Precious Stones

While Heather was pottering in the garden today she cleared some of our vast collection of beach pebbles that she used on the soil surface and washed them.  Attracted to the wet pebbles I piled them up to photograph.  I could have done with a polariser, really, to remove the glare.
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A First attempt at Focus Stacking

I am fascinated by moss especially when it produces spore capsules, however I also find photography a challenge.  At the close distances that I work the depth of field is very small and the point of focus is a crucial decision.  Consequently today I decide to attempt focus stacking with some moss growing in one of my bonsai pots.  This is an 8 image stack processed in photoshop.
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The Pink Supermoon

The last couple of nights have been beautifully clear and I have been enjoying photographing the Pink Supermoon.  A supermoon occurs at time when the full or new moon approaches its closest point to the Earth; its perigee.  The Pink Supermoon is named not for its colour but from a northern Native American reference to an early blooming wild flower.  Pink or not it was spectacular.  The images were taken at different times from just after moonrise when it was still nearly daylight up to 11.00 pm. As can be seen from the images, just after moonrise it is a very golden colour which gradully changes to the more familiar silver colour the higher in the sky it rises.

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Monochrome version

A Session of the Bike (With Birdwatching of course!)

As it was really good day weather wise and very little wind, I decided to get the bike out for the first time since last November.  I was looking forward to expanding my horizons somewhat.  I only did a 13 mile 'round the block', but it did get me out as far as Barton Street on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds.  I took it very gently as I had my ears and eyes open for birds and wildlife.  Very noticeably it is oils seed rape time which had passed me by so far this year, but the bright splashes of yellow and the heady, perhaps cloying, perfume of the crop were a joy to the senses.  It was good to get out onto the Wold edge and revel in the expansive views over the coastal marsh and the estuary.  Waltham Mill was visible as a dominating presence from most parts of the ride.  Although most of the ride was familiar territory, I returned to Brigsley by a lane that I had never used before.  It was very attractive and crossed Waithe Beck which could easily be a substitute for Tennyson's 'Babbling Brook'.

Robin                                               Peacock
Great Tit                                           Small Tortoiseshell
Blue Tit,                                            Brimstone
Long Tailed Tit,                                 
Coal Tit,                                           Dandelion
Blackbird                                         Daisy
Song Thrush                                   Speedwell
Crow                                                Primrose
Rook                                               Blackthorn
Jackdaw
Magpie
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Skylark
Chiffchaff

The Turn to Brigsley after descending from Barton Street though the outskirts of Ashby-cum-Fenby.

Waithe Beck

A Pleasant Walk Around the Cemetery.

I enjoyed a very pleasant walk around the cemetery and woodland burial ground this afternoon.  It was a day of mixed sun and clouds and when the sun was out it was very pleasant with excellent light.  The cemetery is definitely looking greener than last week.  Primroses and violets are still flowering well and cherry blossom is now well out.  I found a goat willow in full flower in the woodland burial ground that I have missed perviously.  There were plenty of butterflies on the wing: tortoiseshells, peacocks and a single comma.  I noticed that the crows are now sitting on eggs; the birds head can just be seen over the rim of the nest.  I was pleased to see a song thrush and to both see and hear a chiff chaff.

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My First Session with a Moth Trap

A good friend has lent me his moth trap to experiment with, so last night I set it up and left it running all night.  This morning it contained the magnificent total of three moths; not surprising as it is still early in the season.  I have also been told that moths prefer overcast or even drizzle, certainly humid, and to avoid clear starry skies as was the case last night.  After a bit of a struggle I identified my trophies as common quaker, hebrew character and earl grey moths.  What fantastic names moths have.  The next problem was to photograph them.  I have a collection of lichen covered twigs and branches which I can select from and carefully used a fine paint brush to transfer the beasts to my chose perch.  Another piece of advice I have been given is to chill the moths in the fridge for a couple of hours which causes them no harm but slows them down for photography.  It would have been helpful if I had done so as the earl grey constantly shivered its wings as the photograph shows.  I thought that it would settle down, but before I could change to a faster shutter speed, it flew off.  Ah well, we live and learn.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, though, and will be trying again.  It could keep me amused during this period of social isolation.
The Fuji 80mm macro lens was perfect for this job.

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Common quaker

Common quaker

Earl Grey

Hebrew Character

Hebrew Character

Hebrew Character

Hebrew Character

Horsefield and The Dead Wood.

It was a bright and sunny morning when Heather and I set out to walk over the Horsefield to the Dead Wood this morning.  We followed the usual route to get there but then found a winding narrow path that ran through the wood, which in places was still wet.  I fact, looking at the woodland floor, there were signs that the wood had been totally flooded during the rains of the winter.  We noticed that the inside of the wood is amazingly thick and tangled.  How much management has been carried out in the past, it is difficult to know, but certainly it is left very much to its own devices now.
Again large numbers of peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies were seen.
Blue Tit                                                       Peacock
House Sparrow                                          Small Tortoiseshell
Yellowhammer
Chaffinch
Magpie
Crow
Skylark
Great Tit
Robin
Dunnock
Wren
Woodpigeon
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Lichen species

Turkey Tail Fungus