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Author Topic: Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary  (Read 3586894 times)
Geo the Sarge
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« Reply #32520 on: May 02, 2020, 08:15:08 PM »

Every morning around the same area I also hear the fantastic song of the Mistle/song Thrush, you may remember in the early days of my photographic jaunts I captured a video of one which I posted (maybe in the Camera Club thread)

Yesterday I located, by accident, where his stage was. He sits high atop a large fir and unfortunately my camera isn't equipped well enough to get a real close up of him. I did take a video of him singing his wonderful notes which I'll stick up at some point once I've loaded it to youtube.

I'll leave these here for you though

Geo

 Click to see full-size image.



 Click to see full-size image.



 Click to see full-size image.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2020, 08:17:05 PM by Geo the Sarge » Logged

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Geo the Sarge
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« Reply #32521 on: May 02, 2020, 08:24:54 PM »

Cracking pics Geo. The wren pics are fabulous, great bokeh in the close up.

I especially like the pic of the blue tit on the wire. Not easy to get such nice focus and exposure with that bright background. you must have a very steady hand. Are you still using the same camera BTW?



I like your collie. Liver and white ones are a bit unusual, they remind me of Australian cattle dogs.

 Click to see full-size image.


Nice to see you're doing the responsible thing and making sure he's sound with livestock.


That looks like a nice part of the world your in now.

Great to hear from you.

Thats a bonny beast.

Yeah he's very comfortable around the horses especially. A lot of the walks here are bridle paths and he's became a bit of a favourite of the stable lasses on their morning run outs.

Unfortunately my Nikon got soaked while we were at the lakes a couple of years back and gave up the ghost. I'm currently using a Lumix DC-FZ82 bridge camera. Does an ok job and I'd like to get another decent Nikon body as I've still got the lenses, however I don't want to fork out the ridiculous prices that they're asking even for 2nd hand ones. I'll keep looking though.

Geo
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« Reply #32522 on: May 03, 2020, 10:23:18 AM »

Thanks for that tip on the app.  As I half expected, my eldest got up and the youngest didn't. 

The app clearly isn't 100% reliable, but...

assuming it is, I need to revise my dunnock to sparrow ratio; even though I have seen dunnocks before, I have been assuming most brownish small birds were sparrows until now.

I need to watch out for treecreepers on the way back from my run.  I guess they are pretty elusive, but I guess they should be there, just I have never identified one near here.  Maybe I'll spend some time listening to recordings so I can pick their song easier.

Goldfinches were a big surprise; they are a very rare sight in my garden, but the app suggests there are a lot about.

A lot of the time, there was so much noise the app was struggling to break down individual birds.  We have a lot of birds round here, and it picked out about 20 different ones.  Most of the time the app seemed to be making good identifications from the ones I knew and have seen in the garden.  It wasn't perfect, for example it did hear a fair few jackdaws I was sceptical of.  I'd still very much recommend it.

We had a cup of tea and some raisin toast when we got in, which was very welcome; we had gone out in hoodies when coats may have been needed. My daughter wants to do it again, so not the disaster I feared.
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Geo the Sarge
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« Reply #32523 on: May 03, 2020, 11:11:14 AM »

Thanks for that tip on the app.  As I half expected, my eldest got up and the youngest didn't. 

The app clearly isn't 100% reliable, but...

assuming it is, I need to revise my dunnock to sparrow ratio; even though I have seen dunnocks before, I have been assuming most brownish small birds were sparrows until now.

I need to watch out for treecreepers on the way back from my run.  I guess they are pretty elusive, but I guess they should be there, just I have never identified one near here.  Maybe I'll spend some time listening to recordings so I can pick their song easier.

Goldfinches were a big surprise; they are a very rare sight in my garden, but the app suggests there are a lot about.

A lot of the time, there was so much noise the app was struggling to break down individual birds.  We have a lot of birds round here, and it picked out about 20 different ones.  Most of the time the app seemed to be making good identifications from the ones I knew and have seen in the garden.  It wasn't perfect, for example it did hear a fair few jackdaws I was sceptical of.  I'd still very much recommend it.

We had a cup of tea and some raisin toast when we got in, which was very welcome; we had gone out in hoodies when coats may have been needed. My daughter wants to do it again, so not the disaster I feared.

Yeah I find the mic to be very sensitive  and it picks up so much of the background noise too.

