A new year and a new photo thread to keep us entertained through the months ahead.

My first addition is something suitably seasonal - a wintery scene taken in the Amsterdam woods.

All contributions very much welcomed, and if the photos we've seen in previous years is anything to go by, we've a lot to look forward to.

Enjoy!

walking with family today in country hall field, found this, only one

 

Edited March 25, 20187 yr by Shufflin
size

10 hours ago, shufflin said:

walking with family today in country hall field, found this, only one

 

It's not a native, it's Anemone coronaria, easily grown in light to sandy soil in full sun.  Slugs and eelworms like them, as does powdery mildew, but otherwise trouble free.  Soak the dried rhizomes overnight before planting.

I had to share this with you, I'm not ambitious enough to be so ingenious

47 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

I had to share this with you, I'm not ambitious enough to be so ingenious

Love it Dave. 

Steve

20 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Love it Dave. 

Steve

I've been trying to think what other niceties could be spelled out in such a fashion, I may have to buy a washing line.

Great crested Grebe. Just about to dive looking for fish

Steve

 

Edited March 27, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

Spent the morning looking for the first returning Swallows of the year. For the last two years I have been lucky enough to see them on the 27th March but today wasn't my time.  This date is the earliest that I have ever seen them in the UK so maybe the recent bad weather has stopped them returning as early this year. Three Sand Martins did fly through

Steve

 

 

Edited March 27, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

4 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

 

Bloody hell Steve - they are truly professional photographs. Absolutely stunning mate.

 

Pete

8 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Bloody hell Steve - they are truly professional photographs. Absolutely stunning mate.

 

Pete

Thanks mate much appreciated bit grainy with pushing the ISO due to the awful weather and light conditions this morning but the lake was as flat as a mill pond. 

Steve 

2 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Spent the morning looking for the first returning Swallows of the year. For the last two years I have been lucky enough to see them on the 27th March but today wasn't my time.  This date is the earliest that I have ever seen them in the UK so maybe the recent bad weather has stopped them returning as early this year. Three Sand Martins did fly through

Steve

Steve, I'm not surprised, they're only just returning here, saw a couple of swift yesterday and the swallows came back the middle of last week, I think you'll be lucky to see them return to the UK within the next couple of weeks.

Dave

Moorhen with a dead Perch

Steve

 

A couple from the last lot of snow we had, and a couple from the sunshine over the last couple of days. (Rain our whippet posing on the garden).

3 minutes ago, Johnny Jones said:

 

 

 

 

Johnny, Little tip mate, The birds can get their claws caught in the mesh and trapped , sometimes dying. Please use proper feeders .

Steve

6 minutes ago, Johnny Jones said:

A couple from the last lot of snow we had, and a couple from the sunshine over the last couple of days. (Rain our whippet posing on the garden).

Great pictures Johnny, the Whippet looks well chilled

Steve

24 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Johnny, Little tip mate, The birds can get their claws caught in the mesh and trapped , sometimes dying. Please use proper feeders .

Steve

Thanks Steve, i have proper feeders up in my garden, i took this on a walk i go on with the dogs, somebody fills the trees(at the end of the walk near a pond) every week with a mixture of peanut,fatball and seed feeders. These netted fatballs were new this week, (so i assume a different person had put these up)i will pass on your tip if i see them , cheers.

7 minutes ago, Johnny Jones said:

Thanks Steve, i have proper feeders up in my garden, i took this on a walk i go on with the dogs, somebody fills the trees(at the end of the walk near a pond) every week with a mixture of peanut,fatball and seed feeders. These netted fatballs were new this week, (so i assume a different person had put these up)i will pass on your tip if i see them , cheers.

Thanks Johnny, Wasn't  sure about posting it  and I didn't really think that you would be responsible after seeing how you care in your photographs.

Steve

Male Tufted Duck

Steve

Jay. Basking in the Sunshine

Steve

On 27/03/2018 at 16:04, Winsford Soul said:

Spent the morning looking for the first returning Swallows of the year. For the last two years I have been lucky enough to see them on the 27th March but today wasn't my time.  This date is the earliest that I have ever seen them in the UK so maybe the recent bad weather has stopped them returning as early this year. Three Sand Martins did fly through

Steve

Didn't get to see any Swallows again today but I did get to see my first returning Hirundines of the year . Sand Martins X 6 at lunch time.

No photographs unfortunately, seen through binoculars at about 500 metres distance

Forgot to add that I saw a butterfly as I was driving home from Pennington flash, didn't get chance to identify it. 

Steve

Edited March 28, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

Today I had a nice surprise : at their usual place some morels waiting for me, perfect for tomorrow's omelette !

 

 

Not exactly great photos, just a few deer in the distance, but they are a herd that are roaming free locally. I first saw three or four a few years back but they ran off as soon as they saw anyone. After the snow last week they appeared in this farm field, seemed to like it and stuck around for about five days. They've gone now but as far as I know are still in the area. Re wilding starts here.....

