A Bird's Eye View

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in nearly a week. It's just that I have been busy editing a load of photos that I've taken recently for a couple of people, who asked me to do some photography for them.

But normal service is being resumed.

So today I took my daily commute through Highfields as usual, when I noticed a bird standing on a bench and looking out towards the lake.

Now there's an interesting shot I thought. So I got off my bike, and gently crept towards the seat, so not as to frighten the bird, which I think is a young Canada goose.

I took a few shots, as I thought he might fly away at any time. But no, he just stood there, watching the other birds on the lake. So I inched a bit closer, then a bit closer still, until I was crouched down at the side of the bench, and took a few more shots.

I had my Pentacom vintage lens on my Olympus camera, so some of them didn't come out too well, but I like this one, as you can see him studying the action on the lake.

And before anyone quizzes me, no the bird didn't have one leg. He was just doing a Long John Silver impression. He had raised his other leg. Maybe resting it.

I'm In His Sights

Most times that I cycle home through Highfields, I see this swan all on their lonesome. There are other swans on the lake, but he never seems to want to play with them in the water. Preferring to be alone, or just sitting with the odd duck or moorhen.

I don't know why he prefers his own company, and recently I have started to feel sorry for him, as I know what it is like to be alone.  So I have been buying some bags of wild bird seed for his tea.

He seems to enjoy it, and soon gobbles up the pile that I pour out of the bag. I know not to feed him bread, as it isn't very good for them, so I have been popping to the pound shop, and buying the largest bag that I could find, which usually lasts for two or three visits.

I think he has got used to my visits now, as tonight he started to waddle up to me as I was getting off my bike. He also gets quite eager to sample the goodies that I bring, as sometimes he tries to peck at the open bag as I'm pouring the contents out.

I took this photo with a vintage lens. A Hanimex 35mm f2.8, which I bought from a charity shop at the weekend. As it was sunny today, I thought I would give it a go. I wanted to get a different angle, so tried one pointing upwards. I had to guess whether I had the shot fully in focus, as I couldn't use the viewfinder. Instead I had to make do with the EM-1's back screen.

Not a bad effort, if I say so myself. There's also some interesting shaped bokeh, which makes for something different.

Peace And Love

A glorious and sunny evening cycle ride home through Highfields.

Plenty of rowing boats still being enjoyed on the lake. The ice cream van still selling doing a roaring trade from hot students and visitors. Joggers still running, even with the bright sun shining down on them.

Getting towards the other end, I came across two female Asian students posing for photographs being taken by another Asian student. Not with a camera, but with a mobile phone.

So I thought that I would have a go myself. They found it amusing that I would want to take their picture. But we did a little photoshoot, and showed them the results. Which they seemed pleased with.

The girl with the handbag gave me her email address, so that I could send them on to her. Which I have done, as I think it is important to provide photos to people that you have taken their picture of.

I bet when they receive them, they will be excitedly emailing them home to their friends and relations, saying how great things are going in Nottingham and at the university, even if our studies are difficult.

Daisy, Daisy

A simple shot today of a daisy growing in the spring sunshine, during my cycle ride on my way home through Highfields.

Hello Ducky

Here's one of the Highfields' ducks enjoying a bit of sunbathing in the late afternoon sunshine.

It's Me In The Spotlight

Another squirrel shot. This time he's being highlighted by the late afternoon sunlight, falling low and peeking through the trees in Highfields.

A Bum Shot

Cycling through Highfields, I saw lots of squirrels wandering around, looking for food to keep them going through the winter.

Crouching on the ground, I stayed quiet, as the squirrels  became used to me being there. The park was fairly quiet too, with just the odd jogger or walker passing by.

Slowly their curiosity became too much and one gently crept towards me. I raised my camera and tried to get a shot. He obviously was scared by this and made a run for it, just as I pressed the shutter!

Secret Squirrel

Another dull day, and another cycle ride through Highfields.

