I'm sat at my desk looking out, into a gloomy, grey sky, with heavy rain beating against the windows. I'd have liked to be perch fishing in such conditions, but the logistics of transport and work commitments have precluded such opportunist folly - dream on, that day will dawn when the clock is no longer lord and master. Until then, however, I will have to enjoy whatever comes my way. Many hours have been spent, recently, studying my dodgy images of "micro moths" in some desperate attempt at gaining an insight into this complex group of insects. Progress is slow but there is basis for optimism on my part - and I'm enjoying this learning experience, that's important.
Going back through these archived photo folders, I keep delving into the Cephalonia (Kefalonia) files, purely to relive that exciting fortnight when I realised just how important birding is in my enjoyment of being me!
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| Extremes of sun light and shade - one of the most testing situations I have ever used a camera in. |
Sixty-one species and not a single "lifer" - the holiday was way more important than that. The first time Bev and I had been away, together, in three years and we needed this break. I suppose that this will be construed as a precursor to my "2015 Review" (Thanks Steve! - just joking) It is not, but hey-ho!, does it matter? It's still pissing down with rain and the images I am looking at are the very opposite. I'd thought about a post title of "Hippo up an Olive Tree" - made me smile but didn't work.
I came away from this holiday completely humbled - no way was I as good a birder as I thought I was. Steve say's "rusty" - I say "ordinary" I was way outside my comfort zone and boy did I know it?
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| A Subalpine Warbler - race unknown |
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| Western Conifer Seed Bug? |
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| Subalpine Warbler - race unknown |
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| An Icterine Warbler - a "Hippo in an Olive Tree!" |
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| Don't have a Scooby! |
These photos are a random mix of memories from a time and place where the sun shone brightly and I was free to do my own thing - happy daze!
Being free do do one's own thing is never as easy or absolute as it sounds, especially in these very PC times. Take Tyson Fury, the man is very much doing his own thing and saying what he thinks and not giving a shit but he will now be hounded by the PC police wherever he goes (I don't agree with some of what he says, by the way).
ReplyDeleteWe're surrounded by legions of armchair "do-gooders" now that see it as their sole function in life to make everybody PC, that spend their whole every day scrutinising the media for examples of people and things that dare to be non-conformist - it's getting harder an harder to do one's own thing but I'm sure that we'll keep flying the flag as best we can.
Derek, I saw your comment on Steve's blog, whilst I was a work - sorry for the tardiness of my response but, as yet, time is not my own! As for being a non-conformist? I can't help myself, it's what and who I am. As for the PC brigade - who give's a f*ck as long as I am not involved in some form of religious, racial or sexuality incitement - I'll continue to do things the way I see fit. If I take the piss out of wild flowers or those that feel duty bound to collect insects, in the name of data accuracy, so what? No one dies! All the best - Dyl
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