A very Good Friday!

 Although we do have an absolute mass of garden jobs to be getting on with this weekend, we had decided early on that we also wanted to fit in a day out - and had decided that one of our favourite RSPB reserves at Minsmere in Suffolk was where we wanted to head. Minsmere has been a favourite for years now - lots of different trails, a range of habitats from coastal and wetland through to heathland and wooded areas means there is always a likelihood of seeing a brilliant range of birds, and it’s a fabulous place to walk.

We headed off fairly early - treating the day like a normal Friday in that respect and leaving the house at the sort of time we would usually be going out for a walk from home before MrEH starts work. Traffic was fairly light, and we arrived at the reserve as planned at around 10.30am. Our RSPB membership means we get free admission, so we headed straight to the cafe to grab breakfast - which was a fantastic ciabatta style roll absolutely STUFFED with bacon and sausages, not cheap at £7.80 each but we both agreed actually really good value.

After polishing those off - MrEH had coffee and I had a generous pot of tea to wash them down - we definitely felt like a walk was needed! Our regular route sees us heading off towards the coast, then looping back towards the visitor centre before heading off through the woodland and out onto Whin Hill and back towards the centre that way. We call in at the various hides as we go to see what can be seen on the scrapes, and always linger a bit around the coastal section too. At this time of year you can’t walk up and over the hill, so we retraced our steps around the edge. A lovely walk - and the addition of some stuff to our birding year list too, Mediterranean Gull, Barnacle Geese, a lovely juvenile Kittiwake, Sand Martins and probably the sighting of the day, a Bittern.Sandwich Terns were also nice to see - we usually get Common Terns locally, and the Hebrides generally provides Arctic and Little Terns, but the Sandwich variant is one we see far less often.

There is a long-standing tradition that a trip to Aldeburgh follows a visit to Minsmere, and far be it for us to break with tradition, so back in the car we hopped for the short drive through. Ice creams first - from Ives - barely recognisable since the last time we were there as they’ve had a full modernisation. It used to be a classic ice cream shop - a long counter with the queue gently winding past so you had ample time to survey the flavours on offer that day and make your decision. Now the shop is - strangely - far smaller, and people queuing ahead of you block your view, making the choice feel a bit more rushed and last minute. We both agreed that we didn’t like it as much - and it feels like a negative rather than a positive step, although I imagine it works better for the staff. A walk along the coast to the marina, then on a new-to-us path between the River Alde and the creeks was a nice change - although in the blustery conditions also fairly hard going! 

Then a stroll in the other direction - towards although not actually as far as the Scallop Shell sculpture on this occasion - I absolutely love it but it appeared to be very busy with lots of folk using it for shelter from the wind! 

All even slightly regular visits to Aldeburgh know that a look at “Snooks” to see how he is attired is a must - we assume that local knitters take care of ensuring that he is dressed appropriately for the occasion, just look how pleased he looks with his Easter bonnet, bunny and chicks! 

Finally- and it’s another “must do” is of course Fish and Chips. We’ve never tested the theory but we think it’s actually illegal to go to Aldeburgh and NOT have F&C! Sadly far too windy this time to sit on the sea wall and eat them as we usually would, but a good compromise was found by driving the car along to the coastal car park and sitting in the car with them there instead. Delicious haddock - super fresh and always cooked to order, with lashings of salt and vinegar, SUCH a treat!  

The local gulls don’t miss a trick though - this Herring Gull kept his beady eye on MrEH throughout in spite of the fact that we were literally sitting IN the car, and was clearly MOST put-out that no discarded chips headed his way! 

Finally time to head home - via a quick stop in Ipswich to grab some diesel for my car at a price a fair bit cheaper than we would have got at home, right now shopping around and saving even a few pence per litre is all the more important isn’t it with the way prices have escalated - we are now paying over 30p a litre more than we were just a handful of weeks ago. Worth the diversion, and all in all, it was indeed a very Good Friday! 

