Jenny's 52 for 2010 - Flora & Fauna in an English Country Garden - Week 26 - HALFWAY!

Jenny - a big well done from me on this week's photos. I agree the weather has been just plain awful. I haven't even done a shot for Week 11 on my Growing project yet, and the 2 shots I posted for Candid on the other 52 were no more than fillers. So I can only applaude your efforts and the results. :)

I like the little house building story and your deer shots are always special, but despite the theivery involved my favourite is the squirrel shot, with the moth making it almost a dead heat. The texture you've captured is gorgeous. Improve on it? It looks good to me just as it is. :clap::clap:

Jean
 
Jenny, what a lovely collection of shots since my last visit.

The forgspawn shot is really really good and a complete departure from what I was expecting. Really like the repetetive patterns through the image, and your multiple reflections are very "cool" for want of a better word...

"Nice Pad" I think it was (with the tit's head poking out) is a classic. Is it cropped already? Might just want to pull it in a touch more if you can to get rid of the blank sky to the left and draw your focus to that little face peeking out.

Also like the backlit deer.

Good stuff!
:applause:

Ian.
 
Stunningly sharp set of shots Jenny... gorgeous colours too. All lovely.
 
Beautiful set of photographs - very difficult to pick a favourite but I think the squirrel is the one for me but it is difficult to choose.
 
Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Liz, Jean, I also prefer the squirrel shot. It does make a difference that it was not taken through a closed window. Opening the window does not scare off the squirrels! The bird house shots were taken through the glass and are consequently not so good. I would not want to distract the little birds from their task.

Ian, the "Nice pad" shot was already cropped and I would not want to crop it much more. But, I get your point. I was trying to capture just a little face peering out of the hole and I could have done without the other distractions (ie: a crappy bird house and sky) in the frame.

Jenny
 
Another mixed week. Spring is trying really hard but is struggling. Yes, there are some spring flowers out, but the leaves on the trees are way behind. The birds are fed up with waiting and are in a frenzy of excitement building nests. The long-tailed tits have been picking spiders webs off my office window to use for their nests and I saw a gold crest this week picking fluff off one of the lights on the driveway. Alas, no photos of any of these.

This week is flower week...

Between the showers I managed to take these. The first two are fairly self-explanatory.

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But it is not just the flowers on the ground that are blooming, so are some of the trees. The first shows the funny little flowers on one of the ornamental firs. I am not happy with this photo and will try and re-shoot, weather permitting.

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The next is a goat willow taken on a misty morning this week. These are the female catkins - not as pretty as those of their big brother, better known as Pussy Willow.

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Finally, today when I had a bit of time, I was rained off :( It absolutely tipped it down with thunder and lightening as well.

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I thought I would post these tonight because I am not likely to find more time or suitable weather over the next few days.

C&C very welcome.

Jenny
 
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The Daff and the Catkins are my favourites. Rain stopped play is also amusing and works well to compliment your story.

I've also noticed that Spring seems to be struggling to take hold, but I like your comments around the local birds.

You should turn this into a book!

Ian.
 
Beautiful set of photographs - I think the primrose and catkin are my favourites but again very difficult to choose :)
 
Some fantastic shots here again - I love the birds and the squirrels, and your flowers are gorgeous. My daffs are only just coming up.


:clap::clap::clap:
 
Great shots, Jenny. My favourite is rain-stopped play - simple & beautiful!

Phil
 
Hi Jenny - another week of stunning pics. Your book will have to be very large to accomodate all the good shots! :)

My favourite for this week is the catkins. The almost monochrome colours and incredible detail in the catkins themselves are pure beauty. Your daffodil puts mine to shame :sulk:, and the primrose is really pretty, although it looks as though it was taken in very low light. That's not a criticism, btw - it's just that I noticed the patch of bright light (sun???) on the background flower. They just don't seem to grow in our garden.

The fir tree flowers are really eyecatching, and I look forward to the reshoot. This one is ok, but not quite up to your usual excellent standard.

