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Yes, you are right Son...this year, next year.....whenever it happens we will be there.
My sister is coming from Brisbane for this....and as travel is currently standing, it may not be feasible for her to travel here in November.

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Not sure what happened with that picture, so here's a re-try, plus one from todays jolly, Autobahn 4 to Köln from Düren another east - wester. :)

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hope she can come, we got a booking in october an all fingers are crossed.:eek:

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If your sister is making her way across then the later the better surely.

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Day 28: Missing going out to my regular spot to watch the birds, but did manage to photograph the Mandarin Duck in Oak Hill Park yesterday

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I like that regal duck.
I have come to the conclusion that canal air is nothing at all like sea air
This is what I would like.....

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Day 29: A good day for butterfly hunting, except I didn't see any.

I did manage to photograph this Painted Lady Butterfly a few days ago on the top of the Coppice, I was surprised to see one so early - the migrate all the way from Africa

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Now butterflies...I like.

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I assume that was taken in the land "Down Under"? ;) :D

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No son, it was the Maldives.....and that's not me...it is my sister Nessa.
I have never been to the Maldives.....used to want to go, but I have revised my ambitions.
Now, Rhyl would be acceptable!

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and this is where I am...and I am right...canal air IS totally different to sea air

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Down the Autobahn 45 through the Sauerland, wooded hills & valleys define the area, then onto the 5 towards Oberursel (just north of Frankfurt) & the Mazda Design centre.


3 x A45 extreme lack of traffic - Main gate Mazda design centre (Hiroshima straße) - Mazda tower & a bit of my sossy finger - That in the distance is Frankfurt. :)

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Day 30: This time of year Spring Woods near Whalley puts on a spectacular display of Bluebells, alas the camera never really seems to do it justice. These were taken today...

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Those are really beautiful.
I once picked some bluebells for my Ma......she was horrified and would not have them in the house.....she said they were unlucky as they belonged to the fairies.
They were put in a jam jar and put on the outside window sill.
I was told never to pick them again....they belonged in the woods.

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Who are the three lucky people in the beer garden ? (supping ale I presume); or then again maybe they are the Landlord/Landladies family.
Whatever, still two great pictures.
Stay safe, Taddy.

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Me to, I have an allotment and in spring time every year I see many different species;
Last year I spotted Large White, Small White, Brimstone,Small Tortoiseshell,
Orange Tip, Green Veined White and Peacock.
When I first started work on the allotment it had an old Duck pond, which I drained and filled in; only to realise that the local frog population would not have anywhere to reproduce so I dug a smaller, less invasive pond and Hi Ho, every year I have hundreds of Tadpoles, (Taddies), yes the pun is intended.
When I show the local children the Frogs and their offspring they are fascinated. Aint nature wonderful.
Your's as ever Taddy

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Oh, I forgot the Red Admiral's

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Alas I cannot answer that...this picture was taken during a warm summer...so I think they might have been smokers, banned from inside, but allowed to,drink and smoke out the back.

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me and my old man once did that too and got the same reply. she said they were there for everyone to enjoy.

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Day 31: I was hoping to go to Downham to catch the Cherry Blossom in bloom outside a white cottage this year, which looks pretty spectacular in the right light but this from oak hill park will have to do...

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That is beautiful....and with a shorter journey.

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Thanks Margaret.

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Day 32: A Walk In The Woods - doesn't matter which, this happened to be from a walk in Foxhill Bank Nature Reserve in Oswaldtwistle today

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one thing i,m really glad of is living in a semi rural area and not a large town or city where the main interest must be counting the cracks in the mean streets.

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Day 32: Perfect day for bug hunting, hazy clouds and zero wind, taken today at Spring Woods

1. Bee Fly
2. Click Beetle possibly Stenagostus rhombeus

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That Bee fly...is is a bee or is it a fly.
As for the click beetle..well that is ....I hate to say this...ugly and it made me flinch.
As always they are very well shot, but I would have run screaming for the hills(yes...I CAN still run :D)

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Behind my door today would be a Downward dog pose....with both heels easily on the floor.
So far I can only do this with heels raised off my mat...but that is OK as long as I keep trying.

I know...I am sad!

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It is a fly and that long pointy beak thing is used to drink nectar. The click beetle was about 2cm long and unless you were actually looking for bugs you probably wouldn't have see it, they are common in woods and forests.

