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.

Swanupmanship

For those that enjoy natural history documentaries on television, the name of David Attenborough will be synonymous with his programmes, where he has looked at wildlife in practically every part of the planet. He must have got through hundreds of passports since he started broadcasting in the 1950s. David had an older brother Richard, who was a famous actor and film director.

Well today marks his 90th birthday, and one present he has received is having a new research vessel named after him, rather than Boaty McBoatface, which the general public voted for.

Nottingham also has an Attenborough, it's where the nature reserve is, and not far from where I live. It too has also just reached a birthday milestone, having got to its 50th year of being open to the public.

As it was such a lovely sunny day, Gail & I popped down to see if anything was happening. There were certainly plenty of people about, feeding the birds and enjoying the sunshine.

We had firstly been to the garden centre to get some plants for the hanging baskets. Then Gail said about visiting the very popular tourist attraction. I only had my 25mm lens on my camera, so I was going to be a bit limited to what sort of photos I could take.

But I'm quite happy with this one of a swan having a stretch. There are lots of swans and ducks that have made their home there, but there are also some more shy birds that live there, and have their nests some way off and out of sight. The nature reserve is often publicised for having rare birds land there for some in-flight rest and food.

Peek-a-Boo

It was a lovely sunny cycle ride home today. Spring has definitely arrived.

Being so warm that I stopped and had an ice cream, whilst I watched the joggers, rowers and more students doing selfies by the blossom.

I stopped off in various places along my route to take the odd photo. I crouched and watched this hunting along the bank for food. I followed it for a little while. It was slowly making it's way to a part that had been made into a sort of landing stage area. So I lowered my camera and shot this while he popped his head up, as if to say "Have you got any bread for me or not?".

Sadly I didn't, and so he flounced off in a bit of a huff, looking out for the next possible supplier of food.

Swan Song

A swan mistakenly thinking that I'd bought him some food. Sadly not, I only wanted to take his photo.