2024 Project 52 - Weekly photos by Geoff F

[billtils]

Thanks for the information on sawflies Geoff - and congratulations on the stunning sawfly example.

Sorry to hear about your back, I've had 3 different family experiences: my wife who had a 6 hour not entirely successful surgery many years ago that left her pain free but less mobile, myself (also some years ago) who was relieved when the GP prescribed a course of high dose ibuprofen that did the trick, and my sister (in the last month) who was probably the most severely affected but had short, uneventful, and successful surgery.

Best wishes for a successful outcome by whatever pathway.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments and wishes. I am slowly improving and taking a few shots in my garden and nearby.

Week 21 - The Greedy Jackdaw. Jackdaws are increasing around my garden and certainly make interesting friends. Reasonably happy around people and rather intelligent crafty birds. One of the few bird species which can use their feet to hold slippery food while they attack it with their beaks.



7D with Sigma 150-600 Sport lens 1/200 F10 Iso 400 on a tripod. Merge of three conversions from a single Raw image.



And a large Rook has also started using my feeders.

[Cantab]

A great set of action photos, even if the action is only eating!

At first glance, I thought I was looking at a crow but after consulting Wikipedia I see that jackdaws are separate from crows. I don't recall from my time studying in Britain whether crows exist there – although I saw the Tower of London ravens many decades ago.

Birdfeeders in the garden are a wonderful way of having a bird photo studio. We used to have a couple of birdfeeders that were clearly visible from our kitchen window. But because of mobility issues, regularly replenishing the food supply is no longer feasible.

For several years, I participated in a citizen scientist project, Feeder Watch; it involves recording data and providing weekly reports from the beginning of November to the end of April. The purpose was to keep track of fluctuations in bird populations. Are there similar bird projects like this in England? I know you've been very active in recording insects and plants in nature reserves, etc.

[billtils]

Hi Bruce. Yes we have crows - lots of them (https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/carrion-crow)

[Cantab]

Hi Bruce. Yes we have crows - lots of them (https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/carrion-crow)

Hi Bill, thank you for the link. The carrion crow looks identical to ours but has a different taxonomic name. Until a few years ago, the crows on the west coast were Northwestern Crows, supposedly slightly smaller and with a slightly different call from the American Crow. On a birding trip to the southern interior of the province, we had fun trying to identify the geographical boundary between the coastal crows and the "inland" crows of North America. Then a few years ago, the taxonomic powers that be decided that the Northwestern Crows were not separate from the American Crow. So that's what we have now.

The RSPB site looks interesting. I'm going to have a good look at it. I remember seeing seabirds on a trip from Skye to the Outer Hebrides (now almost 50 years ago). Nowhere on the RSPB site is there an obvious explanation of what RSPB stands for. Perhaps Royal Society for the Protection of Birds?

[Round Tuit]

Royal society for the protection of birds according to their facebook page.

[billtils]

That's exactly what the "RSPB" is Bruce

[Geoff F]

Week 22 - Moth Camouflage. There are a vast number of moth species and they all have their own versions of camouflage.

Foxglove Pug



Buff Arches



Brussels Lace



Crescent Dart

[billtils]

Nice set Geoff. Super photographs that illustrate your point very well. My "stealth" vote would go to the Brussels Lace

[Cantab]

I agree with Bill -- a good set of photos.

I assume the moths were photographed in your dedicated moth studio?

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments.

Yes Bruce, caught in a light trap. I packed up around midnight with 30 species caught.

Then they were placed in individual tubes inside a refrigerator overnight and the following morning those which required a bit of extra thought for identification were placed onto a piece of suitable bark and photographed before being released.

[Geoff F]

Week 23 - Bolberry Down. Yesterday, I managed a slow two hour walk around this area beside the coast path which has been sown with a wildflower mixture alongside the naturally occurring plant life.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/640 F11 Iso 250. Merge of two edits from a single Raw image. Maybe a slight crop from the left side and sky?



A Skylark came close but the biggest lens I had with me was 200 mm and I couldn't get closer.



Canon 70-200 lens 1/500 F11 Iso 250

[billtils]

Well done on the skylark Geoff. I'm not sure if this is the same UK wide but most local councils here are leaving a goodly sized wild flower verge at the road sides now - much more attractive than the "short back and sides" of earlier years.

[Cantab]

Geoff, there's nothing wrong with the Skylark photo! It's a great shot.

I'm glad you're recovered enough that you can do a long walk.

I wondered about the crop you were pondering for the photo with the gate. Removing the bush on the right side would move the gate itself more into the middle of the image but, for my money, would reduce the sense of actually being there. And, as you have it currently cropped, the wooden structure of the fence and gate are in fact somewhat central.

As for cropping the sky, I initially thought that might be a good idea but then realized that, for whatever it's worth, the horizon line would be very close to the centre of the photo. So there are good reasons why you posted the photo as it is.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments

Week 24 - Andrews Wood. I had to check some bird boxes and record whether they had been successfully used this spring. Because I was carrying a step ladder and fighting my way through waist high grass and other foliage, I didn't want to take a heavy camera. So I just used my little Fuji X20 and my attempted scenes were pushing it a bit too far. But the best camera to use is the one you have with you - so I had a go anyway.

The entrance gate



1/240 F8 Iso 200. Merge of two conversions from a single Raw file.

Part of the grass cutting team



1/300 F6.4 Iso 100

It was a day of sunshine and clouds with a few showers.



1/550 F5.6 Iso 100

[Geoff F]

While that little Fuji X20 struggles with landscapes the macro function makes a reasonable effort on flowers. Not so good for live insects though.

Week 25. Bramble flower. All shots hand held on a windy day in natural conditions.



1/200 F6 Iso 200

Catsear



1/160 F8 Iso 200

And a side view to prove it is a Catsear not one of the similar species.



1/850 F7.1 Iso 200

Common Birdsfoot Trefoil



1/750 F6.4 Iso 200

And a Marsh Thistle plus a fly



1/250 F8 Iso 200

[Geoff F]

Week 26 - Watkins Wood, Woodleigh. Another of those impossible scenes, which I tried anyway. One of the entrances to the wood with a bridge across the stream.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/50 F7.1 Iso 640. Merge of two bracketed exposures.

And a field gate between the reserve and farmland. The gates are held together by the traditional method - baler twine.



1/1000 F7.1 Iso 640. I forgot to change the camera settings from the previous scene.

And a couple of the insects which I photographed in the wood. A micro moth - Pyrausta despicata

Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/200 F11 Iso 500



Black Snipefly



Sigma 180 macro lens. 1/200 F9 Iso 400. Flash used.

[billtils]

Another entirely enjoyable post due in no small part to the contrast between the gentle rural scenes and the insect macros - well don Geoff!

[Cantab]

Another entirely enjoyable post due in no small part to the contrast between the gentle rural scenes and the insect macros - well don Geoff!

I agree with Bill.

Geoff, in the second photo, I'm wondering if the fern to the right of the gate is a type of bracken.

[Geoff F]

Yes Bruce, Bracken. It spreads so easily and becomes a serious problem on wildlife reserves and farmland. The only two control measures are very strong weedkiller or chopping it down when it is strongly growing which weakens the plants, but they still seem to return.

There is a hand tool called a Bracken Basher which looks like a large sword with a bent tip. Bracken Bashing with this tool is hard work!

With that second image I was uncertain about the power lines and whether to try to clone them out; but I eventually thought they draw the viewers eyes into the scene centre so I left them alone.