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Thank you Ryewolf for furthering my education....again.
While I am not a fan of creepy things I actually do not mind bees.....I have even been known to put them close to sugar water when the look exhausted.....though not brave enough to pick then up with my hand....I use two bits of card.
I haven't ever been stung by a flying insect...maybe that is because I can run.....FAST.

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[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington
I haven't ever been stung by a flying insect...maybe that is because I can run.....FAST.[/QUOTE]

never been stung but wish i had a tenner for everytime i have been bitten by those midges. think there is a reason though why some get bitten and others do not and its not how fast you can run.

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Yes, you get bitten by mozzies because you smell good.
And if you think they are bad here.....we'll I once went to a wedding in Oz bitten to death I looked like I fell out of the lumpy tree and hit every branch on the way down.

It made me ill......they tried to tell me it was the beer at the wedding...but I did not have any beer...only the toast....

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when i lived in spain was listening to radio one day they said mozzies are attracted to perfume etc, wife was always getting badly bitten she stopped using the stuff and was hardly even bothered with em again. they are also attracted to water.

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On the day i was badly bitten we were at a poolside barbie.
I had slathered myself with mozzie repellent too...the mozzies thought this was sauce!

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had yeh any make up on margaret?

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no...I gave that up a lot of years ago...just sunscreen and mozzie repellent.
Mozzies thought it was salt and vinegar.:D

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all i know is it worked very well for my late wife.

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I know this is a bit of a thread wander but...just to show you Ryewolf...I have taken pictures of flying things.

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Nice, you've got two bees and a hoverfly. The first bee is possibly a buff-tailed bumble bee, not sure about the second and the hoverfly looks like a member of the Eristalini group, there are several very similar ones; Eristalis horticola, Eristalis nemorum and Eristalis pertinax

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Wow...I am impressed.
Thank you...I thought all of them were bees.....I thought the last one was perhaps a worker, but I have learned something again.
They were not taken recently...and all of the pics were on a stretch of the canal at Clayton.

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Hoverflies and Beeflies are Bee/Wasp mimics, they're pretending to be something else. Hoverflies have no sting and are harmless. There's a few things to tell if you're flying thing is a bee or wasp or hoverfly.

Hoverflies have only 1 pair of wings and usually stick out at angle, they have much larger eyes that often cover most of the head, they generally have much shorter antennae, no biting mouthparts or sting. They are very good for the garden as they are expert pollinators.

Bees/Wasps have 2 pairs of wings that they usually fold down the length of the body, much smaller eyes and longer antennae, they both have biting mouthparts and stings.

1. A Bee
2. A Wasp
3. A Hoverfly

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Those are fantastic shots.I actually don't really linger to take in much detail of flying insects.
The pictures I posted, well, let's say I shot and ran...there was no composing the shot...I just aimed and clicked.
I think they may also have been taken using my LUMIX Fz72.....giving me a bit more distance.

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I tend to be very close to my subject for bug hunting with the front of the lens usually about 10cm away (or 4 inches in old money) or less. If can be a challenge getting so close as they have flippin good eyesight having two sets of eyes, compound and simple eyes (ocelli).

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Day 33: Not a great day for bug hunting, a little too cold, so I probably would have gone watching the birdies....

Greylag Goose Anser anser and it's domesticated variant Anser anser domesticus (the white one) on the canal at Church

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Ryewolf, congratulations on what you are doing - keeping yourself occupied in such a great way, sharing with us some super pictures and supplying very interesting facts as well. You really are very knowledgeable. I take my hat off to you, well I would if I wore one.

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Thanks Dotti, almost everyday when I go out with my camera I find something new to photograph and I always take my camera with me, so 365/6 days of the year I'm always finding something new... plus you can usually find the answer to almost anything these days via the internet. So I can't take the credit for everything.

I hate a mystery and need to know what things are that I see....

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A little mystery is good......in some things anyway:)

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Day 34: More Bug Hunting and finally managed to bag an Orange Tip Butterfly, this one is the male.

1-2. Orange Tip Butterfly
3. Spider that decided it would hitch a ride on my camera bag and have an adventure

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not in Murder She Wrote .

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No Monkey hanger I was thinking perhaps of something a little more.....intimate perhaps.

I think perhaps we should draw a veil over this bit of conversation :D

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today behind my door is a bit of advice.

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Day 35: The first day that I haven't been out for a walk somewhere, mind you the weather wasn't so great, still I have my not so little cat Cali, who sorta makes a bit of an unwilling subject. She doesn't really like be told where to sit....

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Behind my door today....

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agree she dont look best pleased.:)

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No social distancing here...

