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2021......a Tortoise in lockdown hibernation?


Dave Williams

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12 hours ago, Galana said:

Are you sure they are not Snow Buntings?

:D

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Dave Williams

I'll ignore the snide remarks about my Snow Buntings and carry on with my progress!

 

Thursday I went out with my big lens! Yep, I jumped in the car and drove all of 7 miles in total on an essential journey. Essential in I have to avoid a flat battery otherwise I'm truly snookered when an emergency essential journey might crop up. Reason enough in my book so I took off to a spot on the promenade where on previous walks I have seen birds roosting at high tide.

First though I shot out of the bathroom window to add 23) Wood Pigeon.

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It wasn't the best of days and it wasn't going to get better either. In fact as you can see it was actually raining._G7A5345.jpg.f5602784e685c87feb08db9c85c9ff35.jpg

Still, another one up 24) Redshank added 25)Dunlin as well.

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 A little further on I also knew there would be 26)Purple Sandpiper so I might as well grab them before the depart for the spring which if the current weather is anything to go by won't be anytime soon!

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Edited by Dave Williams
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Dave Williams

So, it's Saturday and the morning after the night before. Fridays are special as the  weekday are over and ends prohibition in our house!

We decide to do a big 15k walk to punish ourselves for our over indulgence. I hadn't told Claire where we were going and why but she soon got the hang of it. Yes I was heading around the Great Orme in search of the Snow Buntings and this time I'd get a recognisable shot to shut up the doubters!! The birds had been reported seen everyday for two weeks now so I'd better make it sooner than later in case they leave. No way could I carry a big lens so instead I took the smallest I have, oh and the cheapest too. The 85mm 1.8 EF lens cost me £300 second hand from a local camera shop when I had just purchased a new Canon 1D1V, also second hand and as I had researched the prices I new it was a keen one. Sadly I hadn't done the same with the lens and had I done so I would have realised they were only £305 brand new. In 10 years I have only used it a couple of times so here was it's big chance to impress me for something other than the odd portrait.

Off we went back on to the promenade which was pretty deserted even at 11.00am as the weather wasn't particularly good as you can see. Still we were wrapped up well!

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On the left hand side you can see our local conference centre and theatre which have been turned in to an emergency "Nightingale" covid hospital as yet unused and unlikely to be either all being well because it's now a vaccination centre too!

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In fairness we are doing pretty well with our programme of vaccination and up to the weekend I think we were the third highest percentage wise after Israel and the Seychelles. I think I am due in the next few weeks too.

Anyway carrying on we started to do the walk around the Gt Orme headland taking the Marine Drive roadway. The first stop was to spend a while watching one of our resident wild goats trying to coax her kid to follow her down the cliff.

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The little one wasn't too confident and wouldn't go any further. There was much bleating going on between them and still no movement.

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Mother wandered off and started eating lunch taking on a hard approach to the learning curve of the youngster. The bleating from further up seemed to get louder and the reason soon became clear.

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She had twins! In fairness she did return to the spot we'd seen her but after hanging around for a good while to watch the outcome we decided to move on . No doubt they got down in the end but the places those Goats will get to eventually will leave this small step something they will soon see as , well, just that!

Apparently, due to the need for social distancing among those who normally are responsible, the usual course of contraception injections have not been administered and the signs are that there will be more Goats than ever raiding the local gardens in the months to come!

After a quick count of the Grey Seals , at least 65 could be seen, and don't they camouflage well too!

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We continued on. Ah, a photo test with the 85mm lens.

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Sat on the wall about 15 feet away a Robin had allowed me to get reasonably near.Now I was sure I could get pretty close to the Snow Buntings. 

How would a cropped shot look?

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Wow! The 45mp Canon R5 certainly delivers on that score. That will teach the doubters, just wait till I get to the top!!

Edited by Dave Williams
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Dave Williams

Right , onwards and upwards now I have eaten dinner!

Next stop was almost at the end of the Great Orme where there is a now disused Lighthouse which is now a rather expensive B&B guest house.

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It looks out over the Irish Sea and towards the Isle of Man where no doubt @Galana has his telescope trained in the opposite direction complete with mobile phone on the end trying to snap MY Buntings!

Well we are nearly there now but horror of horrors. They are not there, instead we have a few 27)Jackdaws eating the seed left for the Buntings. Had they flown off altogether? Apparently not as they have been seen both days since.

Ah well, I'm keeping my sighting and my score moves on to an impressive 25. Yes, a quarter of a century and many miles/kilometres of walking while the Hare, aka @xelas idle's behind a window in centrally heated comfort sipping his gin and lettuce juice no doubt!

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Incidentally, the building in the background was the brainchild of former world champion boxer Randolph Turpin. It was going to be a casino and golf course but it never happened and he went bankrupt in the process. It's now a very down market council run cafe and bar and the terminal for the council run cable car which is actually rather good!

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The tracks for the cable car are on pretty steep ground which the photo doesn't really show.

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Like everything else it's not running at the moment because tourism is non existent, and Llandudno's Cable Car is solely used for tourism, unlike it's two other sister systems that are running in Lisbon and San Francisco which are in use for commuting as well as being tourist attractions. I am lucky in as much as I have been on all three now!