Robyn

A gentle start to the year...

 

Over the past few years we've got into the habit of heading out for a walk on New Year's Day - usually to one of our local-ish RSPB reserves - with a view to getting our annual bird list off to a (wait for it) flying start (sorry). This year was no exception, and as neither of us felt like going far, the most local option of Rye Meads got the nod. The RSPB have been muttering for a while now about various "options" for Rye Meads, and sadly it does seem as though in the longer term they are probably not going to retain it on their books which is a shame, although we'll have to wait and see how it plays out. For now at least its lovely little out-and-back trails with the possibility of a longer loop onto the neighbouring Wildlife Trust area remains open to us, and we will make the most of it. 

On this occasion we weren't there long - but it was a beautiful day for a wander with stunning light as the daylight faded away as you can see from the picture above. Bird wise the usual suspects were present, plenty of ducks from one hide, the little family of Long Tailed Tits in the trees alongside and overhanging the path, and a large collection of Lapwings from another hide,  but we also saw a Water Rail which was a nice little highlight , as far as I can think we didn't see one at all last year in spite of knowing all the "right" places to look for them. Secretive little birds, far shyer than their near relatives the Moorhens and way less thuggish than Coots! (Pretty much everything in the bird world is less thuggish than a Coot, mind you!)

It's nice to start the year with a gentle wander, and time taken out to take in nature is always good. It's a budget friendly way of spending an afternoon for us, too - as our membership means we get reserve admittance/parking for free just by showing our membership cards. Rye Meads doesn't have a shop, or a fancy-pants cafe, but it's close enough to home for us that it doesn't need to. It does however sell local-ish ice cream so in the summer months that frequently proves a temptation!  now that we have regained some of our free time which previously went to Beer festival related activities hopefully we'll be able to spend more time there this year too - as long, of course, as it stays accessible! 

Robyn

More Cornish Ramblings...

 

Yesterday started out in St Ives - a beautiful little town we always try to visit when we’re down this way. The best way to arrive is by train, it basically makes you feel as though you’re stepping into an Enid Blyton story  - not really doable this time sadly. This time we discovered a Farmers market - always a good thing, as they often sell things like beer, cheese and millionaires shortbread (guess what we bought?!) and also a rather wonderful off license which as well as some more nice beer, also turned out to stock one of my favourite gins - Curio. 

On the way back up the hill to the car we spotted this rather fabulous mural...

...and even more fabulously the owner of the building saw me photographing it and came out to tell us the story of it - what a treat! We then called in for a wander at RSPB Hayle Estuary - a reserve we visited briefly last time we were down this way but didn’t have time for more than a quick look. It is impacted quite badly by being dissected by a quite busy road but still we enjoyed it. 

From there it was on to an essential part of any Cornish visit, for us - 

Yes, Padstow and fish and chips from Steins chippy. My parents discovered quite how good this little gem  is many years ago when they were down here, and no Cornish adventure is complete without a visit there, now. Fractionally more expensive than the average, it’s well worth it  as invariably the quality is superb, and this time was no exception. Eaten, as ever, sitting on the harbour side - perfect! 

And finally a walk along the banks of the River Camel before heading off. Another lovely day, albeit another also with rather more walking than my poorly foot is entirely happy with. So far since Monday I have averaged about 11miles walking a day! Next week had better be considerably less active I think! 

Robyn 

Long weekends and good news..

 Four lovely days of feeling absolutely no pressure to be productive - it doesn’t get much better than that right now! I’ve never been someone who lives for weekends and has a sinking feeling of impending doom on Sunday nights, well aside from a couple of years in a truly toxic job shortly before I got out of the construction industry anyway. Recently though I’ve really started to empathise with the people for who that is just standard, as it has got increasingly harder to fill weekdays. The good news from today though - notably that English lockdown easing continues as scheduled - means that our upcoming planned trip to Cornwall  can definitely now go ahead which is great news for us! 

