A wet day round Penninghame pond way

Though it was a miserable day I needed to get out.

I thought I'd see frogs as it's more than a month since I first saw frog spawn.

Sadly, Penninghame pond area still has frog spawn.

I took lots of pictures anyway.

The video included is an interesting one.

I'll say no more, either enjoy the pictures or don't bother.

I was about to leave because the rain came on, but I noticed these chaffinches flying around a log pile.

It seems visitors have been keeping them fed with nuts, bird seed and bread.

This is a video compiled of 186 photographs taken in a high speed burst. Each image lasts one twelfth of a second.

The birds are mainly chaffinches at Penninghame Pond near Newton Stewart.

The musical clip is a section of Ragtime Annie played by Bill Wimberly & His Country Rhythm Boys in 1957.

A small post

I'll start this post with three pictures from earlier this week.

Love this bonny bird.

It's been a pretty dreich week, but I remembered I would be taking macro on Friday (today), so I got in some practise

Lot's of webs on gorse bushes.

Flowers on roadside bushes are getting past their best.

 Today I joined a fellow rambler for a shoreline outing with the Wigtownshire U3A Digital Photography Group. We're allowed a couple of outings for free to see if it's something we'd like to join.

I was interested in today's outing as the subject was 'Macro' and Keith Kirk, a 'Countryside Ranger' with Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Service would be imparting his knowledge of Macro.

As well as his day job, Keith is a well known wildlife and environmental photographer.

Here's his Facebook Page.

After tea and biscuits at the Harbour Cottage we were soon on Garlieston's shoreline.

We're soon turning stones over to see what we can find. I'm learning about Aperture Priority from Keith.

This is a cropped section of the next picture, taken on settings I've just learned.

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.......and this is it, a starfish. They're quite small as the next picture will show.

This is the turned up boulder we're concentrating on.

Keith certainly knows his stuff and his wildlife.

We come across a number of crabs. This may be of the Velvet Swimming variety.

A number of the photographers in the group have tripods. I should have fetched my Gorilla Pod camera tripod with me. 

Here's an interesting array !

This is my best picture of the day I think.

Also on offer were anemones (probably Snakelocks)..................

........................and larger crabs.

I don't know if I'll be joining the club, but I'll certainly be doing more experimentation with camera settings.

I've learned something today.

Thank you U3A Digital for an enjoyable morning.