Another Lake Visit – Priory Park, Bedford

I visited Priory Park to see just what I might find, but initially I walked from the Car Park and found I had taken a route from there that was very overgrown, and populated largely with nettles — not an ideal proposition! I returned to where I had set out from and found there was a different route; by going out from the entrance, crossing the noisy wooden bridge and finding myself entering the Park in a far more straightforward way.

On this occasion I was carrying only the one camera, with its built-in zoom lens, the LUMIX FZ 10002, a surprisingly handy tool with its long range 25-400mm lens. This was not the first visit to this location, and once again, I chose routes that avoided crowds, and often walked in any available grassy areas beyond the paths. Although in the main I concentrated on the photographing of flowers, birds and insects, I also got a few shots of a small boat on the lake, a pair  framed by intervening trees; anything that caught my eye that were of interest, or were at least a challenge. On occasion, the viewpoint was the same, but with differing framing, for possible space for adding text, or when taking the shots of bees in one instance, I was obtaining different details.

I have noticed in the past from visiting lakes, some birds display more aggression than others — case in point are Mallard Ducks; they can often be very aggressive amongst themselves. Another aspect of taking images of aquatic birds is often the patterns they create when moving across the surface at speed, and I enjoy capturing the interference patterns caused when the ripples from two birds travelling in different directions, interact.

Textures tend to catch my eye, such as those displayed by developing new, young leaves. This is where this camera with its zoom lens excels, capturing a distant bird on the water, then a short while later, fine crisp detail of a leaf. On this lake, a mere couple of sailors were out on the lake, and managed to capture one using the light wind to jibe around a marker buoy.

Sadly, one of my favourite birds, the Grebe, rarely came close to the shore, and I did not spot any Grebe pairs or young Grebelings here. Sadly, on one of the other lakes I visit, a Grebe nest was raided by the local mink! The mink which have tended to appear on British lakes, are a very unwelcome species that have been responsible for harming both the resident fish and lake-based birds. My day was not as productive as I had hoped, especially as I saw very few Dragonflies, only getting a couple of shots of a  singleton.

However, it was good to get outside for a spell, yet generally avoiding any close encounters, and on my return I fielded a call from another fellow photographer with whom I had not been in contact for quite sometime; and it was a long call, only coming to a close when he was being called to supper by his wife!

Stewartby Lake – Post LockDown Activity

I have visited this lake before, but it was a while back, before the current lockdown, yet it was ironically less busy on that occasion. Free from the recent restrictions, the Public were out in force, often in quite large groups, which I am presuming are family-related. I was in no hurry, so taking any gaps in the trees that led to the bank of the lake was not always an avoidance manoeuvre, but an opportunity to explore. The shoreline mostly displaying the roots of its past by the vast numbers of broken bricks present. Every so often there are sections of mortared brickworks, and one of these actually resembles the shape of a small submarine with a conning tower, which certainly was not going to be missed by my camera! 

The surface of the lake was largely given over to sailing dinghies, with a few powered boats as spectators as well as rescue craft. As there was quite a brisk, though gusty wind, the swan families were keeping often close to the shore, in the areas where the trees and bushes kept them more protected from the human visitors. There was one spot where the bricks have been carefully arranged to presumably improve angling, by keeping an area clear of more of the invasion of nearby foliage, but what surprise me is there are so many steep and muddy banks which could benefit from the use of stacking such bricks to make access safer.

Perhaps, because the wind was often quite strong on this visit, I saw fewer butterflies than I had hoped, and I also witnessed a wasp attack one butterfly, and I thought this was likely to have a bad outcome for the butterfly, but surprisingly, it did not succumb, perhaps the sometimes ragged wings I see an assume as general wear ‘n’ tear are in fact evidence of such attacks from predatory wasps.

On this trip, I saw no dragonflies and only a few damselflies, so perhaps the wind was a deterrent to flying operations at this time. I did notice that the blackberries were certainly coming on, but the few that looked ripe I was not prepared to attempt to eat, in case the Virus had contaminated them, and they had definitely not reached the numbers where considering picking numerous fruit that could be washed after collection; there were simply too few for that to be a viable option.

It was fortunate that despite the powered boats were not ever close, this lens was still able to capture some shots of them at a reasonable quality, but the carrying of a longer lens and a heavy tripod was never an option for this visit. The cloud cover was often not conducive to good quality, but it was still great to be out and in some sunshine, and to chat with some of the other visitors.