I’ve actually really enjoyed this weekend - it’s a rare year when we are at home over Easter, and last year lockdown was still too new and raw, alongside the fact that we would otherwise  have been on Lundy celebrating a pal’s birthday - to truly appreciate the novelty of 4 days empty to fill as we wish. 

Among other things done, we’ve bought the plants for the pots that live on the two balconies, and got those planted up - still a few things to find homes for, but first we need to hope they will all survive the frost expected tonight! 

We also got some nice views of the Thames from the RSPB reserve at Rainham - the reserve still has the one way system in place so instead of going right round we opted to dive out onto the river path via the handy one way turnstile gate part way round, and walked up to the hill at the old landfill site with its great views across to that bit of Kent that likes to pretend it’s London. 

More exploring at Amwell too - just a handful of miles up the road but of course very off limits from here for the past few months so it was lovely to be back. Not a long walk, but a stretch of the Amwell Walkway  which is along the line of a former railway, hence the bridge...

...and then more views  - this time from the new-to-us Widbury Hill. Not massively high but a nice short sharp climb up and then the reward from the top of the panorama of the Lea Valley stretching out ahead of you. One to return to for sure.  

Then today a nice 4 mile loop out at Norton Mandeville - starting of course with the train, rather more graffitied than the last time we saw it sadly, and with more of the interior pulled out too. It is still entirely baffling why someone would go to the trouble of buying the thing, and having it hauled to it’s current position, and then just leave it to rot. 

Underlining that spring is very definitely now with us is the fact that the oil seed rape is bursting into its full yellow glory - and THAT in turn means I’ve been sneezing for the rest of the evening, ho hum! 

For various reasons all our walks this weekend have been relatively short but also all really nice - we’ve deliberately still stayed fairly close to home, it’s nice exploring areas that we’ve been unable to visit for a while, apart from anything else, and we do after all have plenty of further afield exploring planned for the not too distant future, too! 

Robyn 

Day 94...

What a glorious day! With beautiful weather forecast, we decided to head up to the RSPB reserve at Minsmere on the Suffolk coast. I was beginning to feel quite desperate to get to a beach, and that stretch of coast guarantees fairly quiet ones even on days like today - not for us the great crowds seen in the south coast today!

We walked the loop up to the beach, along the coast and back to the entrance in the morning - loads of birds including our first sighting of a Dartford Warbler which was a bit of a bonus. Of course all the hides are closed at the moment, but there is a viewpoint looking over the scrape where the gulls and terns are breeding currently and that is open to the air so remains open. Then a picnic for lunch - pretty much just what we would have in a standard Thursday but of course eaten outside SO much tastier! Then headed off to cover the other side of the reserve - out through the woods, then up over the heath. Back once more at the car we decided we weren’t quite ready to leave, so back to the beach and this time along to Dunwich - somewhere I’d not been for years but as you can see from the photo above fabulous views from the cliff top viewpoint!

Then, as is traditional we headed for Aldeburgh for another - shorter - walk and the obligatory chippy tea! As anyone who has been knows the Aldeburgh fish & chip shop does some of the best you will find anywhere, and today was no exception. Wonderfully fresh haddock and chips - plenty of salt & vinegar - and SO sizzlingly hot from the fryer that all you can do for the first few minutes is pick up chips and drop them again with an “ouch!” - torture with the amazing aroma wafting you at you from the bag!

We were delighted to spot that “Snooks” has been given some fitting decoration too - quite the sign of the times, we thought! He usually watches over the busy boating lake - but at the moment that is drained to prevent people gathering there - I think he looks rather perplexed about this, don’t you?

Robyn

Small objects of desire...

The lovely MrEH uses the phrase "desire path" to describe those wavering lines through patches of grass - the paths that are not really quite meant to be there, but are, simply because enough people want there to be a track there, and walk that way as a result, that gradually the line appears anyway.  It's a phrase which has chimed with me on another level too - when thinking about the things that you want to achieve, but you will only get there by forming habits, so things that you actually "want" to do, rather than things that you feel you "should do".