Rain Stopped Play - tops! (y)

Jean
 
jeangenie said:
the primrose is really pretty, although it looks as though it was taken in very low light. That's not a criticism, btw - it's just that I noticed the patch of bright light (sun???) on the background flower. They just don't seem to grow in our garden.
Jean
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Thanks for your comments everyone.

Jean, I don't take flower shots in full sun. I try to find some in the shade but I use a reflector to try and shine some reflected light, preferably from the sun, onto the flower. If there is no sun, I use a flash, but only via the reflector. I am not sure what was illuminating the brighter primrose in the background. I use a beanbag for shots like this because my tripod does not go down low enough, but my set up is very Heath Robinson. I don't have an off camera flash and I never seem to have enough hands to hold the reflector and the camera and press the shutter. If you ever want to try growing primroses again, I would be happy to send you some. We have literally thousands. They seem to multiply every year.

Phil, Rain Stopped Play, was just to demonstrate my frustration at having some time to spare and not being able to get out with the camera :(

I really appreciate all the comments. It gives me some incentive to get out and take more photos.

Jenny
 
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Life in my garden is a bit like a soap opera. Actually, I find it much more interesting than most things on the tele. There is so much going on especially at this time of year.

I am very, very annoyed with myself this week. A wonderful opportunity presented itself. I was sitting reading in my living room when a movement caught my eye on the front lawn. It was a hare. I leapt up grabbed the camera and rushed out the back door to try to sneak up on it. I got within about 10 feet and with the 70-300mm lens this was going to be the shot of the year!

And I muffed it :(:(:( Really, really, angry. I got one shaky shot of it half-hidden behind a bush and then multiple shots of a brown blur racing across the lawn at the speed of light. I am so incompetent. I am not even going to post the shot I got.

There were 3 hares actually. While I was stalking the one on my front lawn, 2 more were boxing on the neighbours lawn. I saw all 3 of them together later in the afternoon.

The weather has not been suitable for photographing flowers this week - too windy and/or rainy but I did get this one, moss on a fallen tree and I guess it is flowering. It is quite amazing stuff when you see it close up.

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I don't want to post too many pictures of birds on the feeders. I prefer to see them in a more natural environment. However, I don't think I will ever get a decent shot of one of these away from the feeders so feel justified in posting it.

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Finally, it is that time of year again. Mr Pheasant has been following his Mrs around like a lovesick teenager. A few feet behind her wherever she goes.

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He is strutting his stuff with his gorgeous colours trying hard to impress.

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I was watching when he thought it was his lucky day. He leapt on top of her (missed it on camera), but she was having none of it and shrugged him off but it left her a bit ruffled.

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The garden is now growing quieter. Many of the birds disappear to sit on the eggs and the frenetic activity will start again in a few weeks when the chicks hatch.

As usual C&C very welocme.

Jenny
 
jennyb said:
.

Jean, I don't take flower shots in full sun. I try to find some in the shade but I use a reflector to try and shine some reflected light, preferably from the sun, onto the flower. If there is no sun, I use a flash, but only via the reflector. I am not sure what was illuminating the brighter primrose in the background. I use a beanbag for shots like this because my tripod does not go down low enough, but my set up is very Heath Robinson. I don't have an off camera flash and I never seem to have enough hands to hold the reflector and the camera and press the shutter. If you ever want to try growing primroses again, I would be happy to send you some. We have literally thousands. They seem to multiply every year.


I really appreciate all the comments. It gives me some incentive to get out and take more photos.