Biddenham - A Long Riverbank Walk

I set off to Biddenham and the River Great Ouse to stroll along the banks to capture some of the native life to be found close by. I took a shot of the Information board, to make it easy for me to reference on the blog. I have been here before, but on this occasion I was here to explore the numerous paths leading off the main one, to reach close to the water’s edge where the subjects of my photography are to be found in fair numbers.

Fortunately, right at the beginning of the walk, there were good views of the bridge from the bank close by the Park entrance, with the river flowing fast over the shallows on the left. I took to the path that runs close to the bank, and investigated what shots could be taken along the bank side path, before finding the real images I sought; which were of the wildlife, such as butterflies, damselflies, and dragonflies and, views of the enclosing landscape of the park.

It was during the time down by the river bank, that I spotted interesting patterns in the water, so naturally they appear in the subsequent gallery of images in my blog. The River Great Ouse meanders in numerous loops in Bedfordshire, and in this area the river is often shrouded by woodland, which offers me good chances to photograph the birds, animals, insects, associated trees, vegetation, and flowers.

On this outing, there were numerous butterflies and damselflies; and the list of those, that I later managed to get shots of were Red Admiral, Brown Hawker, Ruddy Darter, Comma, and Meadow Brown butterflies, and Damselflies. One such, I had never seen before, the Emerald Damselfly. Altogether, I had a very enjoyable and productive afternoon.Later, after working through the editing I found myself with one image over a round number to fill four pages in the gallery to be uploaded to the server, so one more look through the images to decide which one is for the chop! Lastly, which image or images will head up the Blog entry, when it is ready to go online.

Wide View from Above Millbrook

Millbrook Proving Ground can be seen while standing at the edge of a high escarpment beyond the village, if one takes the right turn atop the hill out of the village of Millbrook, and continue for around half a mile till the turnstile appears on the right. It was here that I planned to meet up with my daughter and her young family. Once both children, a boy and his younger sister were out of their car, we headed across the vast expanse of open grass to where the expanse of countryside could be seen, with the Milton Keynes Dome on the far left, and just below to the right was a straight section of the Millbrook Proving Ground track that could be seen leading to the circular banked section, of which only a small section was visible.

  There is a large Perspex-covered map marking the major landmarks that appear in the vista, viewing visitors are able to see from this vantage point. On this afternoon we were treated to crystal clear views of every mentioned landmark, and also the as yet incomplete Incinerator with its cranes clearly visible as they work on its development. I had arrived much earlier and spent some time alone with my camera, to see whether the spot was free, since there is no car park, possibly to limit visitor numbers. My guess is that most of those coming to this spot are local, and many bring their dogs here, because of the expanse of open ground to give them plenty of exercise.

When I came earlier that day, a Red Kite was soaring over the entire area I could see, occasionally swooping lower to see what might be on its menu, but sadly at too great a distance for me to capture any meaningful images. Much of its time it must have been taking advantage of thermals, as he seemed to be exerting himself minimally as he glided most of the time I was watching, with the occasional fast dive to a lower level. My observation of kites is that much of their soaring is for pure enjoyment and to exercise their skills for when they are needed for hunting. There were several different species of butterfly, and since there was abundant sunshine, there seemed little need to land, so capturing them at rest even, was a challenge, because none gave you more than two seconds before taking to the air again, and also a mate might take advantage of them.

On this occasion, as I mentioned, I visited this spot twice, the first a reconnaissance trip, during which  I took pictures of some of the distant landmarks, and since the single vehicle that was present on my arrival, had disappeared, I assumed correctly as it happened, that there was a good chance the space would still be free for my daughter later, so I had returned home to get a drink and something to eat before their arrival.

River Gt. Ouse – Walk

           This gallery has a few additional, unrelated images from my front hedge and elsewhere, so that I could fill the available slots. I spent a relaxing and enjoyable time in a village a few miles north of my home, Milton Ernest. I took a walk alongside the River Great Ouse with the Lumix FZ10002 and one Closeup lens in case the opportunity arose where I needed to get close.

           In the distance at one stage, I spotted a church looking as if it was on a wooded island surrounded by fields. It should be apparent that my taste in images is somewhat Catholic, as it is not simply the life that exists in bushes and hedgerows, but the vista of landscapes themselves, and the architecture of structures to be found when walking, such as beneath the railway as it is elevated above low-lying fields. The rushing waters of the River Great Ouse I found fascinating as it caused the reeds to constantly wave to the currents and create ever-moving patterns that I found very restful. As I followed the course of the river, sometimes close, other times at a greater remove, the sun would cast shadows that moved across the landscape as if to similar rhythms; occasionally only lighting a thin moving wedge across the fields. Occasionally a tree standing alone caught my eye, or one dead tree reminded me of an Octopus as if halted whilst traversing the field.