RSPB Rye Meads. Hertfordshire

Recently I decided to hijack the concept a little - so I wrote my first "Desire List" - quite simply a list of a few things that I wanted to achieve in the next week - to exercise a certain number of times, to drink plenty of water, to be conscious around the use of social media rather than habitual, aimless scrolling without really thinking about it...there are 8 things in total on there (including, as a point of interest "Write something for my blog" - although at the time I added that to the list I had NO idea that this would be the "something"!) In fact, for this week the full list looks like this:

This week I want to:
- Run 12 miles total
- Gym twice
- Drink enough water 
- Do plenty of stretching
- Be conscious about social media use
- write something for my blog
- read at lunchtimes more than using my phone/iPad
- Get out somewhere with my camera

The common theme through all the items is that they are all items that will make me feel good. Running (exercise generally) is great for my mental health, and I'm also a few days in to a challenge to cover 100km running in January - that is the reason for the prescribed distance there, also. Drinking lots of water and stretching makes my body feel better, more flexible and more comfortable. Social media is something that can so easily become a mindless habit - and while I have no wish to step aside from it (it's a huge part of my social life, for a start) I would like to make sure that when I am choosing to look at Instagram or Twitter, I'm doing it for a specific reason rather than just to kill time. Reading is something that I love to do, but I do less of now than I used to in part because of that mindless scrolling thing - there is a book in the bag I bring to work that has been there for probably over 6 months with barely a few chapters read, and that is ludicrous, especially allowing that it's a book I really want to read! Similarly I love writing, but this blog is sadly neglected and I would really like to make better use of it again. Reading back on posts I wrote a few years ago makes me slightly  sad because I feel that to an extent I've lost some of the ability to write that I had then - possibly partly because so much of what I write now is the "bite size" chunks that go to make up Instagram or twitter posts. Finally using the camera - something which I love, but which often takes a back seat during the colder, darker months of the year. By the end of September most year's I'm actively looking forward to a bit of a step back from it, but I would like to get back into the habit of picking it up regularly again after than initial month or so's break.

That last was inspired by a visit to our local RSPB reserve at the weekend. I did actually take the camera out with me, but realised too late that the battery charge was very low, so left it in the car. Fore general landscape shots I'm happy enough with the phone anyway as a rule, but in two different locations around the reserve we found ourselves watching Goldcrests at fairly close quarters, and it would have been fantastic to have had the camera and long lens to hand to have a go at photographing those beautiful little birds. As a result I now have a plan in mind to return and see if I can track them down again.

These lists probably won't be something I do every week, but I think I would like them to feature occasionally at least - just as a reminder that sometimes it can be good to do things for no other reason than we want to, and because they will bring us joy or simply make us feel better in our own skin. And also because - in a world oft "should" and "must" - there can still be a place for "want" too!

Robyn

New Toy...

So as I mentioned in my Frugal Friday post, I've recently become the owner of a new Canon 80D DSLR. This becomes my second camera body, alongside the 7DMk2 and replacing the 40D I've had in my kit since 2009. The 40D has been brilliant - I've used it for speedway, rugby and aviation stuff, and even a few weddings! It's been to the Hebrides about 7 times, and lots of other places besides. It's been drenched numerous times, and been "round the clock" in terms of shutter clicks, having to have its shutter mechanism replaced back in about 2012 I think it was. To be honest I'm quite sad to see it go, BUT it had just reached the point where its age was starting to show - in digital camera terms the 40D was positively ancient, and switching mid Reds display from the 7MK2 to the 40 I was really noticing its limitations.

By way of comparison - I've swapped out a 10.1mp sensor for a 24.2mp one. 9 autofocus points for 45. Strangely the shooting speed is pretty much the same - maximum 6.5fps on the 40D, and just half a frame quicker pm the 80D. The new one feels a LOT closer to the 7Mk2 - but it's still taking some getting used to. I took it to the Hebrides at christmas, thinking that I'd have lots of time to get to grips with it, but the weather was such that it barely left the bag! So far the only flying things it's been pointed at are birds, but so far I've been pretty impressed with the results.

