Happy New Year to one and all. Let's hope 2021 sees some sort of return to normal as the weeks and months roll on

Running annually since 2013, this is the 9th photography thread. Thanks to everyone who has participated and made this such a popular and long-running thread. I'm sure we can look forward to lots of great contributions.

Given the restrictions we've been facing for so long now, getting out and about hasn't always been easy or even possible. But, with a bit of good fortune hopefully we'll get opportunities to revisit new and familiar places with greater ease. Certainly I've hardly been beyond my immediate environment during much of last year, so I'm opening this thread with a couple of favourite photos from some years back.

Both were taken in Elie on the Fife coast in Scotland.

 

Happy snapping, everyone!

7 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

Cleveleys this afternoon

I think they're based in Warrington

2 minutes ago, Soulandy said:

I think they're based in Warrington

They are Andy, I Googled it.

3 minutes ago, Soulandy said:

I think they're based in Warrington

Andy. I think they actually started out in Runcorn  not far from where I used to work if I remember correctly mate

Earth Star Fungus 

27 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

Cleveleys this afternoon

Not much twist on that wheel...:)

Ed

14 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Andy. I think they actually started out in Runcorn  not far from where I used to work if I remember correctly mate

There used to be a small craft brewery at Blakemere that made "Northern" beers . I think it's changed hands now but I had a bottle of two off them years ago. I think they sold a few to a couple of venue s. https://untappd.com/beer-monster13/photos

6 minutes ago, Soulandy said:

There used to be a small craft brewery at Blakemere that made "Northern" beers . I think it's changed hands now but I had a bottle of two off them years ago. I think they sold a few to a couple of venue s. https://untappd.com/beer-monster13/photos

That looks more like the beers I remember mate, was made on a little industrial estate near Runcorn train station , must be the same company.  One was called northern dancer or something like that.  

20 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

That looks more like the beers I remember mate, was made on a little industrial estate near Runcorn train station , must be the same company.  One was called northern dancer or something like that.  

Yes they did, quite nice from what I remember 🍻

Once again i missed the Male Lesser Redpoll but had the chance for a portrait of a Heron which i think is a juvenile

 

Edited February 4, 20214 yr by Winsford Soul

Another fine selection of wintery photos taken by the public in this week's BBC News "Your pictures of Scotland 29 January - 5 February".

Credit: BBC News / © Alan Mackenzie

Pics here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55922640

 

 

Had to share this 

 

That's brilliant....love it!!......the little fella has some serious equipment!

22 minutes ago, Okehsoul1952 said:

That's brilliant....love it!!......the little fella has some serious equipment!

Rumours are that its Martyn Pitt 🤫🤭😂

Not so much a good photo as a great screenshot,

Yogi Houghton getting photobombed by a cat in his recent interview.  Made me chuckle. 

 

 

Edited February 5, 20214 yr by Bunderthollox

9 minutes ago, Bunderthollox said:

Not so much a good photo as a great screenshot,

Yogi Houghton getting photobombed by a cat in his recent interview.  Made me chuckle. 

 

 

The legend that is Yogi 

Just now, Winsford Soul said:

The legend that is Yogi 

He does nothing but support people, as he has done me for 8 years on the old IG Johnny Come lately as I am. Conversation just flows, he is passionate  

Wastwater yesterday. Dx

Hope you live close by:)

Some crazy fines going on these days...

Ed

13 minutes ago, Tomangoes said:

Hope you live close by:)

Some crazy fines going on these days...

Ed

Closeish - I'm on the edge of Copeland DC/west Cumbria - I normally stick to the north Lakes within 20 miles of home (as the crow flies).

Dx

Edited February 8, 20214 yr by Davenpete

On 05/02/2021 at 17:00, Winsford Soul said:

Rumours are that its Martyn Pitt 🤫🤭😂

Too much hair Steve 

Bullfinch ( Male ) back garden taken through the kitchen window

 

 

Edited February 8, 20214 yr by Winsford Soul

View across Morecambe Bay yesterday

45 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

View across Morecambe Bay yesterday

Dave.  Have you visited Arneside, Silverdale and Warton crag yet mate ? 

