Housebound

 

I'm currently off work at the moment due to problems with my back which has greatly reduced my mobility (hopefully the consultant will be able to shine some light on the matter tomorrow). I can't walk very far or stand for very long and the medication leaves me dull of thought and dopey (although friends will say "no real change there, then").

All the photographs in this post where taken in the last ten days.  I've tried my hand at "Arty" pictures and last night we had a fantastic sunset that I managed to photograph from the back door.  In fact, most of these pictures were taken from the back door.  I hope you enjoy.

The Wisteria on the front of the cottage.

Silver Birch being buffeted by the autumn winds

The kitchen window

Full moon through a gap in he trees

Squirrel scoping out the bird feeders

Sunrise through the bedroom window

The sunset yesterday (Saturday 18th October)

Camera Shy

In the very first post on this blog, I mentioned the Tawny owls that regularly roosted in the large conifers that mark the boundary of the garden.  They are a pair, one of them is more skittish than the other and will fly off if you hang around to long.   It's mate, tends to pretend you aren't there while keeping a half open eye on you but does tolerate me trying to take photos of it.   We were fortunate a couple of years ago to take some pictures of branching chicks in the trees (you can find that post here) but the adults themselves are elusive.

Tawny owls in the area appear to be thriving.  You can hear them calling when darkness falls and their calls come from all directions, warnings for others to keep out of their territory,  Our neighbour has told me that he can hear eight or nine of them when returning from the village pub.  We see them land in the tree outside the bedroom window but they are gone before you can get a camera trained on them.  They have a couple of trees in the garden that they favour to sleep in during the day.  At this moment in time, they have also added our neighbour's willow tree as one of their roosting spots.

They've chosen well as they pick the most photograph unfriendly location.  High up, in the gloom and blocked by thin branches (the camera tends to focus on these so the owls almost always manage to be out of focus).

The picture below is one of the better shots I've taken as it the owl decided to sun itself in a different tree that was relatively unobscured.

Hopefully, one day I'll get the opportunity to get a perfect shot of one or both of them.

This post is dedicated to my older brother.  Every time he pays a visit, the owls aren't around and he was beginning to think they were fictitious.

The High Life

Last week there was some building work going on at the house to rebuild the chimney.  With the scaffolding erected it was the perfect opportunity to see the village from a different prospective.

As I am currently crocked again with back problems, Terry took to the scaffolding to take the photographs.  You can see that autumn is well and truly with us here in the UK.

Watch The Skies

I love a great sunrise or sunset.  The pictures below were done mainly in the garden or hanging out of the bedroom window.

No effect has been added.  This was a particularly vivid solstice sunset in December 2013. 

Predators

In the last post about North Leverton Windmill I mentioned the autumn family fun weekend to raise funds for the upkeep of the windmill.  A regular feature at the weekend are the Yorkshire Hawking Club who bring a wide selection of raptors and put on flying displays for the crowds.  The club are very informative and will patiently answer any questions that people have about the birds.  below are a selection of photographs that I've taken in the past couple of years at the fun weekend.

Kestrel

Gyr

Golden Eagle

Harris Hawk

I can't remember what this one is called!

Barn Owl

Wind Power

North Leverton Windmill was built in 1813 and is still in active use today. The windmill is owned by a charity and is looked after by dedicated volunteers keen to keep this amazing piece of working heritage for future generations to enjoy.

I pass the windmill every day going to and from work and I like to buy the freshly milled flour from here as it makes excellent bread.  You can also explore the interior to see just how the mill works.

The Windmill is open to the public every Saturday and in September a family fun weekend is held to raise funds to support the upkeep.  There are craft stalls, vintage vehicles games and face painting for the kids and my personal favourites, the birds of prey (more of these next post).

Be Prepared

Last Sunday, we decided to get the mountain bikes out and get some exercise. It was a warm, sunny late summer day and we had intended to try a different route that a friend of mine suggested. I debated whether or not to take the camera along (most of route we do regularly so it would have offered little in the way of variety) but at the last minute I decided to take it along.  The good thing about a micro four thirds camera system is the size and the light weight.

On the way to the village of Sturton-Le-Steeple, we pulled over to watch what appeared to be two buzzards circling above us. Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to get the camera out of my rucksack so the pictures I took where hazy and distant.  I was cursing for being too slow.

The Reindeer Inn at Sturton-Le-Steeple is a regular stopping off point for us when out on the bikes. We have a couple of routes that we take, one that clocks in around the nine mile mark and the other direct route is around three miles.  There has been a settlement here since Roman times and like many villages in this area it has its own architecturally interesting church opposite the pub.

The benches outside the pub are situated next to a large duck pond that has been very short on ducks in recent visits.  This time, we were greeted by the sight of eight ducklings being chaperoned by their mother.

The sides of the pond are quite steep for the ducklings, so they've utilised the stepping stones to get out of the water.

The ducks go pretty well where they want to without a care in the world.  They held up a car that was trying to leave the pub car park for almost five minutes as they scurried around, oblivious to the potential danger.

The mother led them across the road and into the graveyard of the church where we presume they have made a home for themselves away from danger.

 This alone made bringing the camera along worthwhile but a short time later I spotted something on the horizon speeding towards us.  The Vulcan Bomber (also on this post) was making another flight.  On its recent fly overs it has felt as though the pilot was deliberately teasing me.  It was either obscured by low cloud or it was crossing the sun which threw the plane into silhouette.  This time, I was ready for it.

 

We ended up having to end our bike ride prematurely due to a puncture on Terry's bike.  (tip, it's worth buying yourself a decent bike pump that actually pumps.)  Half an hour later and we had it temporarily repaired to make the journey back home.  Despite being covered in oil it was a worthwhile afternoon out.