Yesterday D and I returned to some local lanes to do a circular walk that we did a month or so back.
It was one of those beautiful cold, frosty, sunny days. As we left the car the temperature was around three degrees centigrade but by the time we had completed the walk as the sun set it was only just one degree above freezing. Vegetation and leaves were still coated with frost.
The sun was already low when we started the walk.
Why do people dump litter? Goodness knows how many miles away the nearest Costa is - someone must just have decided to throw this out of a car window :(
Catkins are starting to form.
Frost-coated bracken.
The sun being so low and starting to set was giving a beautiful rosy glow to the trees and bushes.
Taking ages to compose the next shot!
A few remaining holly berries but
lots of ivy berries to provide winter food for birds.
Just one lone dandelion seen in flower during the walk.
This is the start of a walk that E and I did several years ago when I was doing a bird survey when we got totally and utterly lost on public footpaths.
Sunset
I've included below a few photos D took with the Canon SX50 HS partly because the sunset ones were a lot better than mine! and partly to show the usefulness of the zoom lens. I would never have been able to take the blue tit shot even if I had had the 70-300 lens on my camera.
There weren't too many birds around just blue tits, robins, blackbirds, wood pigeons and magpies. The pheasants and partridges seen last time had all disappeared although I was pleased to see 2 handsome cock pheasants on the way home that had been wily enough to escape the guns and pot.
Now Christmas is more or less out of the way I'll try and find time to read the Canon manual and try and take some photos myself. I had a bad cold and chest infection mid-December which was a pain to put it mildly as by the time I felt better I had less than a week until Christmas to catch up on 10 days housework, washing and ironing and Christmas baking and preparations so its been hectic!
Lovely wintry images, I do love to see woodlands and the countryside in this kind of cold and frosty weather.
ReplyDeleteThe new camera is looking promising and I will watch with interest as I am looking for a good quality compact birding camera myself.
Very sad to see the litter, some peoples ignorance & apathy towards the countryside makes me very angry at times.
Hope you are well and thanks for the kind words on my new blog :-)
The light is lovely in those piccies. Perfect walking weather. Boo re the rubbish- lazy so and so's. The temperature is dropping here tonight too but it has been very beautiful today :o)
ReplyDeleteRambling Birder - Thanks so much - its a good time to go walking as long as you wrap up warm!
ReplyDeleteVery pleased with the camera so far. Went halves with my son really so I can take it to nature reserves without carrying around a bag of lenses or choosing wrong lens! Its much lighter too! I considered several different makes/models but the SX50 is coming down in price all the time as Canon has just released the SX 60 and a lot of birders I know use the SX50 as a "spare" camera. Am looking forward to trying out its macro facility too :)
Yes, well here thanks now chest infection has gone! Hope you and family are all well too and you will be able to move back to your new cottage soon.
Countryside Tales - Thank you. Yes, 3 lovely sunny, cold, frosty days here but I think its going milder tomorrow.
The rubbish drives me insane - even worse are those idiots who drive out into the countryside and dump settees, carpets etc. Why they don't just visit local tip/recycling centre instead is just beyond me!
It's coffee time and I'm looking forward to catching up:) I can't wait to see what type of pictures you'll be taking with the new camera. Already in love with the Blue Tit shot. I love the gray skies and while it may not seem like a lot of birds, I think you had a typical count on one of these winter days:)
ReplyDeleteThe recent frosts have made for stunning images haven't they? I have much enjoyed looking at your pictures, thank you for posting them.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and yours!
Chris Rohrer - Thanks so much Chris - lovely to hear from you again :) Glad you liked the Blue Tit photo. You are right about the birds - often not a lot around on these type of walks especially late afternoon! Happy New Year :)
ReplyDeleteToffeeapple - Thanks so much :) Frost can make even the mundane seem magical I find :)
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