A Buzzard overhead, I kept still and tried not to look like a rabbit ... looks like it has lost a primary, possibly a squabble with a Crow

A few from today

4 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

A Buzzard overhead, I kept still and tried not to look like a rabbit ... looks like it has lost a primary, possibly a squabble with a Crow

Superb Martyn 

1 hour ago, martyn pitt said:

A Buzzard overhead, I kept still and tried not to look like a rabbit ... looks like it has lost a primary, possibly a squabble with a Crow

Martyn. It's a good job you had your big lens with you just in case you had to fight it off. Or you could have hid beneath it. 

Lovely photo as always mate 

Steve

16 hours ago, Johnny Jones said:

A few from today

Nice pics pal were did you take them ?

8 hours ago, jazz said:

Nice pics pal were did you take them ?

Cheers Paul, Took them up on the former Shirebrook Pit Land. 

Some cracking bird photo's on here, brilliant. A couple of waterfall shots of the same waterfall, Anglebeck Tarn Waterfall near to Hartsop in the Lakes. Taken with my phone. First is unfrozen on Saturday 17th March and the second is part frozen on Sunday 18th March. Also some Alpaca's at Pooley Bridge

Was in Widnes Victoria Park today for a bit of lunch, this little one was happy posing

Assorted snaps from the last few months, mates place on a Friday night, street scene in Granada, and that poor frog died by the way, didn’t like the chemicals in the pool :-(

Edited April 5, 20187 yr by Mal C

From a set I did recienty...  found things...

Edited April 5, 20187 yr by Mal C

Black Tailed Godwits in summer plumage with a few Avocets in the foreground.

Forgot to add. The Godwits are ready for migrating to probably Iceland to breed while  the Avocets have just arrived on there migration from Southern Europe or North Africa. Ships that pass springs to mind

 

Edited April 6, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

Drake Pintail Duck. Just added the 2nd picture as it shows more colours on the under wing

 

Edited April 6, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

40 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Drake Pintail Duck

 

You really should start looking to get some of these pictures out there Steve - you're pics are now as good as any I see in publications. Well done mate - Im proud of you for the hours you have put in.

Pete

4 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

You really should start looking to get some of these pictures out there Steve - you're pics are now as good as any I see in publications. Well done mate - Im proud of you for the hours you have put in.

Pete

Thank you kind sir.

I can proudly announce that I've been invited to submit some of my photographs to be used as a exhibition on British Birds that Cambrian Photography are going to run in there shop. Just need to sort out with Sarah and Joel from the shop which ones and when its going to run. I currently have about 30 high gloss large prints ( 15" X 10" )  In a portfolio

Steve

Borrowdale.

Brontë Bridge near Haworth,Yorkshire.

Don't know what this lovely little flower is called.  Similar to a blue bell.  Dave ? 

Steve 

Edited April 8, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

6 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Don't know what this lovely little flower is called.  Similar to a blue bell.  Dave ? 

Steve 

It's a hyacinth Steve, probably a variety of Hyacinthus orientalis, the garden hyacinth, and a weakened flower from not getting enough fertiliser.  The Bluebell is Hyacinthoides non-scripta and curls over at the end with the flower stalks not being so robust.

23 minutes ago, TattooDave said:

It's a hyacinth Steve, probably a variety of Hyacinthus orientalis, the garden hyacinth, and a weakened flower from not getting enough fertiliser.  The Bluebell is Hyacinthoides non-scripta and curls over at the end with the flower stalks not being so robust.

Thanks Dave.  It's growing at Pennington flash country park in a heavily wooded area.  There were 3 others near by.  I knew it wasn't a Bluebell but that it was similar.  

Steve 

1 hour ago, Winsford Soul said:

Thanks Dave.  It's growing at Pennington flash country park in a heavily wooded area.  There were 3 others near by.  I knew it wasn't a Bluebell but that it was similar.  

Steve 

It probably got dumped there after flowering, they survive for a short while without fertiliser, but gradually weaken to nothing.  Voles like to eat the stems under the soil surface, so they weaken them too.

Grandson Thomas 2nd birthday party today with  his remote controlled  Mercedes amg convertible 

Steve 

Edited April 8, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

Wheatear, Best photo I could manage before my dog Nell started barking and scared it off (I think it's the first time I've seen one. Then Nell dragged this out of a hedge bottom, thought she was running about with a length of cable till  I caught up with her (looks like it had been there a while).

Does anyone know what this is, caught it having it’s breakfast in the garden this morning. Not a brilliant photo I know taken at distance with a compact camera.

22 minutes ago, bob said:

Does anyone know what this is, caught it having it’s breakfast in the garden this morning. Not a brilliant photo I know taken at distance with a compact camera.

Sparrowhawk

Thanks Dave.

A male one Bob, they have wicked eyes, lunch appears to be Pigeon 

A female Sparrowhawk would be a bit larger and brown coloured rather than the grey / blue

Spot the birdie time again ( Tree Creeper )

Steve

Edited April 9, 20187 yr by Winsford Soul

5 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Spot the birdie time again ( Tree Creeper )

Steve

Amazing to think you actually saw it to get the photo! Brilliant