The autofocus is fast and the tracking in servo mode nice and smooth, and the detail it captures is exceptional. Another feature that was a real selling point for me was the built in wifi - meaning that I can upload photos from the card in the camera to my phone. Might be nice come airshow season to be able to fill quiet moments between displays with a quick bit of processing and social media posting - and as I have apps on my phone for both processing RAW files and copyright marking the processed shots, that's very achievable.

It handles colour well too - as these sunset shots show

Those colours are accurate to what I could see at the time of shooting. All the shots on this post have minimal processing - quite simply they've needed almost nothing. Sharpening only on the two Robin shots, and a bit of levels and highlights, plus sharpening on the sunsets. I used a little noise reduction on one of the Robin ones.

It's no slouch when the daylight fades away entirely either. Remember that supermoon last month...?

That was with the camera mounted on a monopod. It had no issue getting or maintaining focus, and happily gave me a shutter speed of 1/1000th at ISO 400. (If I'd had my tripod handy I would happily have dropped both ISO and shutter speed further.) Again I'm pleased with the detail, and once again relatively little processing was needed.

So - the verdict so far? Impressed. Hoping to get the chance to shoot some Little Red Jets with it  next week - I'll be interested to do a straight comparison with the 7MK2 and really get to grips with how they perform against one another. Fingers crossed for some nice blue skies!

Robyn

Frugal Friday...

Predictably, I'm not making resolutions - yes, again! I am however planning for the year ahead, it feels a bit like the start of term when you were at school, the New year. While I'm not a great fan of all the hoo ha that goes with New Year's eve, I do in some ways quite like the feeling of starting afresh. I'll try and update on some of the other things we're thinking about and planning in the next little while, but for now, it IS a Friday, after all...

As always at this time of year we're turning our attentions to things financial - although more with a mindset of a "reset" than anything else. Just looking over what we're doing, Where we're spending, and reminding ourselves to be conscious about the money going out. I've got myself a little bit of a money challenge going on once again - which actually feels quite good, it's nice to have that focus again. In the tail end of 2016 I made two reasoned big purchases - a new camera and an upgrade to  my phone. Once cashback etc was taken into account the camera was purchased for the best price I could possibly have bought it for - and I was pleased to be able to buy from the UK rather than going the Hong Kong route, this time. The phone was dealt with in two phases - with just under 3 months to go on my EE contract I gave them a call as I'd spotted a SIM only deal that I hoped they might consider matching - to my delight they did - saving me around £12 per month on my bill, and increasing my data allowance to a level where I may not run out on several months of the year, too! Having done that, I then purchased the new phone paying upfront from a third party seller - fully unlocked and ready to go when it arrived. I did a lot of research on this - friends left, right and centre were urging me to go for the iPhone 6s - but with my previous one being a 5s, I was wary of the increase in size, so was also looking at the iPhone SE. I read a lot of articles comparing the two, and made a pros and cons list of the advantages of one over the other - there were few features that the 6S boasted over the SE that I really felt I wanted to be honest, and the massive win from the perspective of the SE was the extra battery life over it's bigger sibling. I also analysed how I used my phone and was surprised to realise quite how much of the time I use it one-handed - I estimated that at least 75% of my use was in that way. With that in mind the final deciding test was to handle my Mum's 6s - and that proved to be the decision-maker as each and every time I tried to use her phone one handed, I promptly flipped out of my hand and had I not been ready for it would have landed on the floor. With the decision made to opt for the SE I was even more pleasantly surprised to discover a £100+ difference in price - I eventually paid £409 for mine.

