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 hours ago, Kegsy said:

They are also at Blacktoft Sands near Goole as well, I've seen them there with a bittern in the background through some guys telescope, didn't have the camera with me that day and the lenses I have probably wouldn't have been long enough anyway, it would have been a hell of a picture. 

By the way the wife and I have a toddle around Leighton Moss quite regularly.

Thanks to or the information about the bearded tits. Bet you where chuffed about seeing both species together with or without a camera. I know I would have been.

Steve

2 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

Have you ever seen any otters at Leighton Moss, the wife is obsessed about seeing them, I'm very doubtful whether they are actually there.

Yeah. Will post a  few a few pictures later. Had the pleasure of seeing 5 altogether. 3 on the ice when it was frozen and 2 another time. They are very active at the moment with daily sightings from either the causeway hide or the lower hide. Have also seen them down in Pembrokeshire at bosherton Lillie ponds. 3 times. How lucky am I.

Steve

3 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Thanks to or the information about the bearded tits. Bet you where chuffed about seeing both species together with or without a camera. I know I would have been.

Steve

Yep, it was quite a moment. I think (they let) the water levels drop more at Blacktoft Sands which brings the bitterns to the edges of the reeds to hunt and therefore makes them more visible.

2 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Yeah. Will post a  few a few pictures later. Had the pleasure of seeing 5 altogether. 3 on the ice when it was frozen and 2 another time. They are very active at the moment with daily sightings from either the causeway hide or the lower hide. Have also seen them down in Pembrokeshire at bosherton Lillie ponds. 3 times. How lucky am I.

Steve

Ok thanks for the info, I suppose we will just have to persevere.

8 hours ago, Kegsy said:

Ok thanks for the info, I suppose we will just have to persevere.

Kegsy. Look in show us your great photos part 2 . 30th January. 2015. I posted some pictures of the otters on the frozen lake at Leighton Moss. So that you can show your misses that they do exist. 

Steve

11 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Kegsy. Look in show us your great photos part 2 . 30th January. 2015. I posted some pictures of the otters on the frozen lake at Leighton Moss. So that you can show your misses that they do exist. 

Steve

Thanks mate, she;s well giddy now.

On 08/02/2016 at 14:26, TattooDave said:

Used to hear them a lot on the fens, easier than spotting them, camouflage is amazing in the natural world

Once Bittern..... I Denke shoen?

3 hours ago, themroc said:

Once Bittern..... I Denke shoen?

you deserve two coconuts for that, if you think about it

FC Copenhagen fans at the King Power

Spent yesterday at Bodnant Gardens, a national trust place a few miles inland from Llandudno in North Wales. Hoping to get a few pictures of the Autumn colours as the trees change . Was a few weeks early but managed a couple

Steve

 

 

On 14/10/2016 at 08:25, Kegsy said:

Thanks mate, she;s well giddy now.

 

Our lass is well into otters ,took her to the Isle of Mull on the ferry from Oban,we stayed in Tobermory and drove around to the coast at the bottom of Ben More just stopped to have our lunch and admire the scenery.Low and behold an otter was about 20 yards away from us in the sea,it was diving around and came up with a massive crab which it tussled with for about half an hour but got fed up and only got a leg off it.

It went to sleep on the kelp on rocks just in front of us after catching several small fish,we got to about 6 yards from it, we watched it for about 2 hours.Some fab pure white beaches on the west side too. On the way home we saw three otters in the harbour area whilst waiting for the ferry. It is a fabulous place well worth a visit,first time in scotland and was overawed by the scenery,drove about an hour along Loch Lomond on the way to Oban. Never forget it as long as i live.

Edited October 19, 20168 yr by smudger

5 minutes ago, smudger said:

Hi

Our lass is well into otters ,took her to the Isle of Mull on the ferry from Oban,we stayed in Tobermory and drove around to the coast at the bottom of Ben More just stopped to have our lunch and admire the scenery.Low and behold an otter was about 20 yards away from us in the sea,it was diving around and came up with a massive crab which it tussled with for about half an hour but got fed up and only got a leg off it.

It went to sleep on the kelp on rocks just in front of us after catching several small fish,we got to about 6 yards from it, we watched it for about 2 hours.Some fab pure white beaches on the west side too. On the way home we saw three otters in the harbour area whilst waiting for the ferry. It is a fabulous place well worth a visit,first time in scotland and was overawed by the scenery,drove about an hour along Loch Lomond on the way to Oban. Never forget it as long as i live.

We were up that way a couple of years ago, didn't get to Mull though. Spent hours in areas where otters had been seen, not a bleeding sausage !.

Unique row of cottages behind Wells Cathedral.

21 minutes ago, Addio said:

Unique row of cottages behind Wells Cathedral.

Lovely mate. Thanks.

Which Wells? 

Peter

33 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

We were up that way a couple of years ago, didn't get to Mull though. Spent hours in areas where otters had been seen, not a bleeding sausage !.

They don't eat sausages Kegsy!

 

The colours of nature are stunning

Steve

56 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Which Wells? 

Wells in Somerset - the smallest city in England. Lovely place.

Was lucky enough to see a Dipper yesterday and even more so to capture it diving under the surface of the river

Steve

The first picture I managed to capture by poking the lens through the grass and vegetation hence the haze

 

 

Edited October 20, 20168 yr by Winsford Soul

A few more dipper pictures

Steve

Edited October 20, 20168 yr by Winsford Soul

One of these turned up at work today.

Foot bridge over the River Aire in Myrtle Park, Bingley, West Yorkshire.

Taken (not by me) sometime April 2016 during the floods.

