A New Year means a new Soul Source photography thread! Starting in 2013, "Show us your great photos" has proved to be a long-lived favourite - all because of the continued contributions and involvement of its enthusiastic participants. Here's looking forward to yet another year of fab photos - and don't forget that you don't need to be a photographer to post up pics. Whether taken with top-of-the-line gear or the camera on your smart phone, if you've got interesting pics, please feel free to share.

To kick off, here's a batch of pics I took today while out on a cold and misty walk in a place called the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen. I'd not heard of it until just very recently. Apparently it's a natural water table from which Amsterdam gets most of its fresh water. At the same time, it's a nature reserve, so now that I know of its existence, I'll have to make a point of visiting regularly.

It wasn't a good day to be out with a camera, especially with a zoom lens. The light was poor, it was misty (heavy fog overhead - we could hear geese flying over but could barely see them, even though they were quite low), and it was cold. Hopefully conditions will be better on my next visit.

Here's wishing you all a happy New Year and lots of happy shooting across the next 12 months.

Taken at our local farm shop.

Recently sent this picture to a friend of mine and couldn't remember if I  had ever posted it on here.

Song Thrush. Eating berries from the Rowan tree in the back garden . Taken through the kitchen window.  

 

Edited January 11, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

Tonight,s Full Moon, the first full moon of the year is called the Wolf Moon, from a not particularly clear Manchester sky  

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

Great pic . 

On 09/01/2020 at 16:56, Winsford Soul said:

Stunning place, but not sure about the summer bit, the pines are green but there's not a leaf on the other tree's from what I can see viewing off my mobile. 

Going back in Summer.  Discovered on departure  . Apparently there is an authentic 15th Century Tavern . About 40 minute drive . I forget where chap stated it was . If you google am sure will come in search . If you like a tot of whisky and authentic Scottish Ale . Counted 4 local distilleries around Strathyre. 

Cold and misty in the Amsterdam woods at 7:30 in the morning!

Very atmospheric picture,s my friend 

Russell they look like photographs from another time. Very nice.

Ste.

11 minutes ago, Widnes63 said:

Russell they look like photographs from another time. Very nice.

Ste.

They was Ste. 7.30 am 🤣🤣🤣

43 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

They was Ste. 7.30 am 🤣🤣🤣

I knew you wouldn't let me down😂

3 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Very atmospheric picture,s my friend 

 

3 hours ago, Widnes63 said:

Russell they look like photographs from another time. Very nice.

Ste.

 

2 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

They was Ste. 7.30 am 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks, guys.
As far as I’m concerned, 7:30 in the morning isn’t just a different time, it’s a completely different dimension! should have stayed under the duvet. 🤣

Yet another wonderful sunset.

A very commonplace bird here in the Netherlands, but I thought this young heron worthy of a photo as it posed quite dramatically against a clear blue sky on the terracotta roof tiles of a house opposite.

We've seen this particular heron on rooftops and street lamps several times in the last couple of weeks. It should be at ground level where it can catch food, so I think it must have had a recent scare. Possibly, as there's road and water side-by-side here, it was nearly hit by a car when hunting.

Certainly it won't catch anything up there.

A Raven flew over my house this morning . I haven't seen one in two years even though I go birdwatching regularly. 

I heard the cronking noise and rushed out and just got a 3 second clip  with a snap ! 😀. I watched him fly over town and he was mobbed by 2 crows, and I could then see he was nearly double the size of a crow .

 The silhouette shows the heavy head, and long tail with  the curved end.  

Here's the snap and the 3 second clip you can hear the "cronk" call

 

Some big apple buildings today.

Sheer size is daunting.

Ed

Something special happened to me today when i achieved one of my ambitions ,  i have many small ambitions that i think are achievable rather than one big one that more often than not does,nt happen 

I was unlucky again with my quest for photographing Britians smallest bird the Firecrest but i managed to get pictures of a lovely bird called a Snow Bunting

 

Edited January 19, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

Wow !! thats an amazing sighting and pictures !! Where did you spot the Snow Bunting ?

11 minutes ago, Veedub said:

Wow !! thats an amazing sighting and pictures !! Where did you spot the Snow Bunting ?

I originally went to see a Firecrest at RSPB  Conwy but unfortunately missed it,  so I called into Rhyl where i had heard that there was a couple of Snow Bunting about.. perfect directions and within 5 minutes from the car park which is at the yacht club then walk down to the beach and they're mooching about the pebbles 

Lovely winters day at Middleton Lakes near Tamworth today. Female Linnet and a Stonechat .

 

What Views . Doing Nicky Nook Walk . Discovered from Alltrails App for Lancashire.  Very Busy difficulty Moderate.  Very Steep Incline and decent from The Beacon . 