30 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Dave.  Have you visited Arneside, Silverdale and Warton crag yet mate ? 

No, I'm hibernating, maybe once it gets more spring-like.  I don't like winter.

3 minutes ago, Tattoodave said:

No, I'm hibernating, maybe once it gets more spring-like.  I don't like winter.

Understand  mate especially at the moment with the weather. Warton crag is home to nesting Ravens  , Peregrine and occasional little Owls , plenty of Orchids  and rare butterflies.  At  Leighton Moss  there's  Marsh Harrier, Otters  plus there is the possibility of anything turning up.  

10 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Understand  mate especially at the moment with the weather. Warton crag is home to nesting Ravens  , Peregrine and occasional little Owls , plenty of Orchids  and rare butterflies.  At  Leighton Moss  there's  Marsh Harrier, Otters  plus there is the possibility of anything turning up.  

It's definitely on the list of to do things Steve, I've missed British wildlife so much I get excited watching the geese fly over.  Saw a melanistic pheasant a couple of weeks ago, sadly no camera, but will be walking the dog that way again to see if he's been lucky to avoid the guns. 

Frosty Doncaster walk today 1200 noon

Doncasters very own Whitewall

Edited February 10, 20214 yr by Smudger

This is a great time lapse of the milky way and northern lights in Scotland via Twitter, not mine unfortunately 

 

Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher. Bit of colour on a Winters day.  Despite missing out on the male Lesser Redpoll again 

Forgot to mention that it was rather cold today 🥶  0'C plus the windchill felt about 🥶-6 'C I even had the hood up on the down jacket and I was wearing gloves, it was that cold.  

 

Edited February 11, 20214 yr by Winsford Soul

Got a message this morning to say that a mega rare bird had turned up at Elton reservoir. Apparently only two or three birds turn up on this side of the Atlantic a year. First time i have ever seen one So i was well chuffed

American Ring necked duck

 

Down the canal again this morning...

I was up and about at Elton this morning at 7.20am -4*C . Adding on the wind chill i,m guessing it was about  -12*C it was freezing 

Hoping to see the Ring Necked Duck again but it,s looking like it,s gone.

Had a fantastic sunrise.

The female Lesser Scaup that turned up in October  has moulted into adult plumage and looks great.

Parts of the Reservoir was frozen with  strange ice formations

And then when i got back home the added bonus of a male Siskin was in the garden , only the 2nd time I,ve actually seen a male in the garden, so thats 2 males and 2 females in 19 years.

PS. Just seen todays weather forecast for 3pm at 0*C with a wind chill of -9*C so at 7.20am   -4*C It must have been more like -20*C with the wind chill , no wonder it felt cold

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 20214 yr by Winsford Soul

Ice staking - it's what the Dutch live for in winter. In this instance though, it's what they might die for as the ice has been deemed by the local authorities to not be thick enough (every local authority has "ijsmeesters" - ice masters - who determine such things). That's not stopping people and I hear there are hundreds out skating on our local lake. You wouldn't catch me out there!

 

Edited February 13, 20214 yr by Amsterdam Russ
Spelin

4 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Ice staking - it's what the Dutch live for in winter. In this instance though, it's what they might die for as the ice has been deemed by the local authorities to not be thick enough (every local authority has "ijsmeesters" - ice masters - who determine such things). That's not stopping people and I hear there are hundreds out staking on our local lake. You wouldn't catch me out there!

 

Russell, on the ITV lunch time news here in the UK  it has just showed Dutch firemen in Amsterdam  rescuing people from a canal that where  trapped on ice that had started to crack

7 minutes ago, Winsford Soul said:

Russell, on the ITV lunch time news here in the UK  it has just showed Dutch firemen in Amsterdam  rescuing people from a canal that where  trapped on ice that had started to crack

Idiots! I've read there have been a number of instances where people have had to be rescued after falling through the ice.