Jenny
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Hi Jenny

I know what you mean about not having enough hands, and my set ups would make Heath Robinson proud of me! :LOL: What struck me about the Primrose shot was just the fact that there were no harsh highlights or dark shadows, and you'd got the balance just right in what could have been patchy light. Thank you so much for the kind offer of primroses - I think I need advice as well as good stock - I'll pm you, if that's ok. :)

So on to this week:

Oh, how I feel your pain in missing the hares. I've only ever once seen hares and to have them coming into your garden must be amazing. Are they destructive? I spotted a bird I'd never seen before on our garden fence last week, but couldn't get to my camera in time (and still can't ID the bird :bang:) Hopefully your hare family will return and give you another chance. :)

The moss is truly beautiful - lovely detail, well captured. (y)

A goldie's a goldie and I don't think it matters that he's on the feeder. He's beautiful. :)

Mrs Pheasant is my favourite shot for this week. You've caught every detail and she looks as though she's posing for the camera (although I'm sure she wasn't making it that easy :LOL:).

Mr Pheasant is a lot more handsome than most lovesick teenagers - what fantastic colours. I don't think Mrs P will find a more attractive suitor. Again, lovely detail, and I like the oof tail.

They both look a bit ruffled in the last one - and the sequence tells a good story.

It might have been a frustrating week, Jenny, but you've certainly got some cracking shots again. I do look forward to your post each week. :clap::clap::clap:

Jean
 
Lovely set of photos again, I wonder if the pheasants make a nest in your garden she usually lays loads of egg. Shame about the Hare, I'm sure it'll be back.
 
molly said:
Lovely set of photos again, I wonder if the pheasants make a nest in your garden she usually lays loads of egg. Shame about the Hare, I'm sure it'll be back.
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Hi Shirley, Thanks for your comments. I think the nest is likely to be in the field that joins on to our garden at the front. It is usually not used and the farmer only cuts the hay once a year. So, the nest would at least be safe from humans there.

Jenny
 
jeangenie said:
Hi Jenny

I know what you mean about not having enough hands, and my set ups would make Heath Robinson proud of me! :LOL: What struck me about the Primrose shot was just the fact that there were no harsh highlights or dark shadows, and you'd got the balance just right in what could have been patchy light. Thank you so much for the kind offer of primroses - I think I need advice as well as good stock - I'll pm you, if that's ok. :)

So on to this week:

Oh, how I feel your pain in missing the hares. I've only ever once seen hares and to have them coming into your garden must be amazing. Are they destructive? I spotted a bird I'd never seen before on our garden fence last week, but couldn't get to my camera in time (and still can't ID the bird :bang:) Hopefully your hare family will return and give you another chance. :)

The moss is truly beautiful - lovely detail, well captured. (y)

A goldie's a goldie and I don't think it matters that he's on the feeder. He's beautiful. :)

Mrs Pheasant is my favourite shot for this week. You've caught every detail and she looks as though she's posing for the camera (although I'm sure she wasn't making it that easy :LOL:).

Mr Pheasant is a lot more handsome than most lovesick teenagers - what fantastic colours. I don't think Mrs P will find a more attractive suitor. Again, lovely detail, and I like the oof tail.

They both look a bit ruffled in the last one - and the sequence tells a good story.

It might have been a frustrating week, Jenny, but you've certainly got some cracking shots again. I do look forward to your post each week. :clap::clap::clap:

Jean
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Jean, thanks for your very detailed comments. They are really appreciated.

I had never seen a hare until last year when our neighbour mentioned that he had seen one. I guess that I had always assumed they were rabbits, never seeing them close up. There are an awful lot of rabbits around here and lots of rabbit holes.

Once I knew about the hare, I kept my eyes open and have seen it regularly since then, although not usually close enough for a photo.

I sympathise about the bird. If I just catch a glimpse of a bird, I usually have trouble ID'ing it. Photos are handy to compare when getting the bird book out.

I am glad you are enjoying the thread.

Jenny
 
Oh WOW Jenny what a wonderful set of shots.....I'm so jealous of the amazing variety you have on your doorstep! A few years ago I was living in the middle of some forestry but unfortunately it was managed by a heavy handed gamekeeper and all we ever really saw were pheasants and rabbits :( Some really beautiful images you have I especially love the baby muntjac!

Sonia
 
Got here in the end!

