The photograph thread

[Frank Owen]

Camera is a Nikon D500, Winter. Got a selection of lenses as I do different types of photography. Landscape, portrait etc. Natural History has probably been my main interest since I was a kid, so, it's kind of a companion hobby with the camera. My most used lense for all types of wildlife is a Nikon 200-500 telephoto.

My computer crashed a while back wiping out almost 8,000 images. Completely my own fault for not backing them up.

 

[Winter]

Camera is a Nikon D500, Winter. Got a selection of lenses as I do different types of photography. Landscape, portrait etc. Natural History has probably been my main interest since I was a kid, so, it's kind of a companion hobby with the camera. My most used lense for all types of wildlife is a Nikon 200-500 telephoto.

My computer crashed a while back wiping out almost 8,000 images. Completely my own fault for not backing them up.

Must've been a kick in the gut to lose so many images Frank sorry to hear that.
Quite amazing though not surprising that many have the same interests as each other on the noise that are unrelated to Celtic.

 

[lennono]

That's the next trip booked. Isle of Mull for a week in May. Also booked 2 trips to Lunga island where the Puffins are so tame, they come real close. They mate for life and have one chick. After hatching and being fed by the parents for a few weeks, they must jump from the high cliff into the sea during darkness. This is to prevent them being seen by the many predators. If they survive, they remain in the oceans for 4 years, then return to the the same island, find a mate and start over. This is a male and female, together again after a year apart.

 

[Frank Owen]

That's the next trip booked. Isle of Mull for a week in May. Also booked 2 trips to Lunga island where the Puffins are so tame, they come real close. They mate for life and have one chick. After hatching and being fed by the parents for a few weeks, they must jump from the high cliff into the sea during darkness. This is to prevent them being seen by the many predators. If they survive, they remain in the oceans for 4 years, then return to the the same island, find a mate and start over. This is a male and female, together again after a yearI've apart.

View attachment 25175

I've got a good mate lives on Mull, lennono. If you check out The-Musky-Mustelid on FB that's more or less all his efforts. The most knowledgeable wildlife bloke I know. I could probably put you in touch with him. Failing that, just make contact through FB.

 

[Richybhoy]

A Hummingbird getting its sugar water hit at D’s Maws. The photo was taken by D’s sister in the mountains at Yosemite. There are about 20 of them in Maws garden. The noise they make is incredible. It’s like they have super high power wee electric dynamos in them.
D’s sister fancies herself as a “Lennono”. She takes great photos too but not quite Lennono standard.
There is an albino Hawk that flies aboot up there but we have never been able to get a good photo of it.

 

[lennono]

I've got a good mate lives on Mull, lennono. If you check out The-Musky-Mustelid on FB that's more or less all his efforts. The most knowledgeable wildlife bloke I know. I could probably put you in touch with him. Failing that, just make contact through FB.

Thanks for that Frank. Had a look at his FB page. He don't seem to be accepting friends for now. I'll give him a message nearer the time

 

[Frank Owen]

Thanks for that Frank. Had a look at his FB page. He don't seem to be accepting friends for now. I'll give him a message nearer the time

He is a very private bloke, Lennono; he's also a good friend, though. I could give him a bell nearer the time. PM me when it gets nearer.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Thanks mate. The thing is, I wish I could even stay longer in situ when waiting for the 'one'. But darkness etc stops me. I'm only five min walk from the harbour, so I go there when the light is good. I see it as a sort of meditation I suppose. Connecting with nature.

Here's one from the harbour

View attachment 25144

That crab's doing the Broony

 

[Frank Owen]

Thought you might be interested, lennono. A North American Yellow Rumped Warbler. First time ever recorded in Ayrshire. Very rare for UK as a whole. Got it today in Kilwinning. Twitchers from all over the UK have come to see it. I think you know I'm not actually a twitcher, but as it's only 15 minutes from me I though I'd try for some shots.

 

[lennono]

Thought you might be interested, lennono. A North American Yellow Rumped Warbler. First time ever recorded in Ayrshire. Very rare for UK as a whole. Got it today in Kilwinning. Twitchers from all over the UK have come to see it. I think you know I'm not actually a twitcher, but as it's only 15 minutes from me I though I'd try for some shots.

Nice one Frank. Well done mate. I don't go in for the twitching either. Nice photographs though, well worth going for it.

 

[Winter]

Thought you might be interested, lennono. A North American Yellow Rumped Warbler. First time ever recorded in Ayrshire. Very rare for UK as a whole. Got it today in Kilwinning. Twitchers from all over the UK have come to see it. I think you know I'm not actually a twitcher, but as it's only 15 minutes from me I though I'd try for some shots.