Wish I'd have gone to see that - blimey I didn't realise the river had flooded that high.

The fact that the water level is washing over the foot bridge gives you an indication of just how flooded the river was.

Derek

Not too bad after 700 years!!!

Sunset at Headingley, ODI England v Pakistan on !st September. Very strange watching cricket in this light !!

Male Reed Bunting in non breeding plumage

Steve

Female Kingfisher.

Steve

 

Edited October 21, 20168 yr by Winsford Soul

Hardly a great photo by the standards on here but this was took in my back garden with my phone , a young Goldfinch enjoying sunflower seeds.

 

2 hours ago, shinehead said:

Hardly a great photo by the standards on here but this was took in my back garden with my phone , a young Goldfinch enjoying sunflower seeds.

 

It dont work Graham.

Pete

4 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

It dont work Graham.

Pete

It did an hour ago Pete , non of the pictures in the topic are showing to me at the moment I am getting a 404 ERROR.

ps I did say it was hardly a great photo

Edited October 26, 20168 yr by shinehead

Just now, shinehead said:

It did an hour ago Pete , non of the pictures in the topic are showing to me at the moment I am getting a 404 ERROR.

ps I did say it was hardly a great photo

It will be worth a look mate. Yep see error. 

 

Pete

 

17 hours ago, shinehead said:

Hardly a great photo by the standards on here but this was took in my back garden with my phone , a young Goldfinch enjoying sunflower seeds.

 

Unusual to see just one, there's usually a flock of them, I've seen 50+ together on field edges here in Spain

A trip to the local garden centre brought me out of my semi-hibernation state.

The ones that came home, 2 at 3 Euros, 1 at 2 Euros

In flower at the moment on the balcony.

Trycirtus hirta, or toad lily.Hilderwintera, a semi-prostrate/climbing cactus

Edited October 27, 20168 yr by TattooDave

1 hour ago, TattooDave said:

Unusual to see just one, there's usually a flock of them, I've seen 50+ together on field edges here in Spain

They come to come my garden in droves up to 20 at a time , I have had to stop feeding nijer seeds because even though they are beautiful birds their eating manners leave much to be desired, more on the floor than eaten .

15 minutes ago, shinehead said:

They come to come my garden in droves up to 20 at a time , I have had to stop feeding nijer seeds because even though they are beautiful birds their eating manners leave much to be desired, more on the floor than eaten .

It grows into a nice annual though if left, and then gives you free seed

20 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

It grows into a nice annual though if left, and then gives you free seed

I like to feed the birds but encouraging rodents to a free meal on the floor I will give the nijer a miss , feeding sunflower seeds and they seem ok on that.

Nijer is a plant native of Afghanistan I believe Dave, is that correct ? 

Just looked it up a native of Ethiopia.

Edited October 27, 20168 yr by shinehead

54 minutes ago, shinehead said:

I like to feed the birds but encouraging rodents to a free meal on the floor I will give the nijer a miss , feeding sunflower seeds and they seem ok on that.

Nijer is a plant native of Afghanistan I believe Dave, is that correct ? 

Just looked it up a native of Ethiopia.

Grows as an annual in the UK, though stunted because of the heat treatment that it goes through before import.  If you get rodents having a free meal best get yourself a Jack Russell, I would have suggested cat, but that wouldn't be good with tiny birds at a bird table

Edited October 27, 20168 yr by TattooDave

27 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

Grows as an annual in the UK, though stunted because of the heat treatment that it goes through before import.  If you get rodents having a free meal best get yourself a Jack Russell, I would have suggested cat, but that wouldn't be good with tiny birds at a bird table

Thanks for the advice buts it costing me a small fortune in bird seed so I could not afford a pet as well .

I will stick to cleaning up around the feed stations daily , it seems to be working

7 hours ago, shinehead said:

Thanks for the advice buts it costing me a small fortune in bird seed so I could not afford a pet as well .

I will stick to cleaning up around the feed stations daily , it seems to be working

That of course is another viable option.

Feckin badger had turned my lawn into A 200 hole putting green ! Darnt even take my dog out 4 A pee at night as the fecker is as big as A baby hippo , will try get A mugshot of him ( or her )

Just a couple from today. A Great Tit landing on a feeder and a Wren skulking away in the undergrowth.

Steve

13 hours ago, hornet said:

Feckin badger had turned my lawn into A 200 hole putting green ! Darnt even take my dog out 4 A pee at night as the fecker is as big as A baby hippo , will try get A mugshot of him ( or her )

Nice visitor to have. I'd be happy with him or her turning my lawn over for an occasional glimpse.

 

1 hour ago, Winsford Soul said:

Just a couple from today. A Great Tit landing on a feeder and a Wren skulking away in the undergrowth.

Steve

Hiya mate

They're superb.

Pete

 

16 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Hiya mate

They're superb.

Pete

 

Morning my friend. Hope your keeping well. Thank you for the kind words again.  I have noticed a improvement in my photography over the few years that I have owned a decent camera. I aspire to reach the consistency, level of Martyn then I will be a happier photographer. just enjoying the journey and the surprises tha nature throws my way when I,m out and about. The only problem I have is that my fishing is suffering unfortunately, I don't seem to have the time for both at the moment . Nice dilemma to have though.

Steve

 

Edited October 29, 20168 yr by Winsford Soul

Glorious late October sunshine illuminating some of the blooms still remaining on our balcony.

Here,s a very special picture that I just had to share. Unfortunately not taken by me

Steve 

I often look through this part of the forum, but for the first time I thought I'd put some pics up too: Here's a few from a recent trip to Marrakesh