One of the many squirrels that inhabit the park posed for me today, whilst looking for food. Not having a zoom lens on my camera, I had to creep very slowly towards him. I actually had a legacy lens on my Olympus, the Nikon 50mm f1.4D. I moved very quietly too, so that I wouldn't scare him and he would make a bolt for the nearby tree. But he sat there quite contentedly posing for a photo or two, before scuttling off in search of some more titbits.

Whispering Grass

An ear of wild grass blowing in the breeze in our Beeston garden.

A Path To Somewhere

Another shot from Highfields, the way into the woods. A gentle stroll through the trees, then you arrive at the rhodendrums, full of colour and scent.

Spring Greens

 Some late afternoon sunshine making Highfields glow as I cycled home from work.

I passed various joggers, kids on bikes, students walking home from the university close by and a lady exercising her dog. Plus of course squirrels rung around and ducks sitting enjoying the warm weather.

Shadow Lines

Some strong late afternoon sunshine has generated a number of shadow lines of trees in Highfields.

You may be able to spot a jogger running along the pathway in the top left hand corner.

Balls Up

Another quiet day in Nottingham, so here's a shot of the Beeston Bears' training match that I photographed on Sunday afternoon.

Now I bet you are wondering whether Number 59 caught the ball, even though he had his hands closed at that particular moment. Well the answer is yes, before he was chased by the guy in the orange tabbard.

Bear Grills

I went down to a local recreation ground today to take photos and do some interviewing of a local American Flag Fottball team called the Beeston Bears, for a local magazine that I am involved in called the Beestonian.

For a winter's day it was very sunny, so it made taking the photos more interesting and the light gave the pictures some life, as you can see.

The visit made me remember when I was at school, as we went there for our PE lessons.

The Beestonian is available on line, and here is the LINK, so you will be able to read my article when the next issue is published.

Barefoot In The Park

Sunday morning saw a few hundred people walk around Wollaton Park without any shoes on. It was all done in the name of charity.

The Nottingham Barefoot Walk was thought of by Lee Todd, and which aims to publicise the fact that there are people in the world that have to walk barefoot every day and so old shoes are collected, to be sent to countries life Africa through the Shoe-Aid scheme.

Fortunately it was a lovely sunny & dry day, otherwise people might end up with very muddy and very dirty feet.

There was a choice of either a 3km or 5km walk and afterwards a few local bands entertained everyone  in the sunshine.

Quackers

Well Autumn is just around the corner, and the Canadian geese are getting ready to fly away for the winter.

There must have been about twenty of them in Highfields today, all with heads down eating the grass, and like this fellow, getting it all over his beak. No wonder he doesn't look too happy.

Who Is Number One

Besides the boating lake, croquet pitch and child's play area, there is also a putting green at Highfields Park.

I saw that the park keepers hadn't removed the little signs to show where the holes were, so I thought I would take a shot of one of them.

So I laid down on my belly, as I wanted to take a good worm's eye view shot that was in line with the grass, f1.8, so I would get some nice bokeh in the background.

A Vintage Runaround

Phew, has it been hot today. The sun has been shining all day long and according to reports, the temperature has been hotter than the Mediterranean.

Beeston's carnival has been taking place all day, with music, stalls, a parade and games to play. There was also a few classic are on show, including this Rover 3500 from around 1973.

The carnival is always a great event and a good opportunity to meet up with old friends. I saw about eight in total and met someone that I only know from Facebook.

Making Hay While The Sun Shines

For some reason; probably a bird dropped a seed, we have a big grass plant growing in the garden.

It's quite tall and has these ears of seeds sprouting everywhere.

Not a brilliant photograph by any stretch. I've not quite mastered this macro or close-up photography yet. But at least I keep trying.

The Signs Are Good

Although not described as a tourist attraction, something new has appeared in the grounds of Nottingham University.

In the style of the famous 'HOLLYWOOD' sign; students at the university have created 'NOTTINGHAM' and includes lots of photos in the letters that make up the name.

Each letter is about six foot high, and they have been placed on the top of a hill, so it can be well seen from different parts of the area.