Although I had the money sitting in savings ready to pay for both items, I paid on the Credit Card both for the financial protection it gives, and also thanks to the cashback it pays. It was then that a thought occurred to me...a quick look on the Money Saving Expert site revealed a fee-free balance transfer card which I was likely to qualify to get. (Sainsbury's Bank - 0% for 22 months in case you were wondering.) Applied, and got - result! This means I have a space of time where the money can stay in my account earning at least a little interest - well anything is better than nothing, right? My plan is as follows: I've got back into doing surveys again - and anything I earn via that route will get paid against the 0% card. I'm also setting the Direct Debit for the initial minimum payment, rounded up to the next £. whereas normally if you just set it for the straight minimum payment, it will fall over time, mine will stay the same, meaning that as the balance drops each payment will effectively have more of an impact on the balance remaining. Assuming the TopCashBack payments on the two purchases some through OK, those will also go back against the card. My aim is to pay off both items within the interest free period, (obviously!) but using as little money from my savings as possible. So far I've chipped £35 off the balance - £11 survey money plus the £24 I would usually have paid on my phone bill (it came in at zero this month due to the change onto the new SIM only deal).

I'll keep you informed of how things go - it feels slightly odd to be thinking in terms of being "in debt" again, but currently the very fact that I don't like that much is serving as a good incentive to get it gone! Oh - and the new camera - well see for yourself, I'm happy...!

Robyn.

Hard to believe...

...that just a month ago we were in the Hebrides! I've been too busy to really think about it much for the past few weeks, but thought it was about time I took a look at some more of the photos. Here's some of my favourites from the first week...

One thing we did this year was spent a fair bit of time on the beach - in fact our first Sunday, and our final full day were spent on the same beach - the one within walking distance of the cottage. That was one thing we really appreciated this year, that a stroll down the track could get us to this...

That was just a tiny bit of it too - it stretches for miles in each direction! The following day we headed south to South Uist, and visited the beautiful little community garden at Lochboisdale, which was just FULL of chives this year...

...just gorgeous! It's really nicely done, and just such a blaze of colours! Talking of a blaze of colour, there was more of that the next day at RSPB Balranald too...

That's fairly standard for late May on the Machair - just an astonishing carpet of flowers. The daisies appear first, then the yellow of the Birds Foot Trefoil, and the purple of the pansies...a perfect harmonious blend of colours. It doesn't stop there either because as June arrives the orchids appear - their colours from white through to a deep bright purple - just stunning.

The following day was our long awaited boat trip out with Nick on the Lady Anne - we were just so pleased to finally get out on one of these trips - it's felt like a conspiracy these last few years with things stopping us doing it! It must be said that it entirely lived up to expectations, especially seeing this amazing White Tailed Eagle so close up...

Yes, you don't need to be a bird expert to recognise that one, do you!  The weather went a bit grey and gloomy the next day...not though we let that stop us getting out and about. We headed back to South Uist again and climbed a hill....views weren't bad but better was spotting this Golden plover and it's mate...

They head to the hills to have their chicks, no sign of babies yet with these two but they were clearly thinking about it! Absolutely stunning birds in their full breeding plumage - and unmistakable once you've seen them the once, too!

Last shot for now, and it's one from one of our favourite hills on the Islands - Rueval on Benbecula. I don't think there's a year gone by since we first climbed up it that we've not gone back - it's only quite a small one but the views are phenomenal...

...this is the advantage of Benbecula being a quite flat island! I suspect that next time we're there though we'll probably have to give it a miss as the winter isn't the most ideal time for hill climbing - we'll see though!

Expect to see some more shots of RAF fast jets coming up over the next few weeks, as we have several airshow trips planned and a visit to Scampton for an In Season Practise with the Reds. July is looking hectic, and while I do intend to carry on with Frugal Friday posts if I miss another week please do bear with me!

Robyn

B is for...

Firstly – an apology. As I understand it *some* of you “down South” may be enjoying less than brilliant weather. If this is something you feel particularly sore about, you may prefer not to read on…only it would appear that currently we have brought the good weather over on the ferry with us! The forecast for today was mostly cloudy…bit of sun…small amount of rain. Instead we’ve had a small amount of cloud (first thing this morning) and then sun, and lovely warm temperatures too – bliss!

