Wildlife Autumn 2007 (spring wildlife Down Under)

[TC]

I forgot to add the picture of the full moon on the last posting

[mark smyth]

Paps of Jura? Is that slang? It would mean something else over here

[TC]

No Mark, it means exactly what you think it is !!  There are several conical hills in Scotland with the same name - the most famous being the Pap of Glencoe.

[ranunculus]

Lovely shots Tom....I'm sure Martin B. has already considered a cartoon strip featuring these splendid island attributes!!   

[TC]

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how did you take such a good shot of the moon?

The picture of the moon was taken through a Swarovski AT 80 HD telescope  using a 20x60 eyepiece.  The camera is a Nikon Coolpix P5000.  This combination can produce high quality results within its limitations, these being camera shake, setting up time and and lack of light transmission.  I had tried this using a digital video camera some years ago and all I could get was about a quarter of the moon's surface in view.  Another set back is that the moon traverses the sky faster than you think  By the time you have centred the scene and played about with the settings, the moon has moved out of the screen.  Cindy will use the camera for general photography and I will pinch it for digi-scoping birds at long range.
The picture of Ballycastle was taken from the top of the Mull of Kintyre, just above the lighthouse.  It suffers from vignetting which can happen with a long zoom lense.   
Attached are a few of my most recent pictures of birds

[ChrisB]

Brilliant photos.  Thank you.  Would you mind if I download one to use as a reference to paint?

[TC]

Brilliant photos.  Thank you.  Would you mind if I download one to use as a reference to paint?

Please feel free to do so.  My wife regularly uses our photographs at her art group.  Here is one she finished about two weeks ago.  Myself, I can't paint or draw for toffee but admire those who can.
I see that you live in Acklington.  My brother lived in Alnmouth for ten years when he was an air traffic controller at Border Radar in RAF Boulmer between 1967/77.  We used any excuse to come and stay with him so we could wander round the beautiful Northumberland coast.  I remember regularly going into "Yemble" , (Amble) for fish and chips and listening to the local dialect which I found fascinating.  We were there a few years ago and were disappointed to see the harbour had been changed into a posy marina.  It has gone the way of most of the fishing towns in the U.K.and is the worse for it.

[Anthony Darby]

That's very good Tom. I love gannets.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I like Cindy's gannet, too. Got a bit of a soft spot for Kittiwakes, as well....neatly shaped  birds.

Just loving Tom's moonshot, by the way!

[ChrisB]

Many thanks, Tom.  Yes, Amble is not far from here, our local shopping oasis (lol).  And Alnmouth is the same as it ever was, very pretty and quiet.  We go there sometimes, but they charge now for you to take your car down to the beach, though not in winter, think its too cold to stand out there collecting a pound from every car. Lots of little art groups hereabouts.  I belong to two, one in Warkworth, the other in Hauxley.  We just putter around, nothing very professional but we enjoy the challenge.  Here is one of mine:

[mark smyth]

Did you see the Kittiwakes that nest in Newcastle 10 miles from the sea? Nature of Britain is a fantastic programme

We call Kittiwakes because of their call kitty-way-k kitty-way-k. What do you guys in Europe know them as? I know they possible arent nesting with you

[t00lie]

Couldn't help noticing a couple of visitors,(a pair?),to the garden this afternoon.

Very ponderous in flight, it would appear these native wood pigeons are a late arrival this season as i've never seen the leaves of the blossom tree they are pictured in so well developed.(The birds normally have stripped the top 2/3rds of the tree by now).

I was able to get within approx 4 metres of them before they started to get edgy.Sorry all my real close up pics turned out rubbish.

Cheers Dave.   

[annew]

It looks like they've got their aprons on ready for the feast!

[TC]

Yes, I like Cindy's gannet, too. Got a bit of a soft spot for Kittiwakes, as well....neatly shaped  birds.

Just for you Maggi, here are two Kittiwake shots

[Anthony Darby]

I wouldn't get that close if they were Fulmars Tom