Images of Scorton Lake one which am going to fish in Summer . Other of Grizadale Leap Reservoir.  

Worth a visit . Also has Fairy Garden in Village prior to Walk . For those with little ones . 

Another incredible building..

Just going up in 30 mins.

Ed

While the rest of the uk seemed to be in the sunshine, my little corner of south Manchester had fog all day. It was spot the ball in the Sunday league this afternoon ⚽️

View from the one tower restaurant.

Ed

1 hour ago, Soulandy said:

While the rest of the uk seemed to be in the sunshine, my little corner of south Manchester had fog all day. It was spot the ball in the Sunday league this afternoon ⚽️

And North East Manchester,  Good too see you last night  mate as always 

Could it be ? Really?

Ed

23 hours ago, Soulandy said:

While the rest of the uk seemed to be in the sunshine, my little corner of south Manchester had fog all day. It was spot the ball in the Sunday league this afternoon ⚽️

Do I get a prize? 👍🏼🤗

24 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

Do I get a prize? 👍🏼🤗

 That's hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

Edited January 20, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

33 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

Do I get a prize? 👍🏼🤗

Brilliant. Fantasy fight to anywhere ✈ 😁👍

Just love these 'modern NY sculptures'..

Ed

This is now my desktop wallpaper ... shot on a gloomy morning at Belvide, three Reed Buntings were feasting on the fraggy seed heads, this female posed nicely for me.

I shall post a couple more when I have processed them, showing how well camouflaged they are amongst the reeds

4 hours ago, Martyn Pitt said:

This is now my desktop wallpaper ... shot on a gloomy morning at Belvide, three Reed Buntings were feasting on the fraggy seed heads, this female posed nicely for me.

I shall post a couple more when I have processed them, showing how well camouflaged they are amongst the reeds

 

That'll be my desktop too cheers Martyn !  Nice of the Bunting to leave  a space on the left for my shortcuts too lol !

 

23 minutes ago, Veedub said:

 

If you pm me an email address you can have the larger high res version 👍

Cheers Martyn 👍

On 10/01/2020 at 17:06, Pat Bleasdale said:

Taken at our local farm shop.

Does that come with potatoes and gravy 

Now that's what you call a beak !  Not very often you see 2 Ravens on the roof over the road from your house ! We're very lucky, they've been round our house constantly for 2 weeks, paired up preparing to nest 😃. 

Fascinating to watch, huge elastic wing strokes,  they also suddenly tumble and roll in flight, then there's the noise, they cronk  to each other. One was in a tree earlier and making strange noises almost like a barking dog.  cool brute of a bird .. I'll get better pics soon.

 

 

A few more of the Reed Buntings, male and female

 

Excellent pictures Martyn.  Not that I expect anything less mate 

31 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Excellent pictures Martyn.  Not that I expect anything less mate 

Cheers Steve, it had been a pretty poor morning, awful light and not much of interest to photograph, the other lads had had enough and were making their way home, I decided to give it 30 minutes in the first hide on the off chance a Kingfisher would oblige when I spotted these Reed Buntings having a go at the fraggie heads fairly close and visible on the edge of the reed bed, made it all worthwhile.

The river Mersey this afternoon.

2 minutes ago, Pat Bleasdale said:

The river Mersey this afternoon.

Someone nicked the picture.  Was you in Liverpool 🤣

Lytham St Anne's....with teeny tiny micro kite surfer...

20 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

Lytham St Anne's....with teeny tiny micro kite surfer...

I thought it was a speck of dirt on your lens 😎

20 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

I thought it was a speck of dirt on your lens 😎

Good lord, no. I have my manservant, Brabinger, buff up my lenses before I start shooting! 🤨

Our new 8 week old female Sheltie pup 'shacked' up with daughter's 8 month old chihuahua after only 2 days together!

18 hours ago, Soulstrutter said:

Our new 8 week old female Sheltie pup 'shacked' up with daughter's 8 month old chihuahua after only 2 days together!

That is one seriously cute pair of woofers! 😘

34 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

That is one seriously cute pair of woofers! 😘

Surely they're sub woofers with them only been pups 😎. 

No, you're barking up the wrong tree mister 😜. 

43 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

No, you're barking up the wrong tree mister 

Well in the words of Marvin Gaye.  I'll be doggone.  😋

2 hours ago, Flamingemeralds said:

That is one seriously cute pair of woofers! 😘

I'll try that line on the Mrs ... and see if I get anywhere 🤣

8 hours ago, Soulstrutter said:

I'll try that line on the Mrs ... and see if I get anywhere 🤣

Yes, do. In fact, go one further and buy her some nice woofer holders for Valentine's Day! 👍🏼🤗