Excellent Frank , and great to see the talented sides of the noise outside of all things Celtic.
Quick question to you mate ( and lennono) as you both mentioned " twitchers" as an amateur explorer/adventurer/naturalist armed only with my oversized galaxy s10 plus ( which is akin to carrying a bloody tablet around, the size of it) can you please explain what a " twitcher" is for the rest of us amateur explorers?

 

[50 Shades of Green]

Excellent Frank , and great to see the talented sides of the noise outside of all things Celtic.
Quick question to you mate ( and lennono) as you both mentioned " twitchers" as an amateur explorer/adventurer/naturalist armed only with my oversized galaxy s10 plus ( which is akin to carrying a bloody tablet around, the size of it) can you please explain what a " twitcher" is for the rest of us amateur explorers?

Bird watchers they are Winter... The wee feathered ones that is...

Although I've stayed next to a few auld nosey curtain twitches in my time, but that's a different fing awe the gither

 

[Frank Owen]

Excellent Frank , and great to see the talented sides of the noise outside of all things Celtic.
Quick question to you mate ( and lennono) as you both mentioned " twitchers" as an amateur explorer/adventurer/naturalist armed only with my oversized galaxy s10 plus ( which is akin to carrying a bloody tablet around, the size of it) can you please explain what a " twitcher" is for the rest of us amateur explorers?

Well, this is tricky territory, Winter. Most birdwatchers have a list of species they have managed actually see in the wild. The really serious ' birders' usually have this written down, both for their personal records, and for use in keeping track of numbers which can be used for research, conservation issues etc.

For the sake of accuracy, it has to be said, some folk are both twitchers, and serious bird watchers.

However, the definition of a twitcher, and this is where it can cause, eh, disagreement, is someone who's main aim is to gather as many ' ticks' ( rare bird sightings) as possible, so as to be able to say they've seen them.

Not really much use in terms of conservation and such like. Some folk have, rather unkindly, compared twitching to train-spotting.

Each to their own.

 

[Winter]

Well, this is tricky territory, Winter. Most birdwatchers have a list of species they have managed actually see in the wild. The really serious ' birders' usually have this written down, both for their personal records, and for use in keeping track of numbers which can be used for research, conservation issues etc.

For the sake of accuracy, it has to be said, some folk are both twitchers, and serious bird watchers.

However, the definition of a twitcher, and this is where it can cause, eh, disagreement, is someone who's main aim is to gather as many ' ticks' ( rare bird sightings) as possible, so as to be able to say they've seen them.

Not really much use in terms of conservation and such like. Some folk have, rather unkindly, compared twitching to train-spotting.

Each to their own.

Cheers Frank, and it does explain what I was confused about.
On a tangent , ( unlike me I know)
Me and Mrs winter were in the old Richmond Park in Oatlands about 10 years ago when crossing the pedestrian bridge that links the green to Richmond Park ( now demolished to make way for new houses ) broke my heart that did as it was once a beatufil place , now reduced to just the pond and a poxy ( unfair , ill take it back its ok) restaurant , the jenny burn facing shawfield.
We met on the bridge a ( what I considered the real McCoy bird watcher) ornithologist whatever.
He saw I was taking pictures and asked had I seen anything in Richmond Park worth his time to look out for.
½ cut and being but a mere amateur explorer ( I tell Mrs winter to say that if anyone asks what we're up to) seems to work as ridiculous as it's supposed to sound.
I said " aye there's a purple heron right in the middle of the pond fishing"
- " WH...WH...WHAT? A PURPLE HERON ? HERE ? NOW?"
I says aye I'd show you my photies but my phones dead"
" THATS OK " he said as he ran off at top speed with tripods backpacks cameras the works.
2 minutes later as we headed hame Mrs winter says " whit are you talking aboot? That heron was white/grey not purple"
And I suddenly recalled that purple herons , you don't get here but grey ones you do.
" oh well it'll keep him fit and busy for a while"

 

[Frank Owen]