I've only ever seen one tree creeper a couple of weeks ago, didn't even know of them till Springwatch last year. The one I seen started near the bottom of the tree and quickly made it's way up, I didn't have my camera so no pic.

Glad it was of some use. I've yet to hear a Cuckoo this year this area is normally good for them, we are quite near Penicuik which translates to "Hill of the Cuckoo" I might have to take a jaunt along that way.

Geo

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« Reply #32524 on: May 03, 2020, 01:44:03 PM »

Thanks for that tip on the app.  As I half expected, my eldest got up and the youngest didn't. 

The app clearly isn't 100% reliable, but...

assuming it is, I need to revise my dunnock to sparrow ratio; even though I have seen dunnocks before, I have been assuming most brownish small birds were sparrows until now.

I need to watch out for treecreepers on the way back from my run.  I guess they are pretty elusive, but I guess they should be there, just I have never identified one near here.  Maybe I'll spend some time listening to recordings so I can pick their song easier.

Goldfinches were a big surprise; they are a very rare sight in my garden, but the app suggests there are a lot about.

A lot of the time, there was so much noise the app was struggling to break down individual birds.  We have a lot of birds round here, and it picked out about 20 different ones.  Most of the time the app seemed to be making good identifications from the ones I knew and have seen in the garden.  It wasn't perfect, for example it did hear a fair few jackdaws I was sceptical of.  I'd still very much recommend it.

We had a cup of tea and some raisin toast when we got in, which was very welcome; we had gone out in hoodies when coats may have been needed. My daughter wants to do it again, so not the disaster I feared.

Yeah I find the mic to be very sensitive  and it picks up so much of the background noise too.

I've only ever seen one tree creeper a couple of weeks ago, didn't even know of them till Springwatch last year. The one I seen started near the bottom of the tree and quickly made it's way up, I didn't have my camera so no pic.

Glad it was of some use. I've yet to hear a Cuckoo this year this area is normally good for them, we are quite near Penicuik which translates to "Hill of the Cuckoo" I might have to take a jaunt along that way.

Geo



Agree on the mike, it makes you so aware of the background noise, I wasn't so aware of how many cars still went past our house in lockdown until yesterday afternoon.  There was barely any this morning though.

I watched the treecreeper on springwatch too.    Too many early spoilers on the fate of the treecreper chicks.

I haven't knowingly heard a cuckoo this year, but now you mention it, I'll listen out for one of them too.   

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« Reply #32525 on: May 03, 2020, 02:00:18 PM »

I haven't heard a cuckoo for at least 4 years.
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« Reply #32526 on: May 03, 2020, 02:01:56 PM »

My brush is exactly the same as Trigger's, except mine still has the original head and stale.


 Click to see full-size image.
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Geo the Sarge
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« Reply #32527 on: May 03, 2020, 05:05:33 PM »

I haven't heard a cuckoo for at least 4 years.

“The primrose bank, the wimpling burn,
The cuckoo on the milkwhite thorn,
The wanton lambs at rosy morn,
Shall glad my heart, my Dearie, O.”

Apparently they are in decline South of the Border but remaining steady in numbers in Scotland.

Geo
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« Reply #32528 on: May 04, 2020, 12:31:23 PM »

Every morning around the same area I also hear the fantastic song of the Mistle/song Thrush, you may remember in the early days of my photographic jaunts I captured a video of one which I posted (maybe in the Camera Club thread)

Yesterday I located, by accident, where his stage was. He sits high atop a large fir and unfortunately my camera isn't equipped well enough to get a real close up of him. I did take a video of him singing his wonderful notes which I'll stick up at some point once I've loaded it to youtube.

I'll leave these here for you though

Geo

 Click to see full-size image.




 Click to see full-size image.



 Click to see full-size image.


What a braw dug Bramley is Geo.

Love your pics, the wren is a favourite of mine see plenty but not up to getting pics, they move too quickly and too often Smiley, love the bullfinch as well, amazing colour, get them round here but don't see them often. I'm like you, only ever seen one treecreeper. One we're getting regularly here so must be moving further north is the nuthatch, beautiful wee birds:



The RSPB page on them had them not present in Scotland a couple of years back, but has now got them up to about my area in the west, and Edinburgh in the east so they're one to keep a lookout for.

The thrush looks like a song thrush to me (we call them mavis here, not sure how far that nickname spreads) the mistle thrush is bigger with darker more round spots.
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« Reply #32529 on: May 05, 2020, 07:01:17 AM »

Are you interested in old maps Tom?

