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.

It's times like this I wish I had a fabulous camera! I thought it was a diamond! 

33 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

It's times like this I wish I had a fabulous camera! I thought it was a diamond! 

I wish I had a  fabulous diamond 😎 

It's a lovely picture Mrs,   joking apart it really does look like a diamond, 

Edited February 1, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

The first real signs of spring.  Hawthorn tree with new leaves . Taken today 1st Feb at Pennington flash 

2 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

The first real signs of spring.  Hawthorn tree with new leaves . Taken today 1st Feb at Pennington flash 

Curiously lacking in thorns, I'd like a close up of the leaves as I think you might have stumbled on something strange.

13 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

Curiously lacking in thorns, I'd like a close up of the leaves as I think you might have stumbled on something strange.

I agree! It's way too early for hawthorn? We don't usually see it until April.....x

49 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

I agree! It's way too early for hawthorn? We don't usually see it until April.....x

My Chinese elm are just coming into leaf and that's in the south of Spain.  I'm puzzled! (commonplace occurrence)

1 hour ago, Tattoodave said:

Curiously lacking in thorns, I'd like a close up of the leaves as I think you might have stumbled on something strange.

Dave.  I only used the mobile phone for the picture.  So this is all I have mate .  I will try and get back there soon , never even looked at the tree , just assumed it was a hawthorn.

Had the big white slung over my shoulder.

25 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Dave.  I only used the mobile phone for the picture.  So this is all I have mate .  I will try and get back there soon , never even looked at the tree , just assumed it was a hawthorn.

Had the big white slung over my shoulder.

Admittedly the leaf shape does look similar to Crataegus monogyna, even if it isn't, it is still an earlier than normal sign of spring.

Edited February 1, 20205 yr by Tattoodave
stupidity

The actual branches look very Hawthorny but the leaves .....I mean it could be....but I watch for hawthorn every year and have since I was an egg (just hatched), and late March is the earliest I've seen it.....but.....who knows? It's been an incredibly mild winter. X

12 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Dave.  I only used the mobile phone for the picture.  So this is all I have mate .  I will try and get back there soon , never even looked at the tree , just assumed it was a hawthorn.

Had the big white slung over my shoulder.

You had a shark slung over your shoulder?  😲

It's a great white isn't it...d'oh....🙄

24 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

It's a great white isn't it...d'oh....🙄

Only you. 😊. I had visions of getting slapped in the face by a  dorsal fin. 🤔 off my tripod and they don't even have them. 🤣

A big white is a Mr Whippy ice cream 👍🏼

From today at Pennington Flash. There was 29 snipe huddled together . Whats the collective name for a flock of snipe ?

  

9 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

A big white is a Mr Whippy ice cream 👍🏼

Mr Whippy 😥 I do worry 😊

14 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

From today at Pennington Flash. There was 29 snipe huddled together . Whats the collective name for a flock of snipe ?

  

A snaggle.....of snipers....

Just now, Flamingemeralds said:

A snaggle.....of snipers....

Try again ...... No googling . I actually didn,t know it until i googled . I wanted to know because they all have a collective / countryside name and i,m curious 

Little egret in the gloom of first light

 

3 hours ago, Flamingemeralds said:

It's a great white isn't it...d'oh....🙄

The big white....... it's the same length  as  a standard door size 

Edited February 1, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

20 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

A snaggle.....of snipers....

Won't keep you in suspenders anymore.  It's a Walk or Wisp of Snipe.  Think I prefer the Wisp of Snipe.  Got a nice sound to it. 

 

1 hour ago, Winsford Soul said:

From today at Pennington Flash. There was 29 snipe huddled together . Whats the collective name for a flock of snipe ?

  

I was always told that it's "a walk", which sounds weird.

54 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Won't keep you in suspenders anymore.  It's a Walk or Wisp of Snipe.  Think I prefer the Wisp of Snipe.  Got a nice sound to it. 

 

I do too. A wisp of snipe. What's the collective name for soulies?  A ............ of soulies.  The big white is a bit like the space shuttle.....

3 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

I was always told that it's "a walk", which sounds weird.

Think it's depending on your part of the country Dave. . Walk does sound a bit weird 

My father used to use all sorts of words that baffled me, he'd call a thrush a throstle, which I thought was something to do with the woollen industry, and he always called them "a walk of snipe", I'm with you, I prefer "wisp" or "whisp".  Apparently they are good eating, though the source of that wasn't my father, he barely ate meat apart from pork pies and haslet.

4 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

I do too. A wisp of snipe. What's the collective name for soulies?  A ............ of soulies.  The big white is a bit like the space shuttle.....

I think a cuddle of soulies is nice but thats as long as it's women cuddling me. 🤗

I've actually watched the space shuttle through it and forgot to press the button to take a photograph.  🤔🤣. It was quick though.  

Not taken by me, but well worth a share as it's probably the nicest photo of a Bedlington that I've ever seen.  

