Image of the Day - "Een Favoriete Weergave"

LANGDALE PIKES

 

Favourite's Collection #312

 It's been a while since we last featured a favourite's collection entry. This particular image has good merit for inclusion in this category. It is not the best image in the collection; as the photograph was taken pointing towards the sun ... and there had to be some Photoshop raw image adjustment to get it as clear as this.

For years in Australia, the Nankeen Kestrel was a regular native bird captured in photographs. Coming back to the UK, its cousin was proving difficult to capture. Until this opportunity presented itself. Hovering over the road near Lancaster ...

Finally, a UK Kestrel photograph ....

Favourite's Collection #311

 

I've not been adding to what I consider my favourite bird photograph collection for a while. Indeed, I can't remember if this particular image taken at Stranger Pond, back in 2016, has been added before. My long term totem medicine has been Heron. I spotted one atop a lamp post yesterday, near to a local shopping centre. The experience got me thinking ... and I just had to add this wonderful image. 

Favourite's Collection #310

This is the first of the Favourite's Collection in 2020, and I've chosen a fairly recent image taken on the Urambi Hills, Canberra of an Australian Raven. The photograph was taken back in November 2019; back before the terrible bush fires that flared up all over Australia. There were several fires burning back in November 2019, but nothing on the horrific scale that occurred weeks after this photo was taken.

Raven has been a personal power animal of mine for a number of years; I've respected Raven and Raven has respected and accepted me. Now, in January 2020, knowing what I know now about what befall Australia, with hindsight I should have realised this Raven, and the other Ravens, that were suddenly arriving around me when I was on one of the summits of the Urambi Hills, were actually warning me of something they knew about!!

Raven is a highly intelligent bird; it is telepathic and works in unison with all of its facets. Therefore, this Raven and the others would have been made aware of the fires that had started elsewhere in Australia! Plus, and it is a big power animal quality that Raven possesses, it is able to transcend time and space!

This is in keeping with the legends of the Norse god Wotan/Odin/Woden having two Ravens Hugin (Huginn) and Munin (Munnin) on his shoulders. Where Hugin is believed to represent ‘memory’, while Munin personifies ‘thought’. In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn  are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to Odin.

It is therefore very possible I was being warned of the imminent disaster in Australia, but I was too busily focused on photography, and being back on the Urambi Hills, not to listen to the telepathic voice in my mind. 

Favourite's Collection #309

This Mute Swan was photographed at Astley Park, Nr Chorley, in February this year. I rarely feature UK native birds in the Favourite's Collection; which is a shame because there are a number of gems in the small collection of photographs I am able to capture over here.

Favourite's Collection #308

This image was photographed back in October 2015 and represents my first ever Nankeen Kestrel photograph. I'd undertaken an early morning sojourn onto the Urambi Hills in Canberra South. I was coming down off the hills when I sighted this, then, unknown Raptor sitting in the tree above me. It was a few hours later than I realised it was a Nankeen Kestrel. Little then did I know that I would be treated to daily images of Nankeen Kestrels from this point on, for the next couple of years.

Favourite's Collection #307

It was very pleasing to get back to familiar haunts in Australia, last month. Even if it was only for a week. Even more pleasing was that familiar natives were still residing at these familiar haunts. I photographed this Snakebird at Lake Tuggeranong Shoreline, on the exact same tree branch I've taken countless photographs of Snakebirds since seeing my first one in 2015.

Favourite's Collection #306

This was often the first chance of a photograph of a Nankeen Kestrel, on full zoom, before being able to slowly make my way over to a closer vantage point ... I've added this image to the favourite's collection folder for prosperity, and as a reminder that not all close up photographs have to be a favourite image of mine.

Favourite's Collection #305

This Australasian Darter (Snakebird) was photographed at Lake Tuggeranong Shoreline back in October 2017. The Snakebird has fascinated me ever since my first sighting of one back in 2015.

