CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 14years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
That sounds like un plan.
Would it be at all possible to pencil in the weekend of 9/10 May? Would be nice to have a little CCE wildlife wander, but I've monopolised weekends until then...
Dolphin-tastic in Aberdeen harbour last night (the RSPB sets up a stall this time of year from Thursday to Sunday for a Dolphin Watch with signs from the A90 and everything...)
All Photos-231 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
All Photos-232 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
I notice on Facebook you have made chum jealous with these incredible pictures, just to repeat myself, the mice have sent those Dolphins to give us the message So long and thanks for all the fish?
That weekend is fine, the fietsclub balerno will have a road outing you are welcome to join on the Sunday but think the ouzel spotting will be on different bikes?
Indeed (though truth be told I'm not 100% happy with the shots - only had a ten minute window to nab them).
Indeed likely different bikes for the bibbed blackbirds I would have thought. I'll pencil in the Saturday - half a day to ride out, see the birdies, ride back, and still have time for the inevitable coming-summer-gardening sounds like a nice way to spend the day....
Wow. Nice pictures, W.C.
@WC impressive - it might bore others, but I'm intrigued as to what your lens(es) of choice tends to be (I don't think I can identify them exactly using the EXIF data)?
Prepare to be bored ;)
Wildlife lens is a Sigma 150-500mm that I bought around 4 and a bit years ago with a redundancy payment. The lens itself is great, but the optical stabilisation packed in after a couple of years, and the autofocus went the same way. I sent it back, and it came back saying 'oh, it's your camera body'. But it's not, cos I've now tried it on a couple of bodies. I think the mount is a bit knackered, so it generally lives on my old Nikon D90, though I will occasionally put it on the newer D7100 (but I don't trust it not to break the camera).
So everything for the last few years is OS-less and manually focussed. I think, however, I'm going to send it for a service this week (cheaper than buying a new lens! It's out of warranty) so that (fingers crossed) they can get it working properly again for my annual pilgrimage to Skye in June. I'm loathe to do it, mainly because it means a few weeks without the big lens! I may see if I can pick up a reasonably priced 2x converter to use on my 200mm...
p.s. thanks fimm and jdanielp - as I say, not quite the shots I was after, but they're a long way away!
@WC good to know - the longest lens I have for my Canon 550D is 135mm but it isn't very fast, although I tend to take my Panasonic Lumix FZ3 with built in '12x' optical zoom (35 - 420mm) when travelling, but that only has a 3 megapixel sensor so not great quality... I still have no kingfisher pictures to share with anybody in any case :(
The 500 is HUGE to lug about - but has been worth it for some of the shots it has allowed me to get.
I've tried 500mm 'mirror' lenses, with mixed results - I think you need really good light to get the best out of them, but they do give you 500mm or so of reach without the bulk or cost.
@gembo, @Wilmington's Cow
Let's pencil that in. We can celebrate the return to government of a conservative party. The ouzel site is about 1200m up a rough track off the B7007 beside the Blackhope Water. I recommend a good quality hybrid bike for this ride, but then that's all I've got so I would, wouldn't I?
Aberdeen dolphins about to be on BBC Scotland News.
Cormorant in the canal this morning out by the bypass. Also my second spot of a swan for 2015.
I think this is the same cormorant that has been resting in the same spot on the canal bank two nights in a row. I was getting a bit worried about it - glad to hear it has been getting out and about.
I think I saw a Little Grebe on the canal this morning in Wester Hailes. If so, that's a first for me.
Gorgeous little bird (especially this time of year with its dark red head). Used to have a breeding pair in the local park, the chicks are gorgeous little zebra striped things, just like the big grebes, and ride on the backs of their parents. Sadly they disappeared a few years back and the territory has never been claimed.
There are flocks of dabchicks on Loch Leven (by the town) - makes a rather cute if faint call
There used to be a pair of little grebe on the canal at Polwarth, but haven't seen them in about 8 years. It would be great if they're back.
A hare, a small female (roe?) deer and what looked like a young bird of prey heading through the forest between Hopetoun and Blackness this morning.
This morning in Dalmeny it was only 7 pheasants but yesterday I saw 3 deer behind the old HP site between the avenue and the M90 & 2 more in Dalmeny estate.
Heron on the canal this morning, standing on the bank beside the towpath. It seemed unruffled by the number of cyclists passing close by.
This year's first ducklings on the canal this evening! Two batches... Nine at the east edge of Wester Hailes and slightly fewer in a group near the railway bridge.
Bloke with two *enormous* snakes outside the Scottish Widows building. police now speaking to him.
Maybe he thought they would enjoy the sun?
I've a few friends who still work there and have pictures - appears folk were going down and getting to hold them, then the cops turned up. All very weird! And you're right, they were HUGE!
I stayed safely indoors. Indiana Jones and I have something in common.
It's not Bring your Pet to Work Day again, is it?
A few days ago when we took our pet snake out to play with, he ran up my trouser leg. I hope neither of these two behemoths tried that..
"...ran" up?
He runs like a river, or a pair of tights.
I resisted on blip, but....
Trouser snake, hee hee!
I likes snakes - the serpentarium on Skye is fab.
It had to be done. ;-)
When I typed "serpentarium Skye" into my search engine it suggested "Wilmington Serpentarium.
Strange but true.
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