On to this week's puzzle:
Guess What:
For those who like a cryptic clue: Messy glue dish B..
No prizes - just for fun.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Macro on Monday - Guess What
First the answer to last week's puzzle - not a cucumber plant, not a corgette but definately Corkscrew Hazel. The large photo was of the first fruits my plant has produced - hazel nuts? Congratulations and a virtual gold star to John (Hedgeland Tales) for his correct identification.
On to this week's puzzle:
Guess What:
For those who like a cryptic clue: Messy glue dish B..
No prizes - just for fun.
On to this week's puzzle:
Guess What:
For those who like a cryptic clue: Messy glue dish B..
No prizes - just for fun.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Preparing for the Next Brood
As it has been quite a while since the Great Tits fledged and there has been no more activity seen in the camera nest box I decided it was time to clean it out.
The box conveniently has removable panels at the front which makes cleaning a doddle.
The nest wasn't as high as I had imagined though it was probably compressed towards the end with the weight of two adults and four youngsters. The camera can just be seen at the top of the box.
The nest and the bottom of the box were alive with fleas and mites so it was as well to dispose of it.
Hidden well under the moss was one of the two eggs which didn't hatch.
The box was brushed out and then sprayed with Ark-Klens. That was left to dry for an hour and then the box wiped out with kitchen tissues. Once the front panels were re attached the box was ready for any prospective roosters or nest builders.
The box conveniently has removable panels at the front which makes cleaning a doddle.
The nest wasn't as high as I had imagined though it was probably compressed towards the end with the weight of two adults and four youngsters. The camera can just be seen at the top of the box.
The nest and the bottom of the box were alive with fleas and mites so it was as well to dispose of it.
Hidden well under the moss was one of the two eggs which didn't hatch.
The box was brushed out and then sprayed with Ark-Klens. That was left to dry for an hour and then the box wiped out with kitchen tissues. Once the front panels were re attached the box was ready for any prospective roosters or nest builders.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Friday at the Flicks - Early Morning Corvids, Young Blue Tits, Hay Making
Long before I get up in the morning there are many birds visiting the Birdy Bistro. At the moment there are several young Crows and Jackdaws with the occasional Magpie:
When the young Blue Tits visited earlier in the week I was able to take some video of them as they helped themselves to the peanuts.
On yesterday afternoons walkabout there were scores of seagulls over the built up part of the village. They were there for well over an hour but I didn't see them visit any of the fields which is where they are usually found. We ambled across to lane which divides two fields to see if there were any gulls there. No gulls but the farm workers were busy gathering hay the modern mechanised way. The crop had already been cut. First the fallen hay stalks were raised up so the bailer could easily do its work. Then the bales were loaded on to trailers to take back to the storage area.
Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.
When the young Blue Tits visited earlier in the week I was able to take some video of them as they helped themselves to the peanuts.
On yesterday afternoons walkabout there were scores of seagulls over the built up part of the village. They were there for well over an hour but I didn't see them visit any of the fields which is where they are usually found. We ambled across to lane which divides two fields to see if there were any gulls there. No gulls but the farm workers were busy gathering hay the modern mechanised way. The crop had already been cut. First the fallen hay stalks were raised up so the bailer could easily do its work. Then the bales were loaded on to trailers to take back to the storage area.
Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
A Good Read
Let me start by saying this has nothing to do with nature or photography. One type of book I really enjoy reading is autobiographies of people who have travelled the world. Not your everyday tourist type of person but those who have set out on an adventure making a leap into unknown territory for them.
Many years ago I had a proof edition of 'The Autobiography of an Old Drifter' which I read many times. It is the story of Percy Clark of Victoria Falls who drifted around Africa in the early 1900's. Having seen how much the first editions of the book can fetch at auction I am peeved at having lost my copy though I have found a reasonably priced used reprint on Amazon.
Another book I found enthralling was 'The Long Walk', The story of Slavomir Rawicz who was sentenced to hard labour in a Russian Siberian Gulag, escaped and walked for a year covering 4000 miles to reach freedom. I wish I could remember in which country it was considered bad manners to eat everything from the plate. Eating it all told the provider that they hadn't given you enough. Not the thing to do when a poor villager is sharing their own scarce food stores with a complete stranger. Good manners was to let out a loud belch to show you were full and how much you had enjoyed the meal.
Recently I have found a book to go with those: 'You've Gone Too Far This Time, Sir'. The autobiography of a British junior school teacher (Danny Bent) who decided to cycle to India. I haven't read it all yet but like the previous books mentioned it gives fascinating glimpses of the people he meets on his journey, their lifestyles, customs and the hazards he has to overcome on the way. Though not the best prose and sometimes superficial and disjointed I have found it difficult to put down. I couldn't help laughing at the part where he had lost the visa which would allow him to leave Russia at any border. The border guard told him he would have to go back the way he entered or for a consideration the guard could help though it would take a lot of effort, time and money to bribe all the people needed to smooth his passage. As soon as Danny handed over $50 the guard immediately waved him through! His first lesson in the art of bribery.