Llandudno does heavily rely on tourism and we are suffering as a result with lots of businesses struggling to survive no doubt. Lets hope we can move forwards soon.

Meanwhile the main shopping street on a Saturday afternoon isn't exactly heaving.

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Edited by Dave Williams
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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Apparently not as they have been seen both days since.

Does the end of prohibition have a bearing on this perhaps? Normal folk see double in such circumstances not nothing!:P

Nevertheless thanks for taking us on a most a most enjoyable walk.

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12 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

the Hare, aka @xelas idle's behind a window in centrally heated comfort sipping his gin and lettuce juice no doubt!

Yes and no. Right now it is Jameson (brexit ...).

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Dave Williams
1 minute ago, xelas said:

Yes and no. Right now it is Jameson (brexit ...).

and to think I recently bought a Gorenje fridge!

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Dave Williams

Where there's a will there's a way. Sunday morning I decided to head back to the sea of mud and search for the Water Pipit. It was freezing despite being wrapped up against the cold but this time I wore my wellies and they don't offer the best isolation even with two pairs of socks.

I arrived at the spot and immediately spotted the Pipit not the best but at least I got a shot before it disappeared!

28)Water Pipit

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This has to be one of the most environmentally unfriendly farmers in the region. It's a disgrace really.

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This is just some of the rubbish lying around, there is plenty more.

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The sea of mud hides tyres, plastics and the skeletal remains of some fairly large animals.

Still it offers food in the way of insect life so I was able to add

29)Wren

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and 30) Pied Wagtail

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before the bitterly cold north easterly wind got the better of me. Numb feet and fingers so cold they stung were only half the problem. My eyes were watering so much I couldn't see to focus the camera.

Enough was enough. I returned home to watch the footy on TV my my team to lose yet again. Three home games on the trot, the first time since 1963 ( the season before we moved to Liverpool and I started following them). 

 

 

 

Oh, before you say the pipit is a figment of my imagination, here's a cropped shot!! 

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Edited by Dave Williams
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Dave Williams

Monday's walk was without a camera but I was messing around taking some shots out of the bathroom window with my 500mm f4 lens and a 2x teleconverter attached. That's 1000mm of reach but you lose a certain amount of sharpness too, especially in poor light. I was playing around using f11 instead of the minimum f8. Why? Well Canon have introduced some new RF lenses specifically built for their mirrorless R range camera such as the one I have bought. They include two incredibly light telephoto lenses which are also incredibly inexpensive compared to the EF range such as my 500mm lens. in fact they are just 10% of the price for an 800mm f11 lens. I just can't bring myself to ordering one because at that price there has to be a catch!!

The catch is that to compensate for f11 you need a low shutter speed or very high ISO to compensate or a balance of both. Either way something is compromised and that's before the image quality of the lens is judged. Still in sunny climes this might be an ideal walk about lens as the 800mm one weighs in at just 1260gms.

Anyway whilst the lens was poking out of the window the 31) Chaffinch I was photographing suddenly took off and all hell let loose!_G7A6428.jpg.1476d24af31063df379383207b838405.jpg

 

I could just fit the whole bird in the frame!

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Edited by Dave Williams
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such a pretty chaffinch - i hope it survived the onslaught!

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Dave Williams
1 hour ago, Kitsafari said:

such a pretty chaffinch - i hope it survived the onslaught!

She did, that's why the Sparrowhawk was sat with nothing to eat. Mind you if he was prepared to go veggie there was a nice selection over his head!

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3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

This has to be one of the most environmentally unfriendly farmers in the region. It's a disgrace really.

IMG_3186.JPG.d99a78a954523ac69963a15ecbf1c776.JPG

 

This is just some of the rubbish lying around, there is plenty more.

Sad and ashamed to say this, but in Saffaland it could be in line for' Neatest farm in country' award. Plastic bags have replaced the King protea as national flower.

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wonderful Sparrowhawk 

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Looks like we are using the same model of feeder, @Dave Williams. Those are nice detailed photos for 2x TC at f/11; I assume there was no window glass n between the lens and the bird?

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Dave Williams
3 minutes ago, xelas said:

Looks like we are using the same model of feeder, @Dave Williams. Those are nice detailed photos for 2x TC at f/11; I assume there was no window glass n between the lens and the bird?

 

@xelasNo extra glass Alex, I did think the shot was that sharp to be honest.Maybe the shutter speed of 1/320 was too slow. It's an uncropped shot too.

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Dave Williams

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in North Wales , full sun but very, very cold. Still, I was up for it and as I shop for my shielding neighbours today, also an excuse to take the car and stop off for some seashore waders again.

Alas the battery is dead, well almost anyway. Claire has gone off in my 25 year old VW Polo which never ever fails, her 9 year old Skoda lets me down for a second time in as may weeks!

So I'll write up yesterdays adventure instead...and another 15km hike in search of? Yep, you guessed it!!

Now given a choice which would you choose to carry?

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Yes, me too! 

