Show us your great photos (2016)

[Tattoodave]

2 hours ago, suzannek said:

I am loving the Upper Teesdale botany group meetings, last night I saw loads of beauties like this  Mountain Pansy at Bowlees, Teesdale 

Nice one Suz, I've only ever seen the yellow one, it seems your area is full of surprises. 

[Martyn Pitt]

On 28 May 2016 at 10:13, Winsford Soul said:

Dave. Nice pictures mate. Martyn Pitt ( the elder ) will identify the dragonflies for you mate. He,s been around as long as they have

Steve

It looks like a female Brown Hawker ... the golden colouring on the wings is a good reference for identification.

[Suzannek]

4 hours ago, TattooDave said:

Nice one Suz, I've only ever seen the yellow one, it seems your area is full of surprises. 

We have lots of varieties in Teesdale, including purple and yellow, yellow, yellow and white and white and purple. Great seeing these beauties up close along with all the other wonderful flowers, I love Monday evenings 

Suz x

[Peter99]

6 hours ago, martyn pitt said:

It looks like a female Brown Hawker ... the golden colouring on the wings is a good reference for identification.

Hi Martyn

When I saw it I thought it looked like a butterfly - maybe one of those wonders of nature where it has evolved to mimic a particular creature.

Peter

[Martyn Pitt]

38 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Hi Martyn

When I saw it I thought it looked like a butterfly - maybe one of those wonders of nature where it has evolved to mimic a particular creature.

Peter

The Dragonflies ancestors in pre-historic times had a wing span of 1 metre .... I would have loved to see one of those 

[Addio]

Looking out from Skiathos old port.

[Tattoodave]

Colocasia esculenta spathe, the plant, known as taro, or eddoe depending on where you are, has edible corms, though anyone that has been unfortunate enough to have been served it on any of the tropical islands will know that edible doesn't necessarily mean that it tastes good, it's like the Sounds Four song on Saintmo.

[Tattoodave]

This is the bug orchid, Orchis coriophora, supposedly it smells of bedbugs, though how they know is beyond me, it has a subspecies that smells of vanilla.

[jimmy clitheroe]

"Oh to be in England in the Summertime"

[Tattoodave]

Orchis coriophora subsp. fragrans, the vanilla scented subspecies of the bug orchid.  A much nicer flower to smell.

[Guest]

Patiently waiting for walkies!

 

 

And who can blame them? 

[Peter99]

1 hour ago, Steve Lane said:

Patiently waiting for walkies!

 

 

And who can blame them? 

That looks like wild garlic Steve. Get picking!

[Peter99]

It's hard to be certain but I think three of the chicks may well have fledged. I have been checking in regularly and can only see the one chick - they look a little lonely!

Peter

[Tattoodave]

2 hours ago, Peter99 said:

It's hard to be certain but I think three of the chicks may well have fledged. I have been checking in regularly and can only see the one chick - they look a little lonely!

Peter

There were two there last night, the father was encouraging the last two to take flight, but the smallest and youngest wasn't ready, obviously the other who was darting along the parapet flapping madly has taken to the skies. 

[Martyn Pitt]

Let's have a Chiffchaff, after all it's only here for the summer

[Rick Cooper]

Something on a phone wire

 

Itchy and Scratchy

[Winsford Soul]

52 minutes ago, Rick Cooper said:

Something on a phone wire

 

Itchy and Scratchy

The something on a wire looks like a Grey Wagtail.

Steve

[Rick Cooper]

21 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

The something on a wire looks like a Grey Wagtail.

Steve

Steve

Thanks for the info,saw it again today but on the ground this time doing the waggy tail thing and looked grey instead of yellow.

Rick

[Guest]

On 02/06/2016 at 21:32, Winsford Soul said:

The something on a wire looks like a Grey Wagtail.

Steve

And some horses!

[Woodbutcher]

Move along there , nothing to see here ...

Well this is my first completely blank disk in nearly ten years of Solar observing and imaging , there's generally a tiny pore or two to be found somewhere but today there's absolutely nothing to be found ... sounds silly but it's quite an exciting image for me ...

Full Solar Gallery ... http://www.astrobin.com/users/steveward53/

[Middleman]

Is it broken or what?

[Woodbutcher]

1 hour ago, middleman said:

Is it broken or what?

Not broken just very quiet and peaceful at the moment ...

Still plenty to see in the Hydrogen-alpha wavelength , but to see that just means a jump from a £20.00 filter to a minimum outlay of £800.00 ...

