Winsford Soul

Spent yesterday mooching about in North Wales. Colwyn Bay, Llandudno areas. No pictures but seen plenty of new born lambs and daffodil's. Spring is just around the corner Cant wait. Definitely my favourite season Going out the camera today and hopefully coming back with some otter pictures, well that's the plan but with nature you can be sure that it will be nothing like what I'm planning. Steve

Andy. I see the Beluga regularly flying in to Broughton [ British aerospace ) to pick up the Airbus wings whilst I'm fishing at nearby Tarvin sands which is just a few miles away. It's as big as it looks on YouTube. Steve

Russell. I 2nd Kevs opinion. So very atmospheric. I'm especially glad to see you have got your camera back out of the case, long may it continue. Steve

Andy. The Emirates A380 Flies over work in Bredbury ( Stockport ) on its approach to Manchester airport. Simply amazing something that big can actually fly Steve

Drake Pintail a lovely winter visitor to our shores Steve

That's some auction. Might even have a go Steve

Thanks Andy. Only the third time that I have seen one. Well worth the couple of hours wait in the cold wind and the 120 mile round trip Steve

Kev. Honestly. If your mainly taking landscape and horse portraits it may not be worth the huge investment but if you want to get into wildlife pictures its well worth the money. You wont lose on these top lenses they hold the prices remarkably well even 2nd hand like mine as Martyn told me. I couldn't justify £5500 on a full frame body with the frame rate ( 14 per second ) I need for bird photography that's why I choose the 7D mk2 ( 10 per second ) Like yours its a crop sensor of 1.6 so in effect my 500mm becomes 800mm when you add on the X 2 convertor ( if needed ) I'm shooting at virtually telescope lengths Steve

Thanks Martyn For the people on here who don't know about Bitterns and there habitat here's a couple of pictures to illustrate the playing hide and seek that Martyn is talking about the first picture shows how well camouflaged they are against the reed beds which was taken with a 1000 mm lens . The second one is heavily cropped so as you can see the bird blending in to the reeds Steve

Kev I'm using a Canon 500mm L IS USM mk2 on a 7Dmk2 body . I decided after thinking long and hard to spend some of the kids inheritance money Steve

Thanks Dave. I,m can understand why they cost so much money. The distance and the low light that you can take a still acceptable photograph from is unbelievable Steve

This Buzzard picture was taken at sunset with the last rays of the sun just catching the under wings as it turned Steve

I was lucky enough to see one of Britain's rarest and shyest birds yesterday and even more so to get the picture of this Bittern . Taken at dusk Steve Forgot I had his other picture

Chris. You need to get over to Pennington flash. I've seen up to three together at once. Don't think I've visited without seeing them. Had one run across the board walk in front of me last week at Leighton Moss. Steve

Martyn. Fabulous pictures as always mate. Question for you. Could you please send some midlands sunshine up to Manchester and the North West. Steve

With you on that Dave. Looks like a Raven But hard to scale given the landscape. Steve

It looks like a ( Pale Variant ) common Buzzard to me. Honey Buzzards are rare summer visitors to the UK between April / October. Steve

Yes mate. Seen plenty but not in suitable or good enough light for any pictures. they're both lovely looking birds though. You never know I may get chance over the next few weeks for some photo opportunities before they head off back to Scandinavia . There,s a great nighter on Saturday just round the corner from you at the Springfield hotel on the A55. If your going please come and say Hi Steve

Dave. Those colours are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Steve

Never heard of never mind seen a painted bunting Dave, is it a southern European species ? Steve

Yes Dave . A male in its rather drab winter plumage, sorry for not posting what it was Steve

The perch never stood a chance .The Heron was stood motionless about fifteen feet away when it suddenly flew up and landed and struck out in the same movement. How it even saw the fish in the murky water never mind catch it Steve

Well I finally managed to get out with the new lens in the sunshine. Not this picture though, sorry about that. This was taken in the fog and rain on Tuesday at Leighton Moss. Steve

Grand piano company. Esperanto. Is surely up there any of them. Steve