This resource from the National library of Scotland is a real time thief...

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=5&lat=56.00000&lon=-4.00000&layers=103&b=1&z=1&point=0,0
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Geo the Sarge
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« Reply #32530 on: May 05, 2020, 08:25:17 AM »

Every morning around the same area I also hear the fantastic song of the Mistle/song Thrush, you may remember in the early days of my photographic jaunts I captured a video of one which I posted (maybe in the Camera Club thread)

Yesterday I located, by accident, where his stage was. He sits high atop a large fir and unfortunately my camera isn't equipped well enough to get a real close up of him. I did take a video of him singing his wonderful notes which I'll stick up at some point once I've loaded it to youtube.

I'll leave these here for you though

Geo

 Click to see full-size image.




 Click to see full-size image.



 Click to see full-size image.


What a braw dug Bramley is Geo.

Love your pics, the wren is a favourite of mine see plenty but not up to getting pics, they move too quickly and too often Smiley, love the bullfinch as well, amazing colour, get them round here but don't see them often. I'm like you, only ever seen one treecreeper. One we're getting regularly here so must be moving further north is the nuthatch, beautiful wee birds:



The RSPB page on them had them not present in Scotland a couple of years back, but has now got them up to about my area in the west, and Edinburgh in the east so they're one to keep a lookout for.

The thrush looks like a song thrush to me (we call them mavis here, not sure how far that nickname spreads) the mistle thrush is bigger with darker more round spots.


Hi Rod,

good to hear from you, hope you're well.

I thought it was a song thrush myself but the app kept telling me it was the mistle. I have a couple of pics of one on the ground which are a bit clearer.

The wren pics I was chuffed with, not the greatest pics but took me a bit of waiting to get what I did.

Just looked for info on the Nuthatch, as you say a lovely wee thing. Apparently they have been sighted in Roslin, which is the area I've recently moved to. Will have to do one of my recce's lol

Keep safe buddy

Geo
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« Reply #32531 on: May 06, 2020, 05:21:57 PM »

Bit niche, but the Ospreys at Rutland water have got 4 eggs and the first one has just hatched.  Just watched the first one feeding on webcam with my youngest. 

https://www.lrwt.org.uk/wildlife/rutland-ospreys
Cuckoos 0
Tree Creepers 0
Osprey Chicks 1
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« Reply #32532 on: May 07, 2020, 03:48:45 PM »

It was really great to see some pics, links, comments and conversation on the diary again. Thanks  Guys.

I was especially glad to hear from Rod. He's been missing in action from blonde for a while and I was beginning to worry. It's strange really, he's an alcohol soaked Scottish football hooligan and I'm a sophisticated tea drinking Englishman but we have a terrific amount in common.
I've always been impressed by his thoughts on what's right and honourable as opposed to what's legal.

It was fantastic to hear from Geo too. I knew he was OK because I've seen him lurking around the forum but I've missed his contributions.

Geo is the bloke I would be if someone sandpapered away my failings and weaknesses.

I regularly go back and read his coast to coast diary. If any of you haven't seen it yet please take a look, you're in for a treat.
http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=54730.msg1417319#msg1417319



Anyway, I enjoyed catching up with his life and seeing pictures of his walk and it has inspired me to post a few pics from my daily walk. No long lens stuff I'm afraid, (My superzoom camera is no more) just a bit of flora and fauna snapped on my phone.
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« Reply #32533 on: May 07, 2020, 04:04:13 PM »

This Meadow is part of my walk, I especially like it for two reasons:

It's totally unspoiled and uncultivated.

I'm the only person who ever walks there.

There is only one way in and out so the path, made solely by me tramping round every day, leads nowhere except back where you started. It's just over half a mile start to finish and I often go around several times, it's so peaceful and there is so much to see.

My dad used to say "There's a big difference between looking and seeing". This meadow is a great example.



 Click to see full-size image.
 Click to see full-size image.


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« Reply #32534 on: May 07, 2020, 04:12:24 PM »

Look at these dandelion heads. Have you ever seen anything so delecate and intricate?
I marvelled at them for a while and realised that I see yellow dandelions and I see the seeding heads, but I never notice them changing. It must happen overnight or something.



 Click to see full-size image.
 Click to see full-size image.




After a bit of a search, I did manage to find one 'Mid change'



 Click to see full-size image.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2020, 04:14:04 PM by RED-DOG » Logged

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