Testing Testing Testing.

After visiting the health centre for my regular blood check this morning I got prepared to visit Eskrigg nature reserve at Lockerbie to see if I could spot a squirrel or two and give my new camera a bit of a road test. I've just bought a Canon EOS 7d mark II after a lot of looking at reviews.

It was a beautiful morning and made for a very pleasant drive across. Before I left I received a text from Tootlepedal inquiring how the camera club had went last night and he remarked it was blowing a gale in Marseilles, maybe they took the Langholm weather with them. 

The following is the first real effort with the new camera, personally I think the old one produced as good pictures but maybe that was because I knew the camera inside out and most of these have been taken on automatic, but it feels good, weighty but not too heavy and feels comfortable in my hand and the auto focusing is amazing so as they say practice makes perfect, but I also think I need to update my lenses accordingly.

Eskrigg

After attending the Health Centre this morning I called Tootlepedal to ask him if he was interested in having a run over to Lockerbie to visit Eskrigg Nature Reserve, but as I suspected, he was preparing to go out on a cycle ride as the weather was very favorable. I filled a flask with coffee and made some sandwiches to eat on the way. My intention was to go on a circular drive by way of Eskdalemuir, Boreland, Lockerbie, Annan, Gretna then back home.

I stopped off at Bentpath (known locally as 'The Benty') to take a shot of the church basking in the sun.

The rest of the journey was pleasant enough but uneventful. I arrived at Lockerbie, parked the car and made my way to the nature reserve. This is a wonderful place to come, there is always something to see due to the amazing diversity of the place. 

This little guy gotfed up with having to open the feeder all the time.....

.......he decide just to get in.

A notch was cut into the tree trunk and a fat ball rubbed in, apparently this is attract tree creepers, something maybe worth trying at the moorland feeder station.

After spending a very pleasant couple of hours I was ready to continue. The rest of the trip was like the first half, pleasant but uneventful. apart from stopping off for a cup of coffee at Gretna Gateway retail park. 

A Good Day Out

I woke to some much needed sunshine which lifted my spirits and they were lifted even more when Tootlepedal phoned to inquire if I was interested in a jaunt to Eskrigg nature reserve at Lockerbie. I got myself ready and drove to Wauchope cottage for coffee before we left. I had to leave my DSLR at home as it was employed in a time-lapse I am attempting and was clicking away happily when I left so it was a perfect opportunity to put my new pocket cam through its paces. After coffee Mr and Mrs Tootlepedal and myself set off in their Kangoo but we only got to about a mile out of town when a suspicious light came on the dashboard rather than ignoring it we returned and it was all change into my car. 

Whilst Mrs Tootlepedal went off to explore part of the Annandale way we made our way to the reserve. 

The pond from the main hide

There was plenty bird activity when we arrived then......

.......squirrels started to arrive in abundance providing a couple of hours of entertainment

I wonder what this little guy is contemplating

Mrs Tootkepedal rejoined us for a while before we made tracks back to the car. On the return we came upon an unusual information point, what looked like logs...

.....when turned over they were all different species of timber.

I just loved the way the light radiated off these trees

Tootlepedal proudly shows off the staff he found....

We returned to the car and made our way into Lockerbie for a late lunch before returning home. This was an excellent day out with lovely friends and hopefully there will be many more over the coming months. All my shots were taken on my new pocket cam and I think the results are rather pleasing.