           There were numerous butterflies, the occasional damselflies, a Swan with a single Cygnet slowly navigating the reeds close by the bank, a tiny snail beneath a leaf. All presented me with the challenge of how to capture the variety, whether up close or at a distance. I enjoyed the variety of the flowers, the winding road rising a hill, and the shapes to be found in the trunk of a tree. All these images were captured with the one camera, despite being close or distant, and in the case of the tiny snail by flipping up the flash to light the underside of the leaf to which it hung. On the next trip out I even used its ability to stitch a panorama as I carefully panned it from left to right; I cannot praise this LUMIX camera enough for sheer versatility!

Afternoon at Stewartby Woods and Lake

               I had spotted an entry to the woods with a broken gate, now open wide. I parked on the opposite side of the road to investigate further, but soon spotted something of interest in the nearby hedge — some three examples of the industrious work of Labyrinth spiders. Perhaps because of the consistent noise of passing vehicles, these seemed less shy of my bringing my camera to bear to capture shots of the makers of their homes and the means of regular food provision at the front entrance to their homes!

               Having taken two of my cameras from the car, I locked it, and crossed the road with them, and followed the path into the woods. I found that the path around the lake has been carefully improved to provide what will ultimately circle the entire lake; currently the reason the path circling the lake is incomplete is because of construction work on the forthcoming Rookery South power station. Upon my entry to the woods, it was not long before I spotted one of my personal favourite insects, hoverfly.

               I have no idea, since this was my first introduction to these woods, how frequented these woods are, but in the short walk along the path, I was very disappointed by the number of discarded poo bags were in evidence, and other examples of ill-disciplined human litterbugs with carelessly discarded crisp packs. Why is it so much bother to retain food packaging and dispose of it upon return from a pleasant walk in the woods? During my visit, I saw very few people, yet had I counted the bottles, cans, doggy poo bags and the like discarded, the numbers of such detritus far exceeded the number of human individuals I encountered, which is a really sad statement of how we treat our environment. Many people now have few personal spaces around their homes, so these Public Spaces are really valuable areas for recreation and relaxation, and should be treasured.

               Bedfordshire is a lucky county, in that the past scars on the landscape caused by the extraction of clay have been reclaimed as lakes and woodland for the enjoyment and relaxation for everyone. Just a little thought by everyone for how much enjoyment can be had in these places would mean all visitors who come here to walk, play and relax could be rewarded by the sights and sounds to be found in these places. Rant over — enjoy the shots of spiders, bees, butterflies, hoverflies, wildflowers, tree-lined avenues, and lake views.

Trip to Three Locks

               The opportunity to meet up with family is not an opportunity to miss under the current situation, so when my younger daughter called to suggest a meeting halfway between both of us, with her children. The destination on offer was for us both to head to the Three Locks Public House on the Grand Union Canal.

               We both had a reasonable idea of just how far this destination was from each of us and though I arrived earlier, it was not long before we both pulled up along the main road. It was a bright afternoon with large clouds in a bright blue sky — excellent weather for us all to be out in the fresh air and at the healthy distance as required under the current restrictions, and for me to grab the obvious photo opportunities available. It was a chance to catch up with Lizzy and for the children to run around in a different location. I was pleasantly surprised that despite the obviously well known spot, there was more than enough space for everyone to have no difficulty in keeping adequate separation at all times.

               As before, the camera I chose on this occasion was the LUMIX FZ10002, especially since this was very much a family outing, not a specifically photographic sortie, though still too good an opportunity to miss in such inviting weather, and photogenic location. The only disappointment was just how short a time we had together. I have to admit that I do find it tough to be forever keeping my distance from my family; especially as we have always been ones for family hugging.

               So to my mind the gallery of images in this instance was simply my stamp on the occasion, and a memory of a relaxing, all too short time in glorious sunshine with family and a camera as ongoing therapy!

Harrold-Odell Lake Avian Activity

                A lake with abundant wildlife on the water, and close to shore, was where I was headed, and seeing a space on the main road outside Harrold-Odell Country Park seemed like a good spot to park, since I suspected the Car Park itself was likely to be crowded. My guess was accurate.

               Although I was planning to use my EOS R, and the Sigma 60-600mm with its 1.5 Converter, I still slung my LUMIX FZ10002 over my shoulder, and this was a good move, even though it only came into its own at the end of my visit.