[Middleman]

10 hours ago, WoodButcher said:

Not broken just very quiet and peaceful at the moment ...

Still plenty to see in the Hydrogen-alpha wavelength , but to see that just means a jump from a £20.00 filter to a minimum outlay of £800.00 ...

Thats a relief, lovey photo's by the way.

Just now, middleman said:

Thats a relief, lovey photo's by the way.

Sorry, lovely not lovey (unless you work in the theatre)

[Guest]

13 hours ago, middleman said:

Is it broken or what?

No.....that`s obviously taken at night!

[Crazylegs]

I'm looking for a decent camera for myself, I see the most beautiful flora and fauna on a daily basis while Clyde and I go for our walks, and I only have "happy snappy" camera and a phone camera........................

Any recommendations? Maybe someone on here has one to sell?

I AM AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, but willing to learn, please don't blind me with science!! 

BTW this is Clyde

 

xx

[Peter99]

21 minutes ago, crazylegs said:

I'm looking for a decent camera for myself, I see the most beautiful flora and fauna on a daily basis while Clyde and I go for our walks, and I only have "happy snappy" camera and a phone camera........................

Any recommendations? Maybe someone on here has one to sell?

I AM AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, but willing to learn, please don't blind me with science!! 

BTW this is Clyde

 

xx

Clyde is a smasher!

Steve or Martyn or Dave will have good advice on a camera.

I'm struggling to work out how to use my new washing machine - it's like an aeroplane flight deck.

 

[Crazylegs]

Haha, Now a washing machine I can do!

Thanks Peter, I sure Ill come up trumps on here, there is such an amazing cross section of people, and some REALLY amazing photographers, I don't think Ill ever get to the heights of expertise shown on here, but I'm willing to give it a go and share what I find along the way,............ 

x

[Tattoodave]

4 hours ago, crazylegs said:

Haha, Now a washing machine I can do!

Thanks Peter, I sure Ill come up trumps on here, there is such an amazing cross section of people, and some REALLY amazing photographers, I don't think Ill ever get to the heights of expertise shown on here, but I'm willing to give it a go and share what I find along the way,............ 

x

I was taking photos with a very old Sony cyber-shot until earlier this year when it finally succumbed to the way I was badly treating it, I'd had it for 12 years, and was used to how the menu works, so I look around for a more up to date Sony one second hand on eBay, I bought 2, one for £30, and one for £10.01, one had a charger and cable for connecting to a USB, both were minus memory cards, however they are both excellent at taking macro shots, or at least good enough for me with 12.1 mega pixels.  You can easily pay £1000 for a very good camera, but you can get a good camera for £499, and if you want one to go through hell and back as I do when climbing in the mountains buy a cheap second hand.  There are also Facebook groups that sell stuff in Spain, and it's often a good source of cameras, though you have to be quick.

 

ps I think Clyde is a smasher too

Edited June 6, 2016 by TattooDave

[Crazylegs]

Thanks Dave, Ill keep a look out

We rescued Clyde almost 11 months ago, and he is my main man!..................don't tell Steve I said that, he thinks he is!!

x

[Tattoodave]

2 minutes ago, crazylegs said:

Thanks Dave, Ill keep a look out

We rescued Clyde almost 11 months ago, and he is my main man!..................don't tell Steve I said that, he thinks he is!!

x

I am constantly amazed by the dogs that can be found in rescue kennels, my Happy was going to be drowned as he was unwanted, he's one of the sweetest natured dogs I've ever known.  There's always lots of decent cameras on eBay cheap, just find a model you like and watch to see how much on average they make, it's quite easy to get a bargain after a couple of weeks of watching.

[Martyn Pitt]

On 6 June 2016 at 14:32, crazylegs said:

I'm looking for a decent camera for myself, I see the most beautiful flora and fauna on a daily basis while Clyde and I go for our walks, and I only have "happy snappy" camera and a phone camera........................

Any recommendations? Maybe someone on here has one to sell?

I AM AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, but willing to learn, please don't blind me with science!! 

Basically what Dave said, I always found the Canon Ixus range produce pretty good results, and it does not need to be the latest model either, it all depends how much you want to spend.

One piece of free advice ... always try and get the sun behind you when taking a photo,with the light coming over your shoulder, the image will be miles better than if it is backlit.

 

Edited June 7, 2016 by martyn pitt

[Woodbutcher]

15 minutes ago, martyn pitt said:

One piece of free advice ... always try and get the sun behind you when taking a photo,with the light coming over your shoulder.

