A Bit More From The New Toy and You Can't Argue with Xenophon

It was a lovely sunny day today, just the right conditions to get some more practice in with the new camera. There haven't been many birds about in the last couple of days but I decided to have a quick look up Axe Cliff this morning just the same. The good news is that all the wheat as been harvested and there are acres and acres of stubble, lets just hope some of it is left over the winter as last year it was all quickly ploughed and resown. As expected it was very quiet but it was nice to see a large flock of Linnets in one of the fields. I wonder if the flock reach the 900+ that were up there a few years back... It's got a long way to go!

This is about half the present flock (c45 birds in this)

The photos from the new canera/lens take heavy cropping quite well too.

In the early afternoon I went over to Lower Bruckland Ponds to find a few things to point it at, both small and quick and large and slow.

Even though the lens has a whopping 3.5m minimum focusing distance it still does a decent job of dragonflies, like this Common Darter

Large and slow... a doddle.

Little Grebe with psychedelic background!

 I didn't get much opportunity to try small birds moving in bushes but eventually a passing flock of Long-tailed Tits obliged.

 As for birds in flight, I slightly overstretched myself trying to get Swallows and House Martins. I haven't got the hang of tracking them quickly enough, I suppose it will come with practice, this shot of a House Martin is my best effort. As for larger slower subjects...

This is the type of shot I've been longing to take, even if it it's only a Mallard.

 Why can't you argue with Xenophon? Well, as you probably know Xenophon was an Athenian historian and soldier (c.430- 354 BC). He wrote a treatise called 'On Horsemanship' and said:

"A horse is a thing of beauty... none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendour."

I wholeheartedly agree and if you don't feel the same, let me persuade you. Again, repeat after me...

A horse is a thing of beauty... none will tire of looking at him

as long as he displays himself ...

... in his splendour!

Well he had just woken up, bless him!