The thing that struck me, apart from some obviously stunning photography, is what a good idea you have here. To document the seasonal changes that nature brings to your garden over an entire year will leave you with a wonderful record.
To look through it has recalled recent fond memories of the feelings I had when I saw this year's first snow drop, crocus and primrose, and when I happened upon a bird I hadn't seen for a few months.

There's not one image here that I dislike but the true standouts for me are the blue tit (#68), squirrel, or whatever it was you called him:LOL: (#120) and the moss (#140).

Will certainly be back(y)
 
Sonial said:
Oh WOW Jenny what a wonderful set of shots.....I'm so jealous of the amazing variety you have on your doorstep! A few years ago I was living in the middle of some forestry but unfortunately it was managed by a heavy handed gamekeeper and all we ever really saw were pheasants and rabbits :( Some really beautiful images you have I especially love the baby muntjac!

Sonia
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Thanks for your comments, Sonia. We often hear shooting in the woods close by and I must admit I don't like it. I would love to be able to tell the deer and the pheasants that they are safe in our garden!

Jenny
 
robp said:
The thing that struck me, apart from some obviously stunning photography, is what a good idea you have here. To document the seasonal changes that nature brings to your garden over an entire year will leave you with a wonderful record.
To look through it has recalled recent fond memories of the feelings I had when I saw this year's first snow drop, crocus and primrose, and when I happened upon a bird I hadn't seen for a few months.

There's not one image here that I dislike but the true standouts for me are the blue tit (#68), squirrel, or whatever it was you called him:LOL: (#120) and the moss (#140).

Will certainly be back(y)
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Hi Rob, thanks for your comments. They are much appreciated. I realised in the first couple of weeks that to record a year in the garden was an interesting idea. That is when I decided that 1 image per week would not be enough and started to take more. I hope it will provide a good record of not only the more unusual wildlife, but also the more common creatures (and flowers) that can be found in most people's gardens.

I am really pleased that you are finding it interesting.

Jenny
 
Bad luck about the hare but you have posted some more wonderful shots for us all. The moss is amazing with gorgeous lighting, and encourages us to look much more closely at all nature's wonders.

Nice goldfinch - I am excited because today I saw one in our garden for the first time ever. Last year I think there may have been one but I didn't have the binoculars handy to make sure. Anyway I'm going to put out a nijer feeder asap.

The pheasants are gorgeous - she looks so fastidious while he looks a bit of a bruiser. No wonder she brushed him off!
 
I haven't stopped by for a while Jenny - but these are stunning as usual :clap: (although the way you're going, you'll be closer to a 365 than a 52!)

The latest moss shot is absolutely stunning :clap:
I really liked the very first lichen photo that you posted in this thread, but this one just blows that away.

I also love the catkin image (although perhaps a slightly darker b/g if you could have managed it) and the Oak Beauty.

Too many fantastic shots to choose from, but those are my favourites.
 
Tracer said:
Nice goldfinch - I am excited because today I saw one in our garden for the first time ever. Last year I think there may have been one but I didn't have the binoculars handy to make sure. Anyway I'm going to put out a nijer feeder asap.
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Thanks, Tracer. Goldfinches are funny little creatures, aren't they? If you have already seen one in your garden, you will certainly tempt it back with a Nijer feeder - and all it's friends, too. When I first put a nijer feeder out, they did not find it for about 3 weeks. Then, they all appeared. There must have been a dozen of them fighting over the perches on the feeder! There have not been so many recently, though.

Jenny
 
SarahLee said:
I haven't stopped by for a while Jenny - but these are stunning as usual :clap: (although the way you're going, you'll be closer to a 365 than a 52!)

The latest moss shot is absolutely stunning :clap:
I really liked the very first lichen photo that you posted in this thread, but this one just blows that away.

I also love the catkin image (although perhaps a slightly darker b/g if you could have managed it) and the Oak Beauty.