 

That'd make things a little tricky in my case ...

[Martyn Pitt]

14 minutes ago, WoodButcher said:

That'd make things a little tricky in my case ...

 

[Crazylegs]

Thanks Martyn, all advice will be taken onboard.............

Im scouring the net as we speak!

x

[Chris L]

On 1/1/2016 at 19:51, Zed1 said:

Not the usual Wildlife pic's, but.....

From a classic show I went to a while back. Some retro Fast Fords.

 

 

And, the best name for an internal combustion engine....... ever!.

 

The Coventry Climax engine has some great history, it started off as a pump engine for the Fire Service and got adopted for Formula 1 racing also got put into Lotus road cars.

[Chris L]

Taken on the evening of our 35th wedding anniversary from the restaurant looking out onto the beach.

[Chris L]

Wonderful Belle Epoque architecture in Blankenberge, Belgium. 

[Suzannek]

Some more wildflowers hope am not boring you all  I went on a survey of Wild Geraniums around my area. They aren't rare, but are lovely I reckon. Herb Robert and Wood Cranesbill (both taken down The Gaunless Valley Circular Walk aka my beautiful woods); Doves Footed Cranesbill in the hedgerow at Wham and tiny and I mean minute Small flowered Cranesbill on Cockfield Fell

[Suzannek]

On Tuesday 7 June I took some photos of the Greater Stitchwort, a Chickweed and the lovely, but one of the rarest of the Stitchworts, Wood Stitchwort as confirmed by the three Stigmas. They are habitat specific an indicator of broad leaved forest/woods and swamps. All taken down the Gaunless Valley Circular Walk 

Edited June 11, 2016 by suzannek

[Suzannek]

 Two wildflowers on Cockfield Fell both tiny almost herbaceous. Lousewort and Heath Milkwort

[Widnes63]

Here is a 50m wall of poppies encroaching onto the building site, this photo doesn't do justice, the colour is so deep

[Zoomsoulblue]

The Fleet last night - Soul music , football , beer and a 50" TV

[Soulandy]

Been away here and there over the last month or so, so not put any photo's up here recently. Went to OZ for a few weeks in May and had a great time exploring thew wet tropics, Cairns and surrounding areas From Mission Beach to Cape Tribulation and out to Undara, well recommended but as with all OZ, just not enough time to see just a pin prick on the map. Anyway, a few of the locals..........

First one is a Platypus. Not a great photo but I did get some goodish video footish.

Not quite sure what the spider is but was small and liked me brekkie!!

A moth that looks like a skipper from the uk

A Praying Mantis that was hanging about the shower block!!

Went on a croc cruise and saw four, one small one and three big un's, between 4-5 metres!!! Camera was on a bit of zoom for these :-)

 

 

[jimmy clitheroe]

Dolly & Bumble want There Tea !!

[Suzannek]

Two from yesterday evening, light was very poor so not the best pics taken over Winch Bridge near the River Tees an alpine Alpine Bistort and a purple Mountain Pansy. Also present were loads of Northern Marsh Orchids, Amphibious Bistort and a spotted orchid was coming through 

[barney]

no this is not a sales site but the mrs bought me a new camera for Christmas and I have the EOS700D

so I have the EOS 400D for sale ,its in good nick and looking for £150.00 ,

its comes with carrying case and charger .

[Suzannek]

Loads of orchids at Low Barns Nature Reserve, Witton le Wear, Bishop Auckland 15.6.16 

[Suzannek]

[Rick Cooper]

Saw this crawling across the paving in the back garden this morning. Startled the dog and gave me a surprise as I'd never seen anything like it before, except on TV.

Apparently it's a signal crayfish but what's it doing in a garden in Stockport, shouldn't it be somewhere hot and wet. It was relocated to the edge of pond where I hope it stays put.

 

 

Rick

 

Edited June 18, 2016 by Rick Cooper

[Peter99]

12 minutes ago, Rick Cooper said:

Saw this crawling across the paving in the back garden this morning. Startled the dog and gave me a surprise as I'd never seen anything like it before, except on TV.

Apparently it's a signal crayfish but what's it doing in a garden in Stockport, shouldn't it be somewhere hot and wet. It was relocated to the edge of pond where I hope it stays put.

 

 

Rick

They were introduced from America and are in 85% of our rivers now - there are millions of them. They have all but wiped out our native crayfish. You can catch them very easily using a similar trap to a lobster pot baited with fish. You just need a licence from the Environment Agency. They are good eating - and free.