Though it has been a bit cold we have had some clear skies and sunshine though I did get rained on a bit. This posting includes photos from Tong Park Industrial Estate, Hollins Hall Golf Course, Denso Marston Nature Reserve, Buck Land bridge, Baildon Moor, High Royd’s Pond, Bradford & Bingley Sports Ground and Gallows Hill Nature Reserve, but not in that order or even by location.
As usual click/tap on an image to see it, better quality, in its gallery. Rather annoyingly the link to the image gallery does not work if you tap on the caption text. Using a mouse you can see that the text is not a link but you can’t tell when using a phone or tablet.
Kingfisher & Buzzard
When out and about, keeping your ears open is more important than keeping your eyes open. It allows you to look in the right direction and be ready to see and photograph whatever is coming along. So often when you are relying on your eyes the bird sees you before you see it and all you see is the bird flying away from you. With this Kingfisher and the Buzzard I heard their call first and was able to stop and be looking before they came into sight. If I had not heard them then they would have been gone before I could react.
These photos were taken on one of my visits to Denso Marsdon Nature Reserve. I heard the Kingfisher and watched it fly just above the water and stop on the branch for a second before it flew off under cover where I could only see part of it. Fortunately I was already stationary and looking in the right direction with my camera primed. Similarly with the Buzzard, I heard it and lifted my camera up ready for it to fly through the bit of sky I could see.
ACME Wringer
On one of my visits to the Tong Park Car Wash I noticed the wringer that they were using. It had the name ACME across the top. Somewhere in the back of my mind is a vague memory of having seen (or possibly read) a program about the likes of the Road Runner cartoons where ACME was an acronym for A Company that Makes Everything.
On one of my recent trips out with my camera I decided to walk along Gill Beck and around the edge of Hollins Hall Golf Course but my first stop was to have a better look at the ACME wringer. I asked to take some photos so I could have a look at my leisure. I think I am right in calling it a wringer instead of a mangle, which I think are larger and more industrial, though still with the two rollers.
The washing machine is The Dean which was gas heated (it is not connected now) and has the ACME wringer mounted properly on top of it. This dates from about 1948. The wringer was made by ACME Wringers Ltd of David St., Glasgow. This whole thing should be in a museum, it could be replaced with a new one for about £130 plus fitting. In searching for information about this I came across stock images where I could be paying £375 for an image file of it suitable for printing 10×8 inch. My images are released with a Creative Commons licence.
Snipe, Red Kite & Others
I have recently been to Rodley Nature Reserve and seen Snipe in the distance, these photos are from High Royd’s Pond in Menston. They were still in the distance but the place is much smaller so it is nice to see them there. I still have plans to get up onto the Eldwick side of Baildon Moor to watch and listen to Snipe flying around.
The first 6 photos of Red Kite are ones I took from the road into Tong Park Industrial Estate, the same day I took the photos of The Dean washing machine. The Red Kite was being sent on its way by several Crows. The following day I went to High Royd’s Pond and saw a single Snipe.
On the way back to the car, looking towards the sun, the air looked very hazy and I wondered what distant hills would look like so on the way home I went to the end of Salibury Avenue in Baildon to look out towards Lister’s Mill. I was not impressed but decided to have a look at Bracken Hall Green/Shipley Glen – too many cars. So I went on to Bingley Road near Glen Road and took the photo looking West over Eldwick that I have used as the header image.
A couple of days later I went to High Royd’s again. A couple of times I heard raptor noises and saw large birds in the distance but then during my visit a Red Kite flew over silently but I managed to get some photos of it. I also managed to get some photos of Snipe showing that there were at least three of them.
Bugs, Fungi, Landscapes & others
These photos are collected from the various visits over the last few days.
The Alfred’s Cake Fungus, the Pheasant and the two landscapes were from the walk by Tong Park Industrial Estate and around Hollins Hall Golf Course. I think the Pheasant was running to get near the flag on the green, it was the safest place for it.
Then a lone photo from my Snipe, Red Kite and Teal session at High Royd’s.
The next stack, down to the Geocache box, are from Denso Marston Nature Reserve and the last ones from Gallows Hill Nature Reserve in Otley.
Roe Deer
I know these Roe Deer may look captive but they are actually on the playing field behind Aire View Avenue in Bingley. I think it might be part of the Bradford & Bingley Sports Ground.
It looks like they have jumped the railing but instead of jumping over it they ducked under it. In the last photo they are hurrying off to the cover of the trees and heading towards the busy Sir Fred Hoyle Way.
Hunter’s Moon
I have subscribed to fullmoon.info so I get an email telling me when the next full moon is going to be. This photo from 17 October is the full moon after the Harvest Moon and is known as the Hunter’s Moon in our part of the world.
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