So, off we went along the promenade which was really quiet then across town along "Invalid's walk" as it's known. Why I'm not sure but it's appropriate for me nowadays:rolleyes:

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Now I don't know about where you live but Llandudno is possibly the memorial bench capital of the UK. They are everywhere, all along this walkway, the promenade and the pier. Ok, somewhere to sit is handy and paid for by the families of the departed it's a cheap option for the local council too. 

They are to me also annoying when the rules are broken and bunches of naff plastic flowers cable tied to the bench, rain sodden messages which can barely be deciphered and worst of all, fresh flowers long dead in cellophane wrappers.

Not only an eyesore but hugely depressing. Yes, Sidney and Vera loved sitting in this spot and so would I if it wasn't for all this tacky rubbish left by some. At least the row in this shot has been cleared of such rubbish.

Anyway, that's my grump for the day over with. There will not be a bench with my name written on it, over my dead body there won't!

The best bit about Invalid Walk is that I can say hello to a couple of chums who despite my ever increasing waistline during lockdown make me feel better about my appearance!

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Yes, in Llandudno we have the "Alice in Wonderland" trail with statues along the way. Llandudno, along with other places has laid claim that here was the inspiration for Lewis Carrol's book.

American travel writer Bill Bryson wrote a rather poor but very funny review of his brief overnight stop in Llandudno, including his bewilderment that we or anyone else should want to associate with a paedophile. I agree.

Anyway, on with the walk.

Today we were approaching the Great Orme from the other, gentler side. This south west facing side enjoys sun all day, has views across the water to the mountains of Snowdonia and below the circular Marine Drive toll public road

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there is a private road for residents only, although you are allowed access on foot.

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This road has the highest average property price in the whole of Wales. A building plot alone will set you back £1,000,000 and then what you build is up to you. By London and other UK locations I guess it's inexpensive but around here it's only for the wealthy. It's a shame though that wealth, especially new wealth, often comes with a lack of taste. Old houses with charm and character are demolished and some of the new builds look more like supermarkets than houses. The need to impress paramount.

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When it comes to money, the Midas touch deserts me. I was offered the opportunity to buy a half completed bungalow on the very end plot for a mere £67,500 some 35 years ago. Instead I bought the cottage where I still live today for the same price. I know who bought the place, they demolished the half built property and built this Spanish style bungalow which is one of the smaller places and was recently sold for many times the value of my house. They haven't got Badgers in the garden though, my neighbours...well I haven't got any actually, don't try to impress. You never ever see anyone in the gardens of these properties either, well not unless they are workers. Strange!

Still onwards and upwards and today was the day.

You've guessed it

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The doubters will be put in their place.

Plain to see, left hand side top of the stone cairn!

They were still there but now reduced to two in number.

It was freezing cold, the wind was bitter and we could see snow showers heading our way. 

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So without staying more than a few minutes we headed off back towards home stopping briefly for this shot of the entrance to the Great Orme Copper Mines.

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Now a tourist attraction, and one I haven't visited in 30 years since they opened up the old mines, they are hugely significant. 

It's hard to believe that Llandudno was one of the most important industrial sites in Europe. This is the largest Bronze Age copper mine as yet discovered anywhere on the world and since there discovery in 1987 the dates of the Bronze Age have had to be recalculated. It is thought that mining here began as long as 3800 years ago. With bone tools and oily rags to light the way it's amazing what these earlier miners achieved.

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Moving on I stopped for a shot of the Gt Orme summit showing the cable car tracks and the cabin lift pylons too. Might need to open up as a Ski lift soon!_G7A6509.JPG.257456ef55383e049038c2f2c9c1f458.JPG

However, not yet. The snow flurries had no sooner started before they were over and the sun returned.

Still, we were on our way home, the wind was bitter and a cup of coffee lay ahead.

So, it was down, past the pier and more of those memorial benches before the promenade and home._G7A6522.jpg.c565abfeaed0891abaa9f1f974b25809.jpg

 

Edited by Dave Williams
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I do hope the Llandudno tourist board is paying you for your efforts.

 

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Absolutely wonderful to be taken on these walks with you! 

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Dave Williams

What, no criticisms of my Snow Buntings?

They did move closer!

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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

What, no criticisms of my Snow Buntings?

No. I knew even you would not dare try it twice.

 

Nice walk again.

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

along "Invalid's walk" as it's known. Why I'm not sure

It's no doubt typical welsh parsimony. They drag Granny along in her invalid chair so that she can pick a nice spot for her bench when the time comes. It saves two trips!

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I saw an episode of QI yesterday in which Lewis Carrol was one of the points of discussion. As the title suggests, it was quite interesting. As is property prices and what people will spend money on.

Your copper mines are even more interesting though, thank you.

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The British "pier" is a sight to behold. On our last trip I was compelled to walk on at least one (Eastbourne) and experience the "seaside", such a novelty. 

22 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Plain to see, left hand side top of the stone cairn!

Mmmmm....

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1 hour ago, elefromoz said:

The British "pier" is a sight to behold.

Come to my town. Home to the second longest in the archipelago.

Currently undergoing long overdue restoration.

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 Better give Llandudno Tourist Board their topic back.:D

Edited by Galana
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