We headed off round to Balranald – the RSPB reserve – this morning….and that is why this is part of my “Alphabet Photography Project”series – B is for….Birds! Before we go any further then, shall I make you say “Ahhhh!” ? Ok then - try this…

…Yes, thought that would work – Lapwing Chick, there are masses of them around up here at the moment! A little further along the road we saw this Swallow…

…we’re so used to seeing them flying about but tend to forget the stunning colour of them!  Those were before we even got to the reserve and parked up, too!  Once we had we started out on the walk – one of our favourites this, a circular walk of around 4.5 miles taking in machair, sandy  beaches and rocky shores, it never disappoints – we soon arrived at the first stretch of beach and immediately saw this…

…not quite your standard gull this – much paler and with a larger, dark eye, it looks far prettier than the Herring Gulls which we’re used to seeing when we spot a gull of this size.  It’s a Glaucous Gull – not precisely rare, but not that common either, and unusual enough here that people comment on them.  It flew off not long after I took that shot, but helpfully came right overhead…

We wandered on. Terns, Pipits, A pied Wagtail, Lapwings and Oystercatchers, lots of small waders…everywhere you looked (and listened) there were birds! The nice thing is that a lot of the time the only sound you can hear is the bird calls – no traffic noise here. The first few times we came over it actually took time to get used to that, when you live and have always lived somewhere there is some form of noise around you all the time, total silence is something that your ears struggle to process.

It's not just the birds either - at this time of year the wildflowers are getting properly into full swing and  the bees are taking advantage...we spotted this stunning chap, a Moss Carder Bee, we think... 

You finish the walk on another lovely beach, and in this weather there's really no better place to be!

And there you go, that's all the "B's" I can think of. No link in this post to the rest of the challenge either - getting (and keeping) a signal up here can be hard enough I'm afraid! Tomorrow is going to start with a walk lead by a chum of ours to looks for otters. We may see them, we may not, but either way we'll have a fine old time no doubt. We're following that up with a boat trip too so fingers crossed for more lovely weather, please!

Robyn.

New Toy!

After several years of saving, I have finally bought my much hankered-after canon 100-400mm lens. The thinking behind this was that I spend a fair amount of the summer lugging two cameras and two lenses to airshows, and a fair amount of the winter lugging two cameras and two lenses to rugby matches, and this beast should mean that I can just take 1 camera and one lens to all those places! (That's the theory - in practise of course I will almost certainly still take "backup kit" as well!) After a lot of pricechecking, weighing up options and debating (Mint condition second hand, or brand new, being the main question) I finally found it for a superb price from Onestop Digital, and ordered from them. I'd not ordered photographic equipment from Hong Kong before, but knew that OneStop were well thought of, and their price was more than £200 cheaper than the best price from a UK supplier. I was also able to add a three year international warranty for a further £15 - meaning that should In encounter any problems with the lens during that time it can be repaired in the UK rather than having to go back to HK. The biggest positive about buying it this way was that it meant I could buy the lens brand new - indeed the saving from buying second hand would have been so small that the loss of warranty just would not have made it worthwhile.

I placed the order on the Thursday lunchtime, sent the bank transfer for payment that evening, and got an acknowledgement first thing the next day. With the weekend in the way I was expecting a bit of a delay, but in fact the "dispatched" email was waiting for me when I logged into my email on the Monday morning - pretty impressive! I was given a direct link to the tracking on the courier's site, and the only small delay from there was when the parcel was held due to a small import charge being required to be paid - once that was done everything starting moving again and I had the lens in my hands 48 hours after its despatch from the supplier. The refund on the import duty (OneStop offer a vat-free guarantee) was just as speedy in its arrival, and all in all I have to say I would have no hesitation in using them again for camera gear, or indeed in recommending them to others.

