Thursday, January 14, 2021

Rain Day

With the UK under severe lockdown there is no bird ringing allowed unless in one's own garden.  With vehicle travel limited to “essential” and “local journeys” only, it's unlikely I will be able to do much birding or even to get out with a camera.  Add to that 24 hours of rain with more to come today and I'm indoors for a while.

But, keep logging in for news and views. I'll do my best to find news and views to share. 

Meanwhile here's a post to link up with my friend Rain Frances over in New Brunswick and her Thursday Art theme of  Birds and the Sky -  http://www.rainfrances.com/2021/01/thursday-art-date-birds-and-sky.html  

I thought this might prove a difficult one because although the sky is there in many of my bird photos, it is there mostly as a backdrop to the bird or birds. 

So I looked through my photo archive for photos to find some that would satisfy the criteria of Birds and the Sky. Here we go Rain and readers - hope you like my selection of Birds and the Sky, sometimes combined.  I didn't realise there were so many until searching the hard drive. 

Blue, grey, white, cloudy, dark, light, red, and black from all around the world. Some with birds some not.  In no particular order. For best results click on the picture.

Swallows against the morning Sky - Glasson, Lancashire

Sepia Sky - Pilling,Lancashire

Rain on the way Sky - Fleetwood, Lancashire

Goose Sky - Pilling, Lancashire

Morning Sky trails - Rawcliffe, Lancashire

Bee Eater Sky - Menorca, Spain

Black Sky at night - Lanzarote, Spain

Cattle Egret - White on Blue Sky

Blue Sky over Sand - Fuerteventura, Spain 

Pintail ducks - Action Sky

Red Sky - Menorca, Spain

Grey Sky, Grey Day- Menorca, Spain

Tourists in the Sky - Greece

Cloudy Sky - Lanzarote

Rainbow Sky - Pilling, Lancashire

Lapwing Sky

Coloured Sky - Pilling, Lancashire

Big Sky - Lanzarote, Spain

Orange Sky - Knott End, Lancashire

Moody Sky - Rawcliffe, Lancashire

Hitchcock Sky - Pilling, Lancashire

Egyptian Sky - Makadi Bay, Egypt

Another Big Sky,  Lanzarote, Spain

Northern Shovelers Sky

Photos via Canon, Sigma and Sony. 

Now if I just had £17,000 I could update my gear to the latest Sony A7R 1V camera with a Sony FE 600mm F/4 Lens and a Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 Lens

How did I do with the post Rain?

Linking on Saturday 16 January to Viewing Nature With Eileen and also birding in Texas with Anni I'd Rather Be Birding.

 


23 comments:

  1. These are fascinating and beautiful bird and sky shots! A completely different world like mine.
    Greeting Elke

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  2. This post wins the show! fantastic examples of the sky in all it's glory and changes ~ from stormy to clear blue and colored in rainbows. The morning sky trails are beautiful as well as the Bee eater, with a bee in his beak! Terrific post to enjoy with my coffee this AM. Enjoy your day! Love, Karen

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  3. Some great photos of both BIRDS and THE SKY in fulfillment of today's Art Date theme!

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  4. You did beautifully for Rain's post. These photos are just magnificent. I love the night in Spain photo. Have a great day.

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  5. Phil,

    You shared some amazing bird and sky photos! The Bee Eater is absolutely brilliant. What a colorful fella! The Rainbow sky over Pilling, Lancashire is gorgeous. The red sky over Menorca, Spain is stunning! You have a marvelous eye for photography. Thanks for sharing today. Have a fototastic afternoon!

    Curious as a Cathy

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  6. I'm not Rain, but I would say your sky and bird shots are simply out of this world. Obviously even the sky wasn't the limit with this post. These are incredible bird and sky shots. I love them all.

