just been reading one of the northwest birding forum's and they have received confirmed sightings of Swallows at Pennington Flash today. So that's good news for me. WOW 27th March. Never seen Swallows in March. Sand Martin and House Martin's yes.

Steve

11 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Just been reading one of the northwest birding forum's and they have received confirmed sightings of Swallows at Pennington Flash today. So that's good news for me. WOW 27th March. Never seen Swallows in March. Sand Martin and House Martin's yes.

Steve

I told you they were on the way Steve, the Hoopoes are calling here frequently and the Thekla's and Crested Larks are in abundance.  Hope to have some orchid photos later this week, once the dog gets the cone of shame off and his staples out.

Woke up to this!

Steve, are you in England ? Seeing your picture made me feeling cold !

Edited March 29, 20169 yr by Philippe

23 hours ago, Philippe said:

Steve, are you in England ? Seeing your picture made me feeling cold !

Yes mate...........Lancashire!............I took that around 08.30 just as the snow stopped unfortunately, the size of the flakes were like tennis balls. by lunchtime it had more or less all gone. 

5 hours ago, Steve Lane said:

Yes mate...........Lancashire!............I took that around 08.30 just as the snow stopped unfortunately, the size of the flakes were like tennis balls. by lunchtime it had more or less all gone. 

Wow, here (western south of France) we had more than 20 ° C this afternoon ! And the cockoo arrived two weeks ago.

Here you go Steve .. a Swallow in the rain and gloom of this morning 

39 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

Here you go Steve .. a Swallow in the rain and gloom of this morning 

Thanks Martyn. Can always rely on you mate. Top man. 

Steve

You can have an Osprey as well ... we had two fly through this morning ... it is a pretty heavy crop as the bird was a long way away

Thanks Martyn. I've only ever had one possible sighting of a Osprey. I say possible because it was flying directly into the Sun so I couldn't see properly. So I'm still waiting to see one. Hopefully this year. There seems to be a few more every year. Nearest nest site to me is in the lake district from where the birds are quite often seen fishing at Leighton Moss.

Steve

First swallow of the summer spotted yesterday afternoon when we were having lunch on a lakeside terrace just around the corner from us. Really pleased about that as it means summer's coming. Coincidentally, I thought I might have spotted an osprey from the comfort of our lakeside lunch spot yesterday. However, it was too far away to be sure.

It's been a gloriously sunny day today with temperatures in the low 20s. Bring it on! We took a cycle ride into the Amsterdam woods and specifically went to see the cherry blossom. Lots of other people had the same idea, so it was really busy there. Not so in other parts of the woods, though, which is much preferred.

A few pics from our afternoon out here and taken using the 'panorama' function on my iPhone, which has a high novelty factor for me at the moment as I've only just discovered it! 

And another, more regular-shaped photo. This being of my 'better half'. And no, she wasn't trying to run me over. At least I don't think she was! 

We've been in Portugal again and I have tried to get some bird photos for you bird lovers. I think I know what they are but am not risking the humiliation of being wrong!

7 minutes ago, Soulfinger said:

We've been in Portugal again and I have tried to get some bird photos for you bird lovers. I think I know what they are but am not risking the humiliation of being wrong!

Black winged stilts, pochards, flamingos & a heron if I'm not mistaken...

We watched the fishermen unload one morning. One of them was trying to get this out of the net. No idea what it was, he wrestled with it for about ten minutes but it was properly tangled up and he threw it down in disgust and stomped off. It was about 18 inches in length and thoroughly weird looking!

20 minutes ago, Soulfinger said:

We watched the fishermen unload one morning. One of them was trying to get this out of the net. No idea what it was, he wrestled with it for about ten minutes but it was properly tangled up and he threw it down in disgust and stomped off. It was about 18 inches in length and thoroughly weird looking!

Sea cucumber? Wouldn't want one in my Pimms! 

1 hour ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Sea cucumber? Wouldn't want one in my Pimms! 

I think you are right. Google shows lots of varieties of sea cucumbers some of whch are a bit similar to this one.

It wasn't dead. I really wouldn't want it in your Pimms or in my Peking Duck pancake.

13 minutes ago, Soulfinger said:

I think you are right. Google shows lots of varieties of sea cucumbers some of whch are a bit similar to this one.

It wasn't dead. I really wouldn't want it in your Pimms or in my Peking Duck pancake.

Had to check to see if they were edible or not. Seems they are, although seeing one being prepared hardly adds to the potential delight of having one on your dinner plate! 
 

 

3 hours ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Had to check to see if they were edible or not. Seems they are, although seeing one being prepared hardly adds to the potential delight of having one on your dinner plate! 
 

 

That's really not helped it seem any more attractive or edible! It needs to be filed under bait!

3 minutes ago, Soulfinger said:

That's really not helped it seem any more attractive or edible! It needs to be filed under bait!

Poor little bugger!

Sorry I haven't uploaded recently. I hope your dog is better TattooDave that must have been an awful shock.  

Spring has sprung in these parts, although no butterflies or moths yet.  

Rog the border collie on the fell.  The River Gaunless at the bottom of Cockfield Fell taken on 31.3.16 I had a ten and a half mile walk out 

 

There are some spring flowers out. Lesser Celandines are all over in my favourite woods as are the Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifrage.  Pretty Primroses are starting to pop up.

There is still some Coltsfoot to be found around. The leaves of the lovely Wood Sorrel have appeared, they are an ancient wood indicator 

8 hours ago, suzannek said:

Sorry I haven't uploaded recently. I hope your dog is better TattooDave that must have been an awful shock.  

 

 

 

Thanks Suze, he's fine, you can barely see where they opened him up, he's back to his normal self now, belligerent, disobedient and wilful.

32 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

Thanks Suze, he's fine, you can barely see where they opened him up, he's back to his normal self now, belligerent, disobedient and wilful.

Nice

5 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Nice

just like any dog with Jack Russell blood.  Though currently fast asleep (even nicer)

Lots of Dogs Mercury down the woods which is poisonous 

Went to see the Heironymous Bosch exhibition at the Noordbrabants Museum in 's Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) yesterday. Our entry time to see the exhibition, which marks the artist's 500th anniversary in the city of his birth, wasn't until 8pm, so we had plenty of time to stroll around the streets, visit the cathedral, and a bit later, go and get some dinner.

All wonderful to see, and a very enjoyable day, but can't say I like the scrummage associated with visiting a museum these days. It sort of makes it more like a freak show. Anyway, a few pics taken in the cathedral using my iPhone, including yet another panorama, which shows the interior from one end to the other.

 

 

Edited April 7, 20169 yr by Russell Gilbert
spelin

Exciting news! My first hedgehog visitor arrived last night - it's always a wow moment for me. I don't have a photograph -  so I drew you a picture! I hope you like it. 

 

Edited April 7, 20169 yr by Peter99