So - the lens....what do I think? First reaction was frustration - thanks to the time of the year and working all 5 days last week, it was Saturday before I had a chance to actually give it a try, and Sunday before the light was good enough to give it a PROPER try!  In spite of poor light on saturday though the local RSPB reserve provided some subjects...

These Mallards proving that it can handle colour well - that was with the lens at it's full 400mm range, and that's about a 50% crop too. A decent start.

Tufted Ducks can be tricky things - it's not their fault you understand, but as everyone who's ever shot a wedding knows, there are few things in photography that cause more of a headache than a white dress next to a dark suit, and this is a bird who's outfit of choice is a nightmare for exposure. No problems for the lens here either though. So far, so good!

Sunday was just gorgeous - bright, sunny, blue skies. A day like that deserves a walk, so off we went to Amwell wildlife Trust reserve. I knew this would give me some good options for close up bird shots - there is an area of woodland where they keep feeders well stocked, and this gives ample opportunity for watching  small birds very close in.

I think this female Reed Bunting has aspirations to be a model - she was quite happy posing for me!

Dunnocks are shy little birds - and this one was no exception, constantly darting about and rushing for cover at even the slightest hint of movement. The Image stabiliser in the lens meant that even at 1/100th of a second I was able to handhold and still get a sharp shot - this was at ISO 800 too - approaching the ideal limit for the 40D.

One thing which has stood out for me is the great smooth quality of the "Bokeh" - or out of focus background in these shots. This is truly where you get what you pay for - cheap lenses often give a rather distracting background, but this just calmly gets on with the job of blending everything gently together and letting the subject stand out.

Finally one of possibly my favourites of the "Garden birds" - the adorable Long Tailed Tit doing its finest "Tweetie pie" impression.

The lens is getting another try-out this week - more airborne subjects but of a rather larger - and noisier - type, as I've headed up to RAF Coningsby for a couple of days. From the first impressions over the weekend I'm thoroughly looking forward to having two days handling the "Beast" (as it's already been nicknamed!) and really getting to put it through its paces.

Robyn




(OneStop Digital have no knowledge of me making this post and I have been offered no incentive to do so - it's simply in the spirit of praising good service, and sharing a positive experience with others.)

Autumn Colour at Fen Drayton Lakes

On our way up to Birmingham for our Good Food Show weekend a few weeks back, we stopped off on the way to visit an RSPB reserve - it was a lovely cold crisp winter day and seemed just perfect for a walk.

RPSB Fen Drayton Lakes is a reclaimed gravel works next to the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire. Although not that far from us this was the first time we'd visited the reserve, which consists of a network of paths around water meadows and lakes.

As the name suggests, the reserve is in the heart of the Fens, meaning that the land is tremendously flat. The advantage of course is that the walking is easy - this would be ideal for someone with a child in a pushchair or for an adult with reduced mobility. The paths are well maintained and there is a variety or routes to be chosen from the short couple of mile loop we did, to a longer walk round the reserve boundaries. The flatness also means that the light is quite remarkable - just look at this glorious Weeping Willow glowing in the wintry sunshine...

More colour was visible from the profusion of berries, hips and haws on the trees and bushes too - this really has been a remarkable year for these!

Walking on a little further you get a stunning view out across one of the lakes - we were surprised by the number of Great Crested Grebe to be seen - although not an uncommon bird both MrEH and I were astonished at just how many were out there. Add to that all manner of other waterfowl, and there was definitely plenty to look at. We met a chap local to the reserve - a regular visitor who said that it was very quiet there that day - that he was surprised how few grebe there were in particular - so goodness knows how many there are usually!

The River Great Ouse provided more fantastic views as well - I can see that this would be lovely at any time of year too, although autumn colour is always going to be a winner, isn't it!

We turned back to the car then - as a fun weekend in Birmingham was calling us. We've already said we want to go back though - and to make a point of visiting some of our other "not too far away" RSPB Reserves, too!

Robyn