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  7. You don't need any new equipment Phil. These shots are gorgeous!!!!....:)jp

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  8. Hi Phil! :) What a great post! You have so many beautiful photos to share!! I love how you presented all of them, and I don't know where to start! I have never seen, nor hear of, a Bee-Eater, what a pretty bird! The "Blue Sky Over Sand" is so beautiful, I've never seen that phenomena before, so glad you posted that photo. "Orange Sky" is my favourite I think. I love the desaturation look of the scene at that hour. Gorgeous! "Hitchcock Sky"!!! Yes!!! Great minds think alike if I do say so myself lol! :) That's a great photo! You did GREAT...no need to even say it! :) I hope you join in with other art dates, your photos are too good not to share! :)

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  9. what beautiful photography you have here, it would be hard to pick a favourite but for me it might be the rainbow sky.

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  10. I did click to enlarge and I must say there isn't a photo on your post that I couldn't pick as a favorite for many different reasons. All are beautiful and the variety is amazing. That each is unique to it's own setting and purpose, I think you must be beside yourself to be tied down to home as travel has served you well. I think, if you are anything like me, you could enjoy the home time going through your pictures as you did today. I often find things that I have forgotten or didn't appreciate at the time, but do now. Something to keep us occupied as we wither away in our mutual lockdowns. I hope you find ways to enjoy your current life and for sure to stay safe and well.

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  11. What beautiful pictures of the different skies!
    And the birds aren't they not beautiful?! Gorgeous!

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  12. Hello, Phil

    Awesome photos of all the birds and the beautiful skies.
    It is hard to pick a favorite, I see some many I like. Great post!
    Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend!

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  13. Once again, you have proven it isn't the equipment which makes an artist.

    Very nice collection of superb photographs!

    We are still hoping weather and plagues improve to the point you may soon resume birding and ringing.

    Gini and I hope you are well in the meantime.

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  14. Blue sky over sand really looks amazing! I've never traveled abroad so I love seeing the photos from Spain and from Greece and places I would love to see! It's a big beautiful world out there. I hope and pray we get past this pandemic and get out there some more. We continue to go to trails close to our house where we usually go without seeing anyone else. This morning we didn't even see many birds but it was still nice to get outside! Take care of yourself and stay safe!

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  15. Some cracking shots there Phil. My eye was immediately drawn to the Bee-Eater, the Cattle Egret and Pintails, but then I saw the plane coming in to land. Just wow!!
    It's tough times once again, especially for those of us that like to be out and about with our birds. Stay safe and hopefully soon, we'll be able to get back to what we love soon.

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  16. All beautiful skies, but the Bee Eater is my favourite.
    Stay safe and keep well, Diane

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  17. I am astounded! Incredible variety and beautiful image all the way around! (By the way, that big huge tourist bird in Greece I like). But my favorite of birds just had to be the Hitchcock sky!

    Thanks for joining us at IRBB this week. Happy birding! (And, stay dry from the rain & safe from the virus)

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  18. Gorgeous sky photos, both with and without the birds. Hope you stay safe & that the lockdown eases for you all soon.

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  19. My eyes are immediately drawn to the Bee-Eater and the Cattle Egret, but then I saw that plane coming in to land. Wow!!
    We'll get out there again soon Phil. It's quite depressing at the moment though.

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  20. Hello Phil:=) You found some delightful scenes of both skies and birds Unusual sand and sky shot, and I love all the Lancashire images, and of course the Bee-Eater.

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  21. Oh a big WOW Phil.

    An amazing post and I'll give you top marks!
    I'm sure Eileen, Anni and Rain agree :)

    All the best Jan

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  22. I am sure that I commented on this post before but it appears to have gone AWOL!! Great set of photos and hard to choose a favourite but think for me it must be the Bee Eater, I always loved watching these birds when I lived in Africa.

    I hope the vaccine soon starts taking effect and that the COVID numbers will start to drop. It was not our best year in 2020 and so far there does not seem much improvement in 2021. We are still in very tight lockdown and a curfew from 6pm to 6 am!!

    Stay safe, Diane

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