Today’s guest picture comes from my friend Bruce who was in Edinburgh yesterday and was comforted by the up to date police protection afforded to its citizens.
I had much better weather for my trip to the Moorland Feeders today and it was only a pity that the birds stayed away in great numbers. I suspect that a sparrow hawk must have been in the vicinity.
The pheasants aren’t frightened of anyone or anything, being hand reared.
…and occasional chaffinches popped up here and there.
A single woodpecker paid a flying visit…
…and that was about it so I didn’t stay long.
I saw a crow on the top of the walnut tree when I got home and my new lens made light of the distance.
I didn’t have long to look round the garden but I was happy to see that the sunshine had brought the bees back…
..in force…
…and a butterfly or two too.
The reason that I didn’t have long to garden wander was that I wanted to get a quick pedal in before lunch.
The wind was a bit lighter today so I went over the hill…
…and down to Canonbie and then back along the banks of the Esk….
…which had plenty of water in it after yesterday’s rain.
I chose this spot to take the river picture because in previous years I have seen a lot of fungus there…
…and they have come back again this year. There were dozens of these fungi sprouting on a plain patch of mown grass.
I had been blown down to the bottom of the by-pass by a friendly breeze so the journey back to Langholm was a bit more like hard work and as I was under some time pressure, I didn’t stop for more pictures.
I went fast enough to have left time for another quick look round the garden after a shower and lunch.
I saw another butterfly…or perhaps the same one revisiting, It was hard to tell at this angle.
Then I drove off to Lockerbie with Mrs Tootlepedal to catch the train to Edinburgh.
I admired a fine set of faintly nautical looking hinges on a doorway in Lockerbie opposite the spot where we parked our car.
Lockerbie station has two just platforms, up and down, with a passing line behind the down platform but looking south from the bridge, It must have been busier at one time.
The train was late again but only mildly and the countryside looked lovely as we swept past so all was forgiven.
When we got to Edinburgh, Matilda was in splendid form and gave me a very even match at Pelmanism before trouncing me at Snap. There was more fun before tea time when we were terrorised by a monster….
…who surely can’t have been related to this studious little girl studying her miniature cow.
All too soon it was time to catch the train back to Lockerbie. The bus arrived so promptly and drove so swiftly that I had time to look around at Waverley Station and enjoyed this circle of ornamental youngsters round the skylight in the waiting room.
Our drive home from Lockerbie was illuminated by a brilliant moon. I tried my new lens out on it when I got home and was pleased with a quick hand held shot from an upstairs window.
There was not much choice but I managed to get a flying bird of the day at the Moorland Feeders this morning….just.
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I had no idea that pheasants were so colourful. Beautiful shot – as well as all the other photos of course. What a spectacular shot of the moon!
There are quite a few different breeds of pheasant and the females are often a bit dowdy compared with the show off males.
Nice color along the river. Ours is just starting to get a little better.
That’s a great moon shot for hand held. I was going to give it a try but I think I’ll be in bed before it rises over these hills.
The pheasant doesn’t look very bright but its colors and patterns are amazing. It’s hard to imagine it blending into any kind of background.
They originally come from Asia so it is not surprising that they look a bit out of place in Langholm.
Your local pheasant is a beauty! I hope he doesn’t get too friendly with the wrong people! Lovely flowers and excellent views on a beautiful day.
I am teaching the pheasants not to take wing when people shout at them.
I wish you luck!
Your new lens is performing very well. I like to see mounted police patrols, whether they are on horses or bicycles – they’re more connected to the people and areas they’re patrolling.
Agreed on all fronts. Are you safely home?
Liked seeing the woodpecker again, along with a real flying bird of the day. The stand ins for the FBOD have been very good, but the real thing is even better. The new lens is excellent from what I’ve seen so far!
It was economically priced and fairly light which were the two selling points for me but it certainly looks promising.
Great shots! 🙂
Thank you HJ
I read somewhere that there was going to be a harvest moon last night. Not that I know what a harvest moon is.
A full moon at harvest time? Just guessing as I don’t know either.
I couldn’t help smiling at your gentle jibe about the “up to date police protection” and agree with mj that “they’re more connected to the people and areas they’re patrolling”. Believe me, mounted patrols are effective (they only come to our town during the National Arts Festival) and are far more preferable to vehicular protection, which tends to stir up an unruly mob … we get those on occasion.
You only tend to get an unruly mob in Edinburgh these days when football matches are on.
What a wonderful moon photo.
I agree with Annie, you got the perfect shot there.
Very impressed by how much you put into your day – glad to hear you more or less kept up in the pelmanism. Great moon shot.
Wow that lens is golden in your hands. It never occurred to me to struggle with mine for a moon shot but of course it makes perfect sense, you’re that much closer. How high the moon, indeed. I still don’t know how you got the butterfly to smile in the second picture. And I wish we had tame pheasants.
They are only tame as the keepers need hundreds for shooting parties to kill. It is a pity when they are such lovely birds.
Oh I see. That is a pity indeed. And explains why we hardly ever see them…
Another filled day with lovely photos to remember it all. I was just looking for a photo of a river showing white ‘waves’ and your photo fits the bill perfectly..thank you. Great photo of the harvest moon.
I am glad to have been of service.
They have cut the mounted police in Nottingham to a mere handful. Shame, because they do offer a new dimension to community policing, and football matches.
And manure opportunities for keen gardeners.
Yes, you could always tell when they had been out in town. 🙂
Those are exquisite poppies with their entourage of bees. They do rival irises as the Marilyn Monroe of flowers.
Matilda looks lovely as always, and so does the full moon. We had enough clear weather here to see the full moon here as well.
Oh those frilly poppies!
What is this miracle lens and which camera does it fit onto?
The new lens is a Sigma 150-600 and fits onto my Nikon DSLR
Thank you.