Nearby Stewartby

     

It was warm, but overcast when I parked up beyond the railway bridge on the outskirts of Stewartby. I assembled the EOS R6 on the monopod with the 60-600mm Sigma lens and crossed the road to enter the path leading to the open area beyond. I was lucky to get just three frames of a pair of Greylag Geese heading in the general direction of Ampthill, and one was fortunate to be used at the start of the two page gallery of images from my brief visit.

I was hoping for more birds and possibly rabbits, but the rabbits spotted me and scampered into the bushes before I could even consider a shot! They never reappeared. I spent a few minutes to see whether they re-appeared, then a few moments taking a look at the small lake bordered by reeds, but no signs of life appeared there either!

Every so often trains passed on the raised lines in both directions so I captured a few shots of them, which was good panning practice, and the new EOS R6 body performs excellently in giving me crisp images in short fast bursts. For those interested, I was shooting at ISO 1250, which at exposures of around 1/800 at f/10 gives excellent detail, with no need to smooth out Noise, and the sign writing on the side of the trains is totally legible despite the train passing at high speed. The quality this camera extracts from the Sigma lens across its range is faultless, and when it is sunny I am happy using the 2x Converter which for Sports and Wildlife shots, only using a monopod is a joy.

I am really looking forward to the relaxing of Lockdown and some wind to be blowing at Brogborough to enjoy using this new body at the extremes! Canon and Sigma – Thank you!

Stewartby — The Small World

I have been using an interesting small Camera, since a colleague of mine mentioned how impressed a friend of his had been with it when he had bought the first incarnation of the LUMIX FZ 1000. We were at the only Photo Show in London this year, and fortuitously we arranged to meet where he was at that moment— the Panasonic stand. I had gone to the show with no intentions of purchasing anything, but simply to keep myself up to date with what was happening, and meet ‘friends of long-standing’ (thus avoiding saying I was meeting ‘Old Friends’!) I played with it awhile and after numerous inspections of the images zoomed in tightly, I was equally impressed as my colleague’s friend had been who had bought the earlier version (without the Flip ‘n’ Tilt Screen!)

It was an almost instant over-secretion of the Want Glands, as I could see immediately the potential of a ‘take everywhere’ small camera with an impressively long range zoom lens. I was fully aware that it boasted no weather-sealing whatsoever, but at the weight, price and image quality, it could be seriously useful, and way more usable than a phone camera. This is a serious camera, not a toy, but excellent value when I took into account the ‘Show Price’.

Having played with it seriously for a couple of days after the show, and seen only one snag, the maze of (to me) surfeit of different controls to master to get what I needed, I purchased the essential ‘extras’ a spare battery and a separate charger. It is now always to hand, and has proved its worth during the Worlwdwide Lockdown that followed — it does not attract attention compared to had I gone out with my long-lensed camera and heavy tripod — I am just any other bloke with a small camera! An absolute Godsend!

This last trip out was with one small addition, a supplementary Close-up ring, one of the set of four that I have just purchased from the small UK company —  SRB Griturn — every image in this gallery was taken within close-up ring permanently attached, it was the least power one, which proved excellent, with no downsides whatever. They come from this small friendly company I have known and bought from over many years. This particular ring will handily fit a plastic holder I already had, and will stay in my camera’s soft case permanently making the camera even more versatile!

This gallery contains only insects and the plants upon which they either land upon or feed from, I had hoped for sightings of the rabbits that live in this small wood, but no such luck on this occasion.

Green bottle fly, butterflies, damselflies, ladybirds, bees, hoverflies, Stewartby, opposite to Lakes

Visit to a Stewartby Field Path

Using an OS Map of the Stewartby area, I located a field on the outskirts of Stewartby, just beyond the Railway bridge along the road leading to the Ampthill Road, that appeared to show a series of lakes. There was a lay-by opposite the entrance, so initially I parked the car and decided to investigate on foot without any cameras. The field was full of wild flowers, and though there was an information board to the left of a navigable strip, it was barely accessible without a scythe!

I took the easy route and the path widened to  the left of a hawthorn hedge, with several newly planted trees, with a bank on the left that overlooked a stand of reeds, and I suspect that beyond were the series of small lakes that were designated on the map, though I could see no sign of water. Unencumbered with photographic gear, I strode along till I reached a bridge over a brook that led into the adjacent field; I did investigate this, but it held no interest and continued along the field margin to the left for a distance to check it out, then returned the way I had come.

On my return trip I spotted a small trio of rabbits, but they promptly disappeared back into the thicket as I approached, so I took note of the spot for my return later with a camera. I decided it was definitely worth setting up the camera, so collected EOS R with the 60-600mm Sigma and 1.4x Converter and mounted it on my medium heavy tripod with the Acratech Long lens head and leveller which I could heft without too much strain. Access was very muddy, so I lifted the tripod over the gate and stood it on the solid concrete beyond then navigated to path avoiding the worst of the mud more easily unencumbered, then collected it once beyond and continued along the path. It was very muggy and when I stopped to capture some of the bees at work, I had to keep wiping my steamed-up glasses. I made my way slowly to the corner spot where earlier I had spied the rabbits, and did not have too long a wait before one broke cover gingerly, I waited patiently and was eventually rewarded by the appearance of two more. After a few shots from that spot, I moved a few steps closer over about fifteen minutes, before they decided I had come too close, and they took cover.

After that I took a few more shots before departing, I managed to get a shot of a butterfly and some bees, but I will return when the sun is out, and I will investigate the reeds to see whether there is water beyond, but in more suitable footwear.

Evening Skies over Nearby Landscape

Spotting the richness and power of the clouds, I hastily grabbed my camera and shot out to Stewartby and Houghton Conquest where it is marginally less flat than here in Marston Moretaine to capture a few quick shots of the effect these could have on mundane and unremarkable landscapes.

There were barely enough to create a gallery, but they could later provide backgrounds to cards with plenty of space for an accompany message. Simply Grist to the Mill. The image that heads this piece was me playing with duotoning one shot in Lightroom to almost simulate a snow scene.

I also took the chance to visit an engineering works who manufacture robot parts for the automotive sector of British Industry in case they might ever have a need for my services, but sadly they already have an incumbent, but I try to leave no stone unturned, and I had earlier helped a photographer based in Cardiff hoping it might generate some training at a future date, so the day was not not a washout.