Too many fantastic shots to choose from, but those are my favourites.
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Hi Sarah, thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. I agree that the catkin would have stood out more with a darker background. However, the catkins were almost out of reach and I had to take the photo upwards with sky behind it. I prefer not to do much post-processing. I try to capture nature "as it really is" but maybe I could try darkening the background a bit.

Jenny
 
Ooo! The lichen shot and the Muntjac shot are awesome. I can't believe how good that is taken through the window.
 
Another set of blinding shots! I particularly like the moss shot - I love the detail!

Phil
 
philthejuggler said:
Another set of blinding shots! I particularly like the moss shot - I love the detail!

Phil
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Thanks, Phil. I could not make up my mind which moss shot to use but I am glad I chose that one. Most people seem to like it.

Jenny
 
This has been a bit of a strange week. I have tried all sorts of things and not really got the results I was hoping for. The wildflowers (I think that is a nicer word than weeds) are now starting to put in an appearance now that the weather has improved somewhat. However, I was not happy with any of my flower shots. I will include only one of them.

To start the week I found these which was a bit of a surprise.

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My skills as a mycologist are somewhat limited but I am guessing that they are wood blewits. Perhaps Harlequin Ian can confirm? I know you go on fungi forays, Ian. IMO it is a bit late for wood blewits but I guess everything is late this year.

If I am correct they are edible and apparently quite delicious. However, my fungus ID skills are so bad that I have never dared to eat any fungus that I have found. Please note that you should never eat any fungus you are unsure about and especially if I say it is edible!

Next, I was pleased to find that the trees are now bursting forth - about time too.

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I have to call 2010, the year of the ladybird. We have been inundated with them in the house for the last few weeks. They have been hibernating in the doorframe of the patio doors and the warmer weather has tempted them out - thousands of them.

The problem I have is that I never been able to take a decent photo of a ladybird. They are too shiny and I don't know how to get rid of the light reflections. Can anyone advise the best way to take ladybird pics? I have plenty to practise on!

Here is the best one that I have managed.

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Next, I found this little chappy. He is a Shield Bug of some kind but not sure which one. I put him on a piece of paper to take the photo, but this is a really boring backdrop. I don't know why I did that, but if I had put him on a leaf, he would have disappeared into the photo.

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Finally, one of my flower photos. I am not happy with it - the light is not good. I will change it if I get a chance to reshoot. It amazes me that these tiny flowers tend to go unnoticed (less than 1 cm across) but are actually quite attractive in their own way.

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As usually C&C and any tips would be much appreciated.

Jenny
 
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Another great series of shots, Jenny. The ladybird is great but my favourite is the mushrooms - I love the almost monochromatic feel.

Phil
 
As always, Jenny, your thread delights and inspires - even on what you think isn't a 'good' week. :)

The fungi look as though they've been carved from marble and then polished to give that subtle sheen. Gorgeous - and I heed your warning about edibility. :LOL:

I very nearly did a Horse Chestnut bud for one of my projects this week, but I'm so glad I didn't! This is very good indeed. If I was being really picky, I'd ask for a little more stem to show off the fabulous detail in the leave scars.

Ladybird: difficult, I agree. The only suggestion I can make is to slightly underexpose to avoid the high spots on the wing casings, and then adjust as necessary in pp - maybe this is one case where a bit more pp is justified! Hopefully, somebody else will come along with a better solution.

The shield bug has the same problem, but if he was fairly sleepy, perhaps you could have used a piece of card to shield (ho, ho) the light slightly. He's very colourful and I can quite see why you couldn't shoot him on the leaf. :D

So, despite your misgivings - it's still a good week. (y)

Jean
 
philthejuggler said:
Another great series of shots, Jenny. The ladybird is great but my favourite is the mushrooms - I love the almost monochromatic feel.

Phil
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Thanks, Phil. That was my favourite, too. It was not easy get get the right DOF.

They are amazingly camouflaged, aren't they?

That is almost how it came out of the camera. I just did a bit of tweaking and removed a few bits of dirt on the caps.

Jenny
 
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