               Once I had mounted the camera on my Benbo tripod, I was good to go, and first stop was the small area closest to the car park, where I could get an idea of what activity was on the main lake, after a short while there I then started a walk anti-clockwise around that lake, glancing through the trees to get a feel for what I was likely to find. A Black-headed gull had monopolised the now tilted post at the first stop, and as I ventured further, it seemed as if it was interested in featuring in photos, as I feel sure it was the same bird, that later I spotted gliding in search of a meal and every so often after circling, would swoop to the water, and then spend time in amongst the swans, geese and ducks, on the water amongst them.

               The swans some with young, seemed to be protective, but also in the distance with no young could be seen to be fairly aggressive amongst themselves! As a consequence the swan families and this gull feature strongly. In the case of the gull, I wanted as much panning activity as possible, so I was very grateful for his equal desire to assist. He (or She) put me through my paces, by often flying just by the treeline, which was certainly challenging! 

               Although hardly an attractive bird, the Egyptian Goose features fairly frequently as it is not every day that oneness them, but I have spotted one here on an earlier occasion.

               As I walked around, several times I spotted a species of almost colourless damselflies, but every one bar one never seemed to settle, so were too elusive to warrant the effort to photograph them. This lone one however seemed happy to stay close, so I brought out my LUMIX camera and attached the closeup lens then stretched out my right hand, palm-down in the hope it might land, meanwhile since I am naturally right-handed I gripped the camera awkwardly with my left hand, and contorted myself, such that I could hold it to my eye and operate the shutter with the same hand. It obviously felt I should be humoured having gone to such effort and duly landed on my free left hand, and patiently stayed there to allow me a couple of bursts, and at the end stayed put till I offered him a leaf upon which he could alight.

               This entire scenario was watched by a man in a wheelchair and his carer, who were seated nearby, so having succeeded in getting my shot, I showed them the result on the camera. They probably were convinced I was nine pounds short of a tenner! But I was really chuffed with my small success! Butterflies appear to be fairly trusting of humans, as this was not a one-off for me. I have also put seeds on my hand for Robins! Palm down, always.

Stewartby Lake Nature Trail

Stewartby — The Season is Still Progressing

As Lockdown eases, the weather makes it easier to keep the crowds from yearning to be in the Great Outdoors, which imposes a limited restriction to the numbers of people going out, although it is less enticing for photography. Summer is fast approaching, and then the desire to be outside and involved more intimately with our families becomes irresistible – but we must be patient. Over the last months, taking photographs has been a blessing for my wellbeing; in fact, I do not think It is an exaggeration to say it has been a ‘blessing’ because were it not for the opportunities offered by the taking of photographs to be outside, I would not have been as calm about the enforced separation from all the members of my family.

As I have mentioned in the narrative of my blog, the taking of photographs is still as important as ever, and still very much a challenge. The camera most in my hands of late has been the LUMIX FZ10002, and I still feel there is more to be learned about how to handle it to best advantage; it is very capable, but has its quirks; what I need to do is configure some of the various controls very specifically for my personal needs, but so far I am wary to set these up, in case I manage to screw things up, so I am hoping that with isolation relaxing, I will be able to contact someone to guide me through setting up some speedy access to specific controls for my way of working.

I am eternally grateful for going to this year’s only major Photo Show and meeting up with Steve Scrase. Fortuitously he awaited my arrival at the stand he was at — the Panasonic stand. When we met up, he told me that a colleague of his had bought a LUMIX camera, with which he was most impressed, so much so that Steve convinced me that I should take a look. It was not long before I had the Mark II version of the model his friend had praised so highly. It did not take long handling the MkII version for me to be convinced that this camera which could not be described as ‘Professional’, since it was not weather-sealed in any way, definitely lived up to the praise of its image quality. I had a play and also had put a card of my own in, so that I could look in even greater detail later. Looking closely at the images, it took only a matter of moments to check out its price and decide it was worth a punt. After the Show and a day’s use, I then ordered a charger and a second battery, and it has become the camera of choice during this time when using my fully professional kit would likely be frowned-upon.

This camera is very capable and versatile and lives up to its early promise, but has its quirks, and is still challenging; there always seems to be one parameter missing when you need to finesse something swiftly, and that is a needed conversation with someone at Panasonic. The shots in these two pages were all taken using this camera, some with the addition of a closeup ring — I needed the exercise for body and soul, I hope they give someone some pleasure. It is difficult to believe, but every shot in this gallery has been captured with this camera, sometimes assisted by a single 1-dioptre close-up ring for a few shots. As a result of my experience with its results, it now is kept within the soft neoprene cover for when it might come in handy. A note to Panasonic; please provide more metadata from the camera to be embedded, in particular, orientation if that is possible.