In Amsterdam last week, the city council banned all boats from sailing on the canals specifically so the ice could form and skating could begin. Thing is though, the weather changes tomorrow and the ice will quickly thaw, which means today is really the only chance people have for skating - even if it isn't thick enough to do so safely.

 

Went for a wander to Grune Point at Silloth again today (only about 5 miles from home as the crow flies) - photographing the great looking trees again - was hoping for a little more dramatic skies, but it only happened for me further on when I was right on the tip of the point looking south towards Skiddaw, though I did manage to catch a flock of Oyster Catchers in the shot. Dx

Valentines day themed picture. 

Mute Swans mate for life and re affairm there bond with displays like this. Its took me years to get the right position for the heart shape 

 

 

https://pembsbirds.blogspot.com/2021/02/fishing-owl.html?m=1

Had to share this.  Tawny Owl catching fish from a garden pond of a night. So we just can't blame Herons anymore 

10 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

https://pembsbirds.blogspot.com/2021/02/fishing-owl.html?m=1

Had to share this.  Tawny Owl catching fish from a garden pond of a night. So we just can't blame Herons anymore 

Brilliant 👍

Not mine, but a lovely little video filmed yesterday morning showing people ice skating here in the Netherlands at sunrise.

The skating has continued across the country today, but most places have given out official warnings to now get off and stay off the ice as it's melting. Unless there's another super-cold snap, that'll be it for the year.

 

Taken from the trail cam showing 3 badgers. Not the clearest but in the woods at -6

Song Thrush

In full song declaring its territory and looking for a mate

 

Went for a short walk down to the postbox and then up the old church path and arrived home to find we've got a squatter on the patio. I've seen owls and sparrow hawks on there, but this is the first time for a buzzard. Was sat there for about 15 minutes after I got back. Dx

Golden Eye from yesterday at Elton.

Martyn has some fantastic pictures showing the male in its courtship display which i was hoping to capture but not yet, maybe a bit early 

Thought i had managed to see my first Otter on the river Irwell yesterday morning but it turned out to be two Mink swimming behind each other. These illegally introduced Mink have been and are causing havoc with the natural UK species since being released by animal right's activist in the 70,s, the quicker they are trapped and culled the better. There is one big glimmer of hope in the fact that now Otter,s are re-populating the Rivers , Lakes and Canals  the Mink are slowly been displaced and killed by the Otter,s

 

Edited February 18, 20214 yr by Winsford Soul

Another fine selection of wintery photos courtesy of BBC News "Your pictures of Scotland 12-19 February".

Source: BBC News / © Arletta Babicz

Check them out here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56044800

Amazing photo's 

Thanks for sharing

 

36 minutes ago, Uk Soul said:

Amazing photo's 

Thanks for sharing

 

My pleasure, although I would have preferred it if I taken just a single one of them!

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/move-af-points-with-your-eyeball-canons-eye-controlled-focus-coming-back

This will be crazy if it works properly 

13 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/move-af-points-with-your-eyeball-canons-eye-controlled-focus-coming-back

This will be crazy if it works properly 

I'd be more concerned if the technology behind the eye-tracking started showing adverts in the viewfinder while you were readying your shot! 

Whinlatter Forest walk today - got cut short to about 3 miles - 2/3 distance - due to forestry operations. Went on to Spout Force - a spectacular 60 foot waterfall on a beck where I often used to fish for wild brownies as, 1 1/2 miles downstream, it runs within 20 feet of Corner House at High Lorton - our first home in Cumbria, 1992-95. Unfortunately I couldn't get any closer pics of the waterfall without stripping off and wading due to the vertical cliffs that surround it (one for summer!). Dx