I only found out less than an hour before it was due so I didn’t have much time to prepare, but this morning the famous Flying Scotsman steam locomotive passed through Aldermaston Station. Here’s a short video (incl an initial false alarm as we didn’t know the exact times) of the pass:
I also took a few pictures, if they are any good (haven’t looked yet) I’ll post them in a separate entry later.
As I was running late this afternoon I only went for a local walk with my camera. However, I was lucky: While taking pictures of a Coot with its young I happened to spot a Great Spotted Woodpecker on a nearby tree. I soon realised that it was at its nest and that there were two of them. The next hour I spent hiding in some bushes, watching and taking pictures of the pair of woodpeckers coming and going. Here is a selection of my favourites:
(click on the pictures for the larger versions)
A very interesting art and environmental project: The CON-venience Store. Decades old litter collected in the Forest of Dean on display in a shop to highlight the problem of indestructible litter.
(Via the BBC, ‘Shop’ stocked with Forest of Dean litter opens)
My original plan for this afternoon had been to get a few pictures of some young ducklings on the Kennet and Avon Canal I had first spotted a few days ago. However, just as I arrived at their location they decided to climb out of the canal and disappear into the undergrowth on the other side. So a change of plan was needed. While I didn’t manage to take any pictures of them catching them in flight I did manage to get a few pictures of Sparrows who had just caught an insect.
(click on the pictures for larger versions)
Earlier this evening I noticed a very low flying Red Kite outside of my window. On closer inspection it turned out it was being pursued by a few Rooks (and others birds). Luckily my camera had the big lens mounted, so I quickly grabbed it, opened my fake balcony door and managed to get a few decent shots of the show:
(click on the pictures for larger versions)