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I don't know Exile..the cat doesn't look happy being close to the giraffe.
Great pic

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The giraffe looks just as worried!

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Yes...and the goat looks a bit wary too.

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About normal for goats, they tend to have 2 expressions, wary or shifty!:D

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Day 36: Only a brief walk today (Wed) and only managed to photograph a grey squirrel in Oak Hill Park, I'd much rather it be our native Red Squirrel, so here's one taken at Formby Point awhile back...

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I really don't know what to put behind my door today......a big question mark would do it.
I know it has been rainy, but I am mega fed up of this lockdown and the news that it is going on for another month fills me with a sense of frustration....I was going to say despair, but that is not quite right.
I wish I could hibernate and wake up when it is gone.
A bit like Christmas but without the fairy lights!

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A friend of mine predicted that this lockdown would go on for 9 weeks at the very start, looks like he's not going to be far off.... I know what you mean about the frustration, I know today wasn't a great day, so I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere anyway but the fact that I can't is frustrating.

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Day 37: I had been hoping to go up to the Farne Islands this year to watch the Puffins, it's looking extremely unlikely that I'll be able to go this year The peak breeding season is May/June. So my image is of a Puffin from a few years ago.

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I love the picture of the red squirrel.
I had never seen a red squirrel until I went to the Isle of Wight.
I sat for ages in a park in Shanklin hoping to get a good shot of one, but only managed to get some blurry images....each time I was ready to shoot they would move......so it was great to see them but a disappointment not to get any good shots.
I would have gone back but we were coming home the following morning...and I haven't been back there since.
It was a favourite place of Ma's and now she's not here.....well, I think it would upset me to go.

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used to be red squirrels on the land behind our bungalow on Bamford Crescent, that would be 80s to early 90s, they used to come up to windows of conservatory and stare at us lol. used to sit in yon when it was freezing in winter cos i loved watching em.

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I would have loved that too cashy.
I have never seen one locally

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neither have i, but cannot see why the grey ones are hated so much. we have a few round my way and are interesting to watch for me. gives the dogs a good run as with all dogs they seem top of their chase lists.

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i was told the greys didnt like the reds and chased em off? dunno if thats right but its what i was told.

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I read somewhere that the grey squirrel outbreeds the red squirrel...it seems that red squirrels breed less often when their habitat is under pressure.

Add to that the squirrel pox.....which kills off the red squirrels more easily.
(In and around Formby they have a red squirrel alert system run by volunteers.
The bodies of sick or dead squirrels are removed quickly to prevent other squirrels getting the virus).

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As Ma.P said Cashy, the greys carry a virus which kills off the reds, plus the greys will eat pretty much anything & thrive overall, the reds are quite selective in diet & habitat. The link below will explain it better plus some other info about "Reds" :)



https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blo...quirrel-facts/

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I don't really see what the problem is Marge,all you need to do is put your hand in your purse and buy a bottle of Malt Whisky and a candle.
Light the candle and keep sipping the whisky until you can see two candles, when you reach that point you will not be frustrated or think about hibernating;
in fact you will not be bothered about anything.
Works for me but I tend to use Hobgoblin instead of Whisky,(cos it's chepper).
Stay happy, Keep safe, Your's, The Luddite.

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Taddy, cannot abide devil's wee wee.
I cannot remember the last time I was legless.......only to say it is a long time ago.
Hibernation sounds a much better bet to me.

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[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;
Hibernation sounds a much better bet to me.[/QUOTE]

at least hibernation will not give you the migrane from hell. been there, had it but it will never happen again.

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After 40 days of lock down(and only been out three times).....I now know why dogs chew furniture.
I am just about ready to do it myself....how many calories are there in a sofa.....and will in give me the runs....god forbid....we are down to the last but one toilet roll.

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Luckily at least most supermarkets now have lots of toilet rolls.... probably because the meanies who bulk bought at the beginning now have enough to last the whole year....


The Sun, not the greatest sources of reliable news, was reporting that Boris was hoping to get everyone back to work by the 26th May, which is still another 3 weeks away ......

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Day 38: A walk in the park and watching the birdies...

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Day 39: Another walk in the bluebell woods at Whalley

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I am beginning to walk round in circles....that is what distressed zoo animals do.
I know there is a tentative date of 26th of May, but that may not be for the crumblies....just the workers.

Great picture of the dove(a pigeon in posh feathers).

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I actually think it's a common or garden flying rat with a slightly different plumage, Collared Doves usually have a black band on the back of their necks and dark wingtips.... and you usually see them in pairs....

