Wildlife photography... The Camera

Why do I bother? Last year I splashed out on a compact digital camera (henceforth known as "The Camera") with a 12 times optical zoom - one that would fit neatly into a pocket - so as not to have to take the BIG camera out whilst out walking the dog - because I was fed up coming back from a walk, digging the phone out, and explaining to my wife that the tiny blob on the screen that you could just make out was, indeed, a deer, or such other distant piece of wildlife.

So this year, whenever I've not taken The Camera out with me I've seen some cracking wildlife. In the snow of January, a fox in the middle of a field. March, a red kite overhead. May, it was either a red kite being mobbed by a buzzard or the other way around.

We'e also got a pair of Oyster Catchers nesting on one of the drainage ponds for the A1M, but that's not why I'm writing.

It's the pair of whaups. The glorious curlew has decided to nest in this vicinity.

So of an evening when I go out and walk Loopus, I hear the most fabulous birdsong that I know - the curlew's call, and see them flying through the air.

However, they know, like all wildlife, just when I will be carrying The Camera. They stay away. All last week, I didn;t take The Camera out, and all last week, in the evenings, there they were, flying overhead, warbling that wonderful song.

This week, new memory card, thus new incentive, took the camera out - they didn't appear. Not even a whisper. Not once.

Then tonight, I didn't bother with The Camera, I took a bottle of beer instead. I'd got 100 yards into the walk when:-

"Whau-whau-whau....!" The pair of them, overhead!

Here's some lovely video from someone else.

Yet another bloody night where I have to take the dug in the car to gie him a walk!!! The underpass is 2 foot deep FFS! This is not on.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

Friday night was a wee bit special as far as the sky at night was concerned. Firstly, and most importantly, there were no clouds. A clear sky is vital to see astronomical events. Secondly, the moon was full, and Mars was in attendance - perhaps not as bright as in 2003, but good enough - so that you could photograph them together.

So I went out walking Loopus up the local cycle path, our usual route.

It was stunning, no need for a torch for the first time since the snow disappeared. The wind was strong, but it didn't feel too cold until I realised that the ground was starting to freeze. Birds called, chirped, and whooped, and a solitory fox yapped in the distance. It was wonderful. There and then a wee plan hatched...

Saturday night saw David and I meet at Gargrave at around half 8.
"Your car or mine?" he asked.
"Mine, Ah've got the dug!"
"WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!!!!"
"Wheesht, Loopus, it's only David!!!"

By 9 o'clock we were at the Ribbleshead Viaduct, walking towards Whernside by the light of the silvery moon. Loopus, kept in the car for the last 90 or so minutes, was running around madly with that look of disbelieving pleasure on his face at being somewhere new with all of its smells to explore. Whernside looked magnificent with a decent amount of snow still on its flanks and peak.

We wandered up the path with Loopus always a short distance ahead of us. We said good evening to the Permanent Way, out working on the Blea Moor tunnel of the Settle-Carlisle line.

Further on, we crossed a stream, Loopus plowtering on ahead across the ice to find that the water was 6 inches below it! He came along the opposite bank to face us; we'd just seen the bridge that we would use, but he looked as if he was going to come back across to us. I didn't want this to happen, as I couldn't see what was below the ice. So I called to him to "SIT, WAIT!" and to my astonishment, he bloody did, too! Even when we'd got across! I called him to me, and he was given a big reward.


So we continued up, setting a rough time to turn back, and stopped for photos occasionally. Loopus wouldn't sit still long enough to get a shot of him in the moonlight, there were too many smells to explore, too much ground to cover. He was loving it.


We turned back not long after this, realising that if we'd got our act together and been out there an hour earlier we'd have been able to reach the summit. As we came back down, we could see the reflection of the P-Way's lights in the Blea Moor tunnel , and the houses in the valley. The Station Inn's lights were blazing, the fruit machine doing its rhythmic flashing lights thing through a frosted glass window. It looked inviting, but we needed to get back; we could have a drink another time.

As we parted at Gargrave, we said that we'd have to do this again. It was bloody wonderful to get out on the hill, even if we didn't make the top. Oddly enough, the last Saturday of February should have a full moon too - let's hope the weather and the moon are feeling co-operative...

Midnight walks with the dog.

So here I am, still awake at the back of 1am, not long after taking the dog for a walk.

Don't get me wrong; I've already been to bed. I had those couple of minutes of sleep and then woke up. Tried to get get back to sleep and it didn't work. So I got up, and took the dog out for the walk that I should have taken him for at about half 8.

The dog is called Loopus, and the reason for the blog's name. I expect the blog to include all sorts of stuff including walking the dog, old cars, cars, walking, family, friends, and quite possibly jobs.

At the moment, I've been told that my department closes by the 31st March. Supposedly, we have 6 months notice of termination of employment, but that seems to be in limbo too. Hence I'm stressed to Falkirk and hence why I'm taking the dog out for a walk at midnight.

I've been here before, with the stress thing. 15 years ago when I worked in the Hotel, I was stressed. Part of the walking at odd hours was the shifts, but a lot of it was the shit you have to deal with when futures are uncertain and your recent plans for the future are in tatters.

At the time, I was not long out of University, admittedly with a shit degree, but as a scientist it should have held more than a shit job in a hotel kitchen as a promise. FFS, even the worst uni course in the worst university should prepare someone for not having to fill that role! This is not snobbery - it's socialism, and a failure of the education system: just how can a person leave a 500 year old University with a degree, but end up working in a hotel as kitchen staff for 4 and a half years? FFS, there were jobs I coulda done! More importantly, there were people who weren't as lucky educationally as me who needed my job! They were on the dole!

So now I'm experienceing these sorts of things again. The not being able to sleep, etc.. Still, at least I understand it a bit more now.

Back to the walk. The underpass is still flooded, so we wentout towards the children's play area.
He does go mental when I go on the kids deathslide thing!