Cheers Frank, and it does explain what I was confused about.
On a tangent , ( unlike me I know)
Me and Mrs winter were in the old Richmond Park in Oatlands about 10 years ago when crossing the pedestrian bridge that links the green to Richmond Park ( now demolished to make way for new houses ) broke my heart that did as it was once a beatufil place , now reduced to just the pond and a poxy ( unfair , ill take it back its ok) restaurant , the jenny burn facing shawfield.
We met on the bridge a ( what I considered the real McCoy bird watcher) ornithologist whatever.
He saw I was taking pictures and asked had I seen anything in Richmond Park worth his time to look out for.
½ cut and being but a mere amateur explorer ( I tell Mrs winter to say that if anyone asks what we're up to) seems to work as ridiculous as it's supposed to sound.
I said " aye there's a purple heron right in the middle of the pond fishing"
- " WH...WH...WHAT? A PURPLE HERON ? HERE ? NOW?"
I says aye I'd show you my photies but my phones dead"
" THATS OK " he said as he ran off at top speed with tripods backpacks cameras the works.
2 minutes later as we headed hame Mrs winter says " whit are you talking aboot? That heron was white/grey not purple"
And I suddenly recalled that purple herons , you don't get here but grey ones you do.
" oh well it'll keep him fit and busy for a while"

Well, you gave the guy hope, Winter. Think the last ' twitch' in Richmond Park was an overwintering Iceland gull. A few years back now, though.

 

[Winter]

Well, you gave the guy hope, Winter. Think the last ' twitch' in Richmond Park was an overwintering Iceland gull. A few years back now, though.

So if I'm understanding correctly, " twitchers" jump on the bandwagon of a sighting of a rare species and will get there as quickly as possible but its others, more dedicated who actually have made the spotting?

 

[Frank Owen]

So if I'm understanding correctly, " twitchers" jump on the bandwagon of a sighting of a rare species and will get there as quickly as possible but its others, more dedicated who actually have made the spotting?

Not that far off, Winter. The bird I photographed today, for instance, turned up on the feeders of one the folk who use the Ayrshire Nature FB page. So, we all got to know about it and took over his garden.

The news very quickly spread because of the rarity of the bird. Hence the reason we had twitchers/ birdwatchers from as far apart as Bridie's neck of the woods to Cornwall.

Bloke next to me today was from Nottingham. While I love and admire their passion, there's no way I would travel daft distances just to tick a bird on a list.

As I say, each to their own.

 

[lennono]

 

[Winter]

Not that far off, Winter. The bird I photographed today, for instance, turned up on the feeders of one the folk who use the Ayrshire Nature FB page. So, we all got to know about it and took over his garden.

The news very quickly spread because of the rarity of the bird. Hence the reason we had twitchers/ birdwatchers from as far apart as Bridie's neck of the woods to Cornwall.

Bloke next to me today was from Nottingham. While I love and admire their passion, there's no way I would travel daft distances just to tick a bird on a list.

As I say, each to their own.

Yip you said it Frank each to their own as long as no harm comes of it .
I've taken pictures as presented to me in life real time and I wouldn't travel just to photograph something like the kelpies or other landmark etc.
To me that would be absurd but if I happened to be there I'm sure I'd take a photie or 10.
These guys probably look at us and think, hang on , you're from central Glasgow, the gorbals but you'll travel on a freezing day and night to go to Inverness for a 7.30p.m ko by bus?
To watch a game of fitba in -5 ⁰?
Who's the crazy one again?
Each to their own no harm to others,
Is the ideal if not often the reality .

Edit: you'd think the original spotter might consider holding onto that excitement and not post location on fb etc until the shots are over, seems not a bad idea but I suppose many are friends and want their friend to have the elusive rare shoot also.

 

[Frank Owen]

Yip you said it Frank each to their own as long as no harm comes of it .
I've taken pictures as presented to me in life real time and I wouldn't travel just to photograph something like the kelpies or other landmark etc.
To me that would be absurd but if I happened to be there I'm sure I'd take a photie or 10.
These guys probably look at us and think, hang on , you're from central Glasgow, the gorbals but you'll travel on a freezing day and night to go to Inverness for a 7.30p.m ko by bus?
To watch a game of fitba in -5 ⁰?
Who's the crazy one again?
Each to their own no harm to others,
Is the ideal if not often the reality .

Edit: you'd think the original spotter might consider holding onto that excitement and not post location on fb etc until the shots are over, seems not a bad idea but I suppose many are friends and want their friend to have the elusive rare shoot also.

There are many times a photographer has to pack his kit and travel to get his target shot ( s ) Winter: very seldom does your target species show up on your doorstep.
That applies as much to genuine wildlife guys as much as, say, landscape shots.
I'm Sure Lennono will vouch for that.

For instance, Glencoe is a place I've visited countless times for landscape shots. Looks different almost every time.

The twitcher thing is different really.

Much of my own landscape stuff is taken from a days hill walking. The top of a Munro etc.