Garden Birds

 After seeing the Great Spotted Woodpecker again, I decided to sit in the conservatory for few minutes and see what came to the feeders.

First up was a female Blackcap.  This is not a common visitor and I have only seen Blackcaps in our garden this year.

One of the regular visitors, a Coal Tit.  Not seen in great numbers, but always in the background somewhere.

Robin - always around in small numbers and guaranteed to be there every day of the week for most of the year.

Blue Tit - a regular and sociable species in most gardens.

Gold Finch - a few years ago, these were rare visitors, but now they are visiting in large numbers on a daily basis for much of the years.  OK, There is a Chaffinch photobombing this shot at the back of the left side feeder.

Long Tailed Tit - around in small numbers, but seen most days.

The pattern of bird feeding has changed over the years.  When we moved into our current house about 30 years ago, the most common birds seen were Greenfinches.  After the viral infection that hit the Greenfinch population, we saw large numbers of Sparrows.  Following the reduction in height of our "previous neighbours" boundary hedge, the sparrows decamped to a more sheltered area and we now get lots of Goldfinches.

I have been looking only at the feeders, but the Dunnocks, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Rock Doves, etc.. are still around on the ground.

Westport Lake again

 

Having a dry day with a light breeze, it is time for a walk, so we nipped to Westport Lakes to see what we can spot by the water. First up is a Blue Tit.

Not to be outdone, this female Mallard is also perched in a tree.  Good on'ya duck!

Coots are becoming far more common than they used to be.  This is likely the result of good water management.  This pair are taking a stroll around one of the smaller ponds.

It was here that we spotted the first Dabchick of the year (Little Grebe) near the reed beds.  I have superimposed an enlarged image to the right of the original photo.

Just to round off, I shot 3 swans crossing the main lake. The visitors to this water can be variable, so each time we see something different.  Today it was Pochard in the middle of the large lake - not such a good shot with the sun behind them.

Gardening

 The weather seems to be starting to dry a little and, though still cool, it is looking good to start work in the garden this year.

The bed near the pond on the path side is showing a lot of one year old foxgloves.  That is promising to look good in the late Spring and Summer months.

I have tidied up the greenhouse ready to prep it for the new years planting.  All of the displaced glass panes have been re-set and the next job is going to be to clean the windows.

The tomatoes are starting to germinate, and I have a couple of courgettes showing first growth.  When they have true leaves, they will be individually re-potted and grown on ready to be planted out in their final growing pots.

My experiment with inexpensive badger fencing, using canes and chicken wire has had mixed success.  I have stripped it out on two beds and I am now looking for an alternative secure fencing solution to keep the badgers from damaging our crops.

The next task is doing something with the old fencing.  I can use some of the canes for plant support and half of the chicken wire is fit to use again, if we need it!  I have also recovered a lot of tent pegs.

This is the first step to sorting out the garden - the next task is to sort out some of the planting beds to bring them back under control.  Let's have a cup of tea first......

Westport Lake Walk

 Ah! a dry day in all of the wet days..... lets go for a walk.

The lakeside walks are moderately small and very interesting, including diverse bird habitats and a good cafe. The car park machines also work more efficiently if you pay by coin.

Today the most sound was that of Canada Geese, who are often found around and within the waters of the big lake.

At present, the big numbers are made up of Black Headed Gulls, and they are just starting to show the summer plumage.

Tufted ducks seem to be there in larger than usual numbers, the males are black and white with a head tuft and the females are a dark brown colour.

The Trent and Mersey Canal runs at the side of the lakes and close to the cafe.  There are often boats moored there waiting for the times for the Harecastle Tunnel just west of the site and there is often an oatcake narrowboat at this mooring.

Just along the mooring is one boat that is flying a yellow flag with 3 inverted horseshoes and two hanging sheep and 3 yellow chevrons at the base.  I cannot find reference to this flag and wondering if anyone recognises it.

Snow and water

 Winter weather has finally arrived, with temperatures of -5 degrees Celsius and a covering of snow.

This is a night shot using my Nikon D3200 with a 18-105 Nikkor DX lens and illuminated by our new LCD outdoor lamps.

In the morning the snow was a little thicker and the temperature was closer to freezing at 0 degrees Celsius.  The drive has just been scraped and salted to make life easier for extracting the car from the garage.

We have just attended a family funeral and on our journey, we stopped off at Carsington Water for refreshments and a short walk.  I was surprised to see the level of the Reservoir so low at this time of year.  The vegetation on the exposed lakebed was significant and well established - that does not bode well for the new year.

In my camera cupboard I have had a Nikkor AF 70-300mm ED lens which I have not used for many years, so I thought I would give it a go....

Ah! - does anyone want a free Nikon zoom lens?  Hardly used.....

Pre Christmas Adventures

The three days leading up to Christmas Eve are usually days of preparation, so the shopping trips also include other visits to places of interest and walks out. 

Bakewell Church Christmas Tree festival is an annual event which shows off trees decorated by local clubs, schools, services and businesses.  It is always a worthwhile adventure, but this year the Chancel display is out of bounds to visitors, following a stress break in one of the roof beams.

This is James Bazley, "The Jester From Chester" doing his stuff at Little Morton Hall.  He is always a good act and the crowds enjoy his merry antics.

The big act at Little Moreton is the Renaissance Collective, PIVA. They were running through their Tudor songs and music repertoire and entertaining a significant crowd in the main hall.  This event always lifts our spirits.

Red Kite over the Staffordshire Moorlands.  These birds are becoming more common to the Northeast of Stoke-on-Trent.

We also saw some Teal, which are another "not so common" visitor to the Staffordshire landscape.

And we could not go into the Christmas season without seeing the Red Pandas at Peak Wildlife Park. They are very placid and trusting, and a joy to photograph.

Merry Christmas

Gladstone Pottery Museum Photo-session

 

The Gladstone Museum on a wet day is a bit of a bind.  Everything is slippery and the bottle ovens are exposed to the weather inside.  Still, there are techniques for producing good photos of life in the past.

These two images show a woman walking towards a Magic Lantern Show.  The first one is the original photo and the second one is the same imaged enhanced for quality.  Light levels and exposure have been adjusted to give a better overall image.

This image can then be converted to monochrome and made to look like an old Black and White image.

Of course, a later show is also attracting an audience, especially as it is raining.

Inside the showroom is a bit more tricky as the lighting is low. Here, the Magician is setting his show up at the start of the proceedings, before the lanterns are lit on the back of the screens to generate the shadow images of the main show.

Outside is the opportunity to purchase an elixir or two to help with all sorts of ailments.

And, of course, there is always someone to sell cakes and pies for a penny or two.  What a good day out.