2 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

My father used to use all sorts of words that baffled me, he'd call a thrush a throstle, which I thought was something to do with the woollen industry, and he always called them "a walk of snipe", I'm with you, I prefer "wisp" or "whisp".  Apparently they are good eating, though the source of that wasn't my father, he barely ate meat apart from pork pies and haslet.

One of the original game birds Dave so I'm led to believe.  You would have to be bloody quick though 

1 minute ago, Winsford Soul said:

One of the original game birds Dave so I'm led to believe.  You would have to be bloody quick though 

I used to go bush beating as a teenager to supplement my habits and have only ever seen one shot.  I'm sure there's a dead one in a famous painting, though by whom I have no idea as I'm a little gin fogged at the moment

41 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

I do too. A wisp of snipe. What's the collective name for soulies?  A ............ of soulies.  The big white is a bit like the space shuttle.....

Two options... A Shuffle of Soulies...   And an Embarrassment of Divs

I simply just had to share this amazing photograph by a guy called Mikhail Kalinin                          It was titled.  

      Sometimes you can see a bird sing. 

 

 

 

WOW ! that is amazing !

1 hour ago, Veedub said:

WOW ! that is amazing !

I've been lucky enough to meet some really good photographers and see some special photographs but this is as good as it gets in my opinion.

Edited February 5, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

Donny sky tonight.

Ed

Spring is just around the corner.  

Crocus everywhere 

I think that's a conglomeration of cotton buds! 😉

7 hours ago, Flamingemeralds said:

I think that's a conglomeration of cotton buds! 😉

Only you. 😋

9 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Only you. 😋

🙄 Tum tee tum....tee tum....who? Me?

8 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

🙄 Tum tee tum....tee tum....who? Me?

🤔🤗😁. Yes you. 😋

I had a walk around my local patch today. aahh, almost like Spring 😀. Here's a few pics I took. All I have is a Canon compact digital that cost a couple of hundred quid, but you can still get some nice pictures if you get out and about and have a go .

 

41 minutes ago, Veedub said:

I had a walk around my local patch today. aahh, almost like Spring 😀. Here's a few pics I took. All I have is a Canon compact digital that cost a couple of hundred quid, but you can still get some nice pictures if you get out and about and have a go .

 

Very nice pictures.  Especially against that gorgeous blue sky

Cheers Ste ! Been out of work for a couple of months and birdwatching keeps me sane.lol ,  its good for the soul. 

Edited February 6, 20205 yr by Veedub
typo

59 minutes ago, Veedub said:

Cheers Ste ! Been out of work for a couple of months and birdwatching keeps me sane.lol ,  its good for the soul. 

It certainly is good for the soul mate.  Too late for my sanity though.  I would have struggled at 16 never mind 61. Your in a nice part of the country for a bit of birding 

18 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

It certainly is good for the soul mate.  Too late for my sanity though.  I would have struggled at 16 never mind 61. Your in a nice part of the country for a bit of birding 

Same here mate. Decades of gear, teetering on the edge, trying to make sense of it all 

That's quite a selection of birds? Is that a very chubby thrush?? With all his feathers fluffed up? What are the others? Lovely pics though and that sky!!! It's actually bluer than blue!?

 

7 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

That's quite a selection of birds? Is that a very chubby thrush?? With all his feathers fluffed up? What are the others? Lovely pics though and that sky!!! It's actually bluer than blue!?

 

Top to bottom.  Song Thrush.  Stone chat. ( female) . Buzzard. And I think a meadow pipit . I hope I'm right.  😁

Edited February 6, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

3 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Top to bottom.  Song Thrush.  Stone chat. ( female) . Buzzard. And I think a meadow pipit . I hope I'm right.  😁

I thought so too, but now I cant decide if if its a Song thrush or a Mistle thrush ?? Round splodges rather than V markes ? 

10 minutes ago, Veedub said:

I thought so too, but now I cant decide if if its a Song thrush or a Mistle thrush ?? Round splodges rather than V markes ? 

That little stone chat is cute!  You wonder who thinks up these names? "Stone chat".  Must talk to pebbles? Or be on a Rolling Stones forum? 

11 minutes ago, Veedub said:

I thought so too, but now I cant decide if if its a Song thrush or a Mistle thrush ?? Round splodges rather than V markes ? 

Hard to tell going off my mobile phone pictures.  Was it singing  ? That would be the giveaway 

3 minutes ago, Flamingemeralds said:

That little stone chat is cute!  You wonder who thinks up these names? "Stone chat".  Must talk to pebbles? Or be on a Rolling Stones forum? 

Mrs of the multi talents .  There call sounds like when you tap two stones/ pebbles together.  😁. Or they get stoned and chat 🤣

Edited February 6, 20205 yr by Winsford Soul

Yes if you tap two stones together they go mental lol ! (  but you shouldnt do that !) 

The thrush wasnt singing, it looked quite large ?

15 minutes ago, Veedub said:

Yes if you tap two stones together they go mental lol ! (  but you shouldnt do that !) 

The thrush wasnt singing, it looked quite large ?

Mistle Thrush are about 1/2 the size again of song thrush and blackbirds.  Can't really mistake them in the wild but you can on photographs 😁.