Mist Opportunities

Shot of the Day

I set out to compile this blog last night but due to the laptop having so much on its memory it was taking for ever to complete the simplest of functions that I had to transfer a vast amount of data onto an external hard drive which meant I had to leave it chugging away overnight. 

There was quite a bit of mist when I got up but it soon cleared away to brilliant sunshine and blue skies. Suspecting this could be the last day of opportunities for some good autumnal shots I headed off with the intention of going round the pheasant pens.

This was the view that encouraged me to get out with the camera

There was some nice light picking up the colour around the base of the trees as I walked down through the wood.

Thia group of fungi caught my eye as i was heading for the Jubilee Bridge by the school.

I could see the mist was threatening to engulf the town again so I continued on hoping I would get round before the mist blotted out the sun. I needn't have worried the sun stayed with me for the duration of my walk

I found this seat rather colourful attraction

I liked this avenue as I passed through the gate near the Duchess Bridge

The Duchess Bridge after its recent refurbishment

I continued in an anti clockwise direction stopping to take a panorama shot on the way.

On the way back I stopped off at the Information Hub and gave Tootlepedal a hand to hang pictures for the camera club exhibition. I was rewarded with a cup of coffee and the offer of a jaunt up to the White Yett with Mr & Mrs Tootlepedal which I readily accepted. When we set off the mist had started to creep up the valley and we wondered if it was going to be a dismall walk. By the time we got to the car park at the McDiarmid memorial we were above the mist and in brilliant sunshine. Mrs Tootlepedal elected to stick to the road for her walk and set of with her binoculars while we set of up the track towards the monument.

We were joined by a new member at the camera club on Monday night who specialized in light painting I thought the memorial would make a good subject

We had some casual observers on the way

Looking back to where Mrs Tootlepedal was walking

Langholm's down there somewhere

Looking south, normally you would be looking over the Solway plain towards the Lake District fells.

On returning we came upon a Fog bow which I had never heard of before so I felt quite privileged.

This panorama was taken earlier before the mist filled the Ewes valley

A Swallow and Jay Day

Shot of the Day

After a leisurely breakfast I went to fill the feeders at the moorland feeder station. I had been beaten to it by Cat Barlow, she had been up to the station to do some ringing earlier and was all packed up and just about to leave when I arrived. She informed me the she managed to ring  about sixty birds one being a Tree Creeper. 

I set up my spotting scope and trained it on one of the nut feeders. I didn't have long to wait until a Woodpecker obliged. This was, I think a female flitting back and forward between the nuts and seeds feeding a young Woodpecker on a nearby tree. 

Only the tastiest seeds will do.

I  was just about to pack up for lunch when the Jay arrived. Up until now I had only seen a Jay as nothing more than a passing flash of colour so to be afforded this recent opportunity is real bonus.

   

  

A Pheasant checks to see it is safe to come out.

It was my turn in the afternoon to be on duty at the Photography Exhibition in the Town hall Gallery. I had to wait an hour for my first visitor which was Tootlepedal who had come to keep me company for a while, this gave me the chance to show him the new wildlife camera purchased. Tootlepedal was also thinking of buying one but has wisely decided to see the results of mine before going ahead. I now just need to work out how to use it. 

I had very few visitors during the afternoon but those that did come spent a considerable amount of time looking at the exhibits and were very gracious in their comments. I even managed to sell one of mine. This was to well established local artist, and if they feel one of my photographs is good enough to hang on their wall, I take that as the ultimate compliment. 

After I locked up I joined Tootlepedal for a cup of tea and a biscuit. He told me he had cycled up to where the Nuthatch was nesting and said it might be worth my while setting up the camera with the remote and try and get some shots of the Swallows that were feeding their young in the nearby shed. He declined to join me as he was feeling too tired. As you can see from the following shots his advice was well founded. 

After a while I was joined for short time by Charlie and Vi Graham who were very interested in what I was up to they also told me they had visited the exhibition and were quite impressed at the quality of work that was on show. Vi herself has love of painting and told me she has an exhibition coming up later in the year. 

An Excellent Day Well Spent

Shot of the Day

After filling the feeders at the moorland feeder station and conducting some personal business in Carlisle this morning I returned to take my turn manning the exhibition. Tootlepedal appeared after a  while which was good as it allowed me to pop round to the Corner Cafe to get a coffee and sandwich to take away. When I returned Fred and Irene had appeared; They had travelled up from Carlisle especially to see the exhibition and seemed to be very impressed with the variety and improvement of standard since last year. It also gave Tootlepedal a chance to show off his new child disinheriting lens to Fred and I. It is hefty piece of equipment and I hope he gets the results that one would expect from a lens of that quality. 

Fred and Irene left to visit the new craft shop that Laura Ellis has recently opened on the High Street; Blue Moon Crafts (Crafts from the Muckle Toon) well worth a visit. The insect repellent Bog Off is worth a try against the ferocious midge's that are about at the moment. 

I wasn't overwhelmed with visitors during the afternoon but the few I did get were very complimentary. After I shut shop at 4:00 pm I joined Tootlepedal at Wauchope Cottage for a quick cup of tea before going to do some Harrier Spotting. Tootlepedal was keen to give his new lens a serious try out. 

We had got ourselves comfortable on the new folding chairs that Toot had purchased recently and sat back and waited. After about twenty minutes Cat Barlow paused as she was passing and informed us that the Harriers were being sighted on average once an hour then busily drove off. On this information we decided to sit at least a full hour. 

To pass the time I took a shot of some of the flowers on the roadside.....

.......and a passing cloud.

Eventually we were rewarded with a few sightings of the Harriers and I managed to witness a food pass in the distance. It would have been even better if I had packed my binoculars when I came away in the morning, but I did get some shots that were better than I'd hoped for.

Click on Tootlepedals blog to see his results.After a while we decide this was as good as it was going to get and it was time to head for home; Tootlepedal to choir practice and I to visit the feeder station to see if I could get a shot of the Jay Tootlepedal saw in the morning. 

The birds must have been very hungry today as all feeders were to fill again before I set the camera up on the tripod and settled down behind the hide and enjoyed the small snack I made as I was hungry as well.

A Reed Bunting made an appearance as it did for Tootlepedal on his visit in the morning....

  

.......then a Woodpecker...

...............and finally the Jay

The midges were starting to bite and as I had left my Bog Off (which can be purchased at Blue Moon Crafts From the Muckle Toon) at home it was time to retreat and head home to compose this post. all in all, it was an excellent day well spent.