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[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1239803]After 40 days of lock down(and only been out three times).....I now know why dogs chew furniture.
I am just about ready to do it myself....how many calories are there in a sofa.....

find out if its a vegan sofa before you tuck in. will give you years of extra life if you believe what you read.

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Indeed, and I wonder how many of these people that bulk bought bog rolls are nomally save the planet hypocrites? Crapping themselves because they thought the end of the world had arrived too early?

Well at least they can console themselves in a year or so's time by reporting that their actions have worked towards protecting the world because less trees are being cut down to make toilet rolls.

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[QUOTE=monkey hanger;1239809]A vegan sofa.....A VEGAN SOFA??
Nope....Never give me vegan anything.....if I am having something...please let me have the full fat version.
I don't smoke, I don't drink and I don't bother with wimmin......so let me have one vice to die of.

I only wanted to know the calorie value so that I could go down in the Guinness Book of Records for the most calories consumed at one sitting!

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Behind today's door.....a set of digital scales.
You know the ones that tell you just how wide you have got.....all those 'snaccidents' you have had with the fridge.....very little energy expended watching the Chase.
There will be some of us won't be able to get through the door when they tell us we are released for good behaviour.
All I can say is.....'Thank goodness for elastic waisted trousers'.

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[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1239814]
and I don't bother with wimmin.....

i do, but they seem to have stopped bothering with me at my age.

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That could be seen as a bonus.

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If you're doing that round Keighley way you're a braver man than I! ;):D

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used to have a good imagination dave but some really have stretched that well past breaking point. anyway its far to close to hebden bridge for comfort.

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Social Distancing in Nature!

http://www.accringtonweb.com/gallery...mv2.jpghttp://

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today behind my door...an extra large box of soft Kleenex tissues.
No...not ill....did my yoga out side...not a good idea...blossom, trees,Hay fever....big breaths make me sneeze......ATCHOO.I have a nose like a blind cobblers thumb.
( I will know if you are laughing)

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Day 40: A Crow at the duck pond in Oakhill Park, no idea what it's eating but it brought it to the pond and dunked it in the water...

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Day 41: I probably would have gone to Chester Zoo with all this nice weather we're having so here's a Red Panda taken last year.

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Day 42: Missing going to WWT Martin Mere, but here's a Heron at Platts Lodge.

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Red panda also known as a Firefox

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Must have been a ginger biscuit!

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Big Breasts make me squeeze not sneeze; (oh sorry Marge) you said Breaths not Breasts. Your's the Luddite. ;);)

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Day 45: I've missed going to the pub, especially on warm days like today, so behind my window is a glass of red wine - and the glass does hold a full bottle of wine, so you can truthfully say I only had the one glass....

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I would really like to like red wine....but I have never found one to my taste(juvenile and sweet)
All the red wines I have tried taste like they would be good on chips.

I lie......I like VinSanto, but that is not really a red wine, it is more like a fortified wine....if you drink more than a glass it makes your legs go rubbery.

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Day 46..... and behind my door today is one of those supersize gobstoppers....bigger than a golf ball.....it would last forever because I could not get it in my gob.
I was going to say it might sweeten my temper....but that wouldn't be true, unless I perhaps just had a lick of it now and then.
My patience has been a bit short too....so if Asda have a large box...please get it for me and I will see you right.

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There's a South Eastern Australian Red Wine called 19 Crimes that comes in a black bottle and what looks like a wanted poster from the American Wild West, it's very nice at about £9 a bottle, sometimes Tesco and Asda discount it to £7 it's a very nice smooth full bodied wine that is very fruity. Try and avoid cheap French wines that you can get from the supermarket here, a cheapish French wine in France is a lot nicer than the cheap French wines you get here.


If you're looking for red wines Australia, South Africa and South America are the places to look, I find Italian red wine to be far too sweet for my taste, but that might be down to the winery I choose.

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In the past all the red wines I have bought have not been cheap....Penfolds was one of the Oz wines.....my other half said it was like drinking Ribera, but with alcohol......I tried it and it was.....urgh....not exactly vinegar, but definitely not to my juvenile palate.
It went into the cooking pot and I begrudged that because it had been around the 10 quid mark.
Seemed a bit expensive to put into beef stew...although I preferred it on thebplate to in the glass.

I have given up the search really because I drink very little alcohol these days.

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what I really would like to see is Light at the end of the tunnel...and this is the nearest I have to a picture of it.