Favourite's Collection #304

The profusion of Sparrows in New Zealand still feels like a blast from the past, especially with the silent streets and hedgerows here in the UK. Streets that were once teeming with Sparrows, Starlings, Thrushes etc etc. Birds that are now so common place in New Zealand. This photograph as been added to the favourite's collection in memory of the profusion of once common birds in the UK.

Favourite's Collection #303

This White-faced Heron photograph is the latest addition to the favourite's collection folder. It taken some time back at Stranger Pond, Bonython, ACT

Favourite's Collection #302

This Australia Raven photograph was taken recently at the summit of the Urambi Hills. This particular Raven only made its arrival the moment I reached the summit of the hills, and remained plenty long enough for a number of images to be captured.

Favourite's Collection #301

So we turn to another of our favourite Australian Native birds, photographed recently at Stranger Pond in Canberra. This New Holland Honeyeater was sighted at a favourite location around the pond. It's been nearly three years since I photographed at New Holland Honeyeater at this same location. This was my 2nd visit back to Australia, and Stranger Pond, since I came back to the UK in April 2017.

Favourite's Collection #300

What had originally began as a small collection (70 max) of personal favourite photographs for an expo, has expanded into a moderately large collection of photographs. This is #300 of this collection, and was photographed at Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra on Tuesday 12th November 2019. So it is a recent photograph, and represents a personal victory. A personal victory, in that I'd struggled to capture any decent close up photographs of Superb Fairy Wrens. That was until this latest trip to Australia.

Favourite's Collection #299

I nominate this wonderful little North Island Robin, that 'said hello to me' recently at Zealandia in Wellington New Zealand, as my latest addition to my favourite's collection. It was totally fearless, and came within a few feet of me.

North Island robins are one of three subspecies of robin, each found on one of New Zealand’s main islands (North, South, and Stewart Island). Robins are smaller than a starling and larger than a sparrow, weighing around 23 grams. They have a large head, short necks, and stand upright on long thin legs. Adults are dark grey with a light chest and belly and a white spot above their bill.

Robins are noisy, active, and inquisitive. 

They are one of New Zealand’s most fearless and curious birds, usually venturing within a few metres of people and occasionally hopping on boots. They often come to the ground to hunt for invertebrates in the leaf litter.  They are one of the first birds to sing in the morning and the last to sing at night. The morning song consists of a high to low scale, uttered in quick succession. The evening performance is a short, rather melancholic chirping note, repeated quickly.

Favourite's Collection #298

Superb Fairy Wrens are one the most distinctive small Australian native birds, and potentially one of the hardest to photograph, as they move so fast through the undergrowth. This particular image was taken during one of the lucky moments when the Superb Fairy Wren chose to remain on the branch long enough to be photographed.

Favourite's Collection #297

This Stitchbird (Hihi) was photographed at Zealandia in Wellington, New Zealand. The Hihi are a gorgeous New Zealand native bird. I'd sighted my first Hihi only the day before this photograph; and quickly became one of my favourite native birds.

Favourite's Collection #296

This photograph of a Common Sparrow was taken yesterday in Northlands, Wellington, New Zealand. It's really pleasing to find a thriving community of Sparrows! Having grown accustomed to Sparrows being everywhere in the UK up to the 1990's, it was such a shock to have returned to the UK after a decade or more absence, to find that Sparrows are no longer commonplace in the UK countryside. In the last two and a half years I'd seen barely a dozen Sparrows. Yet in the space of two days, here in Wellington, I've counted at least 200 sparrows!!

Favourite's Collection #295

This Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) was photographed on the roof of a stately home I've been working at, near Manchester in the UK, back in August of this year. It is the first time I've been able to photograph one of these fantastic UK native birds.

Favourite's Collection #294

This awesome Australian Raven image was captured exactly three years to the day at Lake Tuggeranong Shoreline. I'm hoping that my special relationship, with Raven, can be re-established upon returning (Briefly) to Australia in the near future. That physical bond has been missed, and is one I hope to experience again, and very soon.