A kingfisher trapped and released at Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast was originally ringed in Poland some 620 miles away. The previous longest recorded distance was 603 miles. We'll know a more accurate distance when we discover where in Poland the bird was ringed.
The National Trust said cold weather could have led to the bird migrating from Eastern Europe.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
St Mary's Church, Great Bardfield
I went out to play with Black & White today and my chosen venue was the church of St Mary's Great Bardfield.
Great Bardfield is a pretty little Essex village that outsiders think doesn't exist. I drive through it a lot with out stopping (usually coming back from days out with Dad). The church is in in "the book", and pretty though it is, its inclusion is for its Stone Rood screen. Stone Roods are uncommon and some of the churches that have them claim them as unique, Bardfield doesn't since there is one a few miles down the road at Stebbing.
Great Bardfield is a pretty little Essex village that outsiders think doesn't exist. I drive through it a lot with out stopping (usually coming back from days out with Dad). The church is in in "the book", and pretty though it is, its inclusion is for its Stone Rood screen. Stone Roods are uncommon and some of the churches that have them claim them as unique, Bardfield doesn't since there is one a few miles down the road at Stebbing.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
All quiet on the home front
I made my first trip to Hatfield Forest or a while. There were some good birds about but they were a bit camera shy. I only saw the one Great Crested Grebe on the lake which was a bit surprising but there were some good woodland birds about Jays (lots of these), Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Marsh Tit, Great Spotted and Green Woodies.
A number of Trust properties in the East of England have these "picture frames".
So after a bacon sarnie off to Rye Meads.
This Little Grebe was diving about.
A young Mute Swan
Gorgeous weather.
A number of Trust properties in the East of England have these "picture frames".
So after a bacon sarnie off to Rye Meads.
This Little Grebe was diving about.
A young Mute Swan
Gorgeous weather.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Reputations and Reviews
Reputations are interesting things even a newby listener (like me) to classical music knows that Johan Sebastian Bach is regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest composers of all time. But it's interesting to note that after his death he went out of favour and was "rehabilitated" a century later by Felix Mendelsohn.
Vivaldi, he of the four season's, fame was out of favour even longer although you wouldn't know it by the number of new releases of Vivaldi music.
It does make you wonder what else is out there. For instance Radio 3 played a violin sonata by Jean-Fery Rebel this morning which was very pleasant but he is someone I've never heard of. So I guess instead of buying the same old same old we ought look beyond the "core repetoire" and given you can listen to excerpts on line its easier to do than it ever has been.
Reviews are equally interesting in Classical Music they tend to ignore the music and concentrate on the sound recording quality and the performance. Just because you like X's recording of Beethoven you may not like there Shostakovich if you don't happen to like Shostakovich! Classic FM wrote a rave review of Nicola Bennedeti's new album Italia, in which she traces her Italian roots (I find that amusing!) by looking at baroque music like Vivaldi (but laudably including Tartini, Veracini), whereas Andy Gill in the Independent was critical of the "crass cover shot of a Vespa" and gave it 3 stars (I ought to add I'm struggling to see how it is crass!!).
Whose right? Dunno but it makes you wonder if people are listening to the same piece or are judging by reputation.
My own attempt to move beyond Vivaldi saw me by some albums by Tartini, Locatelli and Corelli from hyperion.
Vivaldi, he of the four season's, fame was out of favour even longer although you wouldn't know it by the number of new releases of Vivaldi music.
It does make you wonder what else is out there. For instance Radio 3 played a violin sonata by Jean-Fery Rebel this morning which was very pleasant but he is someone I've never heard of. So I guess instead of buying the same old same old we ought look beyond the "core repetoire" and given you can listen to excerpts on line its easier to do than it ever has been.
Reviews are equally interesting in Classical Music they tend to ignore the music and concentrate on the sound recording quality and the performance. Just because you like X's recording of Beethoven you may not like there Shostakovich if you don't happen to like Shostakovich! Classic FM wrote a rave review of Nicola Bennedeti's new album Italia, in which she traces her Italian roots (I find that amusing!) by looking at baroque music like Vivaldi (but laudably including Tartini, Veracini), whereas Andy Gill in the Independent was critical of the "crass cover shot of a Vespa" and gave it 3 stars (I ought to add I'm struggling to see how it is crass!!).
Whose right? Dunno but it makes you wonder if people are listening to the same piece or are judging by reputation.
My own attempt to move beyond Vivaldi saw me by some albums by Tartini, Locatelli and Corelli from hyperion.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Home via Stourhead
Apparently both my cameras can swap lenses! You wouldn't believe it since the Panny has had the same lens on all the time (20mm f1.7, oh the camera was permanently set to B&W so you've seen none of them.) and the Nikon had an 18-270 travel zoom on!!
This is all very convenient but Saturday night I decided this was daft. I stuck the 14 f2.5 on the Panny (now set for colour) and the 35mm f1.8 on the Nikon. There is a degree of freedom in this since you are restricted in what you can take, hence I took fewer photos than normal. Whether the quality improved who knows, I enjoyed it though.
Actually today almost never happened as it was raining most of the way but by the time Stourhead hoved into view the sun came out
I was there a month ago but it's such a lovely place and it repays revisiting.
Stourhead was good for birds today with Redwings, 5 Great Crested Grebes, Goldcrests, 2 Marsh Tits, seemingly dozens of Nuthatches and a calling owl!
well a very pleasant 4 days. But that's the holidays for the year, it doesn't seem that long since I was waiting for the first one!!! All I can say is Roll on April.
This is all very convenient but Saturday night I decided this was daft. I stuck the 14 f2.5 on the Panny (now set for colour) and the 35mm f1.8 on the Nikon. There is a degree of freedom in this since you are restricted in what you can take, hence I took fewer photos than normal. Whether the quality improved who knows, I enjoyed it though.
Actually today almost never happened as it was raining most of the way but by the time Stourhead hoved into view the sun came out
I was there a month ago but it's such a lovely place and it repays revisiting.
Stourhead was good for birds today with Redwings, 5 Great Crested Grebes, Goldcrests, 2 Marsh Tits, seemingly dozens of Nuthatches and a calling owl!
well a very pleasant 4 days. But that's the holidays for the year, it doesn't seem that long since I was waiting for the first one!!! All I can say is Roll on April.
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