The ebook edition is free, at the moment anyway. It is a Kindle edition from Amazon, free on Amazon.co.uk and I assume the same will go for Amazon.com. If you have a Kindle ereader - no problem. If not, no worries as there are apps for the iPad and Android devices as well as a reader for the PC (and probably for the Mac) These are free to download. Once installed you use the app / reader to access Amazon's Kindle store, sign in if you have an Amazon account, create one if not, find and download the book. You 'buy' the book though the price is £0.00. There are other zero priced Kindle ebooks on Amazon so you may find something of interest to you.
If you have read and enjoyed a book on a similar theme to those above please let me know so I can build up my store of reading for next Winter.
Many years ago I had a proof edition of 'The Autobiography of an Old Drifter' which I read many times. It is the story of Percy Clark of Victoria Falls who drifted around Africa in the early 1900's. Having seen how much the first editions of the book can fetch at auction I am peeved at having lost my copy though I have found a reasonably priced used reprint on Amazon.
Another book I found enthralling was 'The Long Walk', The story of Slavomir Rawicz who was sentenced to hard labour in a Russian Siberian Gulag, escaped and walked for a year covering 4000 miles to reach freedom. I wish I could remember in which country it was considered bad manners to eat everything from the plate. Eating it all told the provider that they hadn't given you enough. Not the thing to do when a poor villager is sharing their own scarce food stores with a complete stranger. Good manners was to let out a loud belch to show you were full and how much you had enjoyed the meal.
Recently I have found a book to go with those: 'You've Gone Too Far This Time, Sir'. The autobiography of a British junior school teacher (Danny Bent) who decided to cycle to India. I haven't read it all yet but like the previous books mentioned it gives fascinating glimpses of the people he meets on his journey, their lifestyles, customs and the hazards he has to overcome on the way. Though not the best prose and sometimes superficial and disjointed I have found it difficult to put down. I couldn't help laughing at the part where he had lost the visa which would allow him to leave Russia at any border. The border guard told him he would have to go back the way he entered or for a consideration the guard could help though it would take a lot of effort, time and money to bribe all the people needed to smooth his passage. As soon as Danny handed over $50 the guard immediately waved him through! His first lesson in the art of bribery.
The ebook edition is free, at the moment anyway. It is a Kindle edition from Amazon, free on Amazon.co.uk and I assume the same will go for Amazon.com. If you have a Kindle ereader - no problem. If not, no worries as there are apps for the iPad and Android devices as well as a reader for the PC (and probably for the Mac) These are free to download. Once installed you use the app / reader to access Amazon's Kindle store, sign in if you have an Amazon account, create one if not, find and download the book. You 'buy' the book though the price is £0.00. There are other zero priced Kindle ebooks on Amazon so you may find something of interest to you.
If you have read and enjoyed a book on a similar theme to those above please let me know so I can build up my store of reading for next Winter.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Wings for Wednesday
It has been abysmal lighting conditions here for photography for most of the past couple of weeks or so. Thick dark clouds have meant having to up the ISO rating to Winter levels so may recent photos are very grainy. This is a pity as so many young birds have been visiting the garden recently.
Amongst the corvids visiting have been this young Magpie
and for the first time Carrion Crows.
Great to see a group of young Blue Tits regularly visiting the nut feeder:
Of course there have been plenty of young Starlings about:
I haven't spotted any young Goldfinches as yet but there are about five adult regulars:
Amongst the corvids visiting have been this young Magpie
and for the first time Carrion Crows.
Great to see a group of young Blue Tits regularly visiting the nut feeder:
Of course there have been plenty of young Starlings about:
I haven't spotted any young Goldfinches as yet but there are about five adult regulars:
Monday, 25 July 2011
Macro on Monday - Guess What
Congratulations and virtual Gold Stars to Frank, Adrian and Keith for identifying last week's subject as a Blue-tailed Damselfly. To Matron a Silver Star for identifying it as a Damselfly. It was one which had somehow flown into the kitchen in spite of all the mesh I have over the two doors it had to negotiate.
This week the part to be identified is in the large picture, top left.
The other photos act as a clue.
Guess what:
No prizes, just for fun.
This week the part to be identified is in the large picture, top left.
The other photos act as a clue.
Guess what:
No prizes, just for fun.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Friday at the Flicks - Night Visitors
Very little of note going on here recently though I must admit I haven't really been in the mood to notice. Been feeling weary with life not helped by being in a bad temper a lot of the time.
Hedgehogs continue to visit nightly.
This one from earlier in the year when there were frequent visits by a mouse.
Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.
Hedgehogs continue to visit nightly.
This one from earlier